Opening Recovery mode (macOS Recovery) on your MacBook

Recovery mode (macOS Recovery) is a separate environment on your Mac for fixing problems when macOS itself no longer works properly. You use it to reinstall macOS, repair the drive, restore a Time Machine backup or reset a forgotten password. This article explains how to open Recovery mode on your MacBook and what you can do there.

Blue Apple repairs MacBooks in Amsterdam. If you cannot get into Recovery mode at all, that points to a deeper problem; more at the end.

On a Mac with an Apple chip (M1 and newer)

1. Shut the Mac down.
2. Hold the power button (on many MacBooks the Touch ID button top right).
3. Release it as soon as you see "Loading startup options".
4. Choose Options and click Continue.
5. Choose a user and enter the password if asked.

On an Intel Mac

• Command + R: hold these keys right after switching on, until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe. You get the built-in Recovery mode.
• Option + Command + R: Recovery over the internet, with the newest macOS your Mac supports.
• Shift + Option + Command + R: Recovery over the internet with the macOS your Mac shipped with.

If you use a separate keyboard, use a wired one; a wireless keyboard is sometimes recognised too late at startup.

What can you do in Recovery mode?

• Reinstall macOS: a fresh copy of macOS, without erasing your files. See reinstalling macOS.
• Disk Utility: check the drive with First Aid, or erase it.
• Restore from Time Machine: return your Mac to a backup.
• Terminal: among other things resetpassword for a forgotten password. See forgot your password.
• Startup Security Utility (Intel Macs with T2) or security policy (Apple chip): deciding which media the Mac may start from.
• Safari: to look up help.

When do you use Recovery mode?

• Your Mac no longer starts, or hangs on the Apple logo.
• You want to reinstall macOS or erase your Mac completely.
• You forgot your password.
• You want to check the drive because the Mac gives errors or freezes.
• You want to go back to a Time Machine backup from before a problem.

Do not use Recovery mode "just in case": one wrong click in Disk Utility can erase your drive.

Recovery mode does not start

1. Apple chip: really hold the power button long enough, until you see the startup options. With too short a press the Mac just starts normally.
2. Intel: press the keys right after switching on, not only when you see the logo.
3. Try Recovery over the internet (Intel) if the built-in one does not work.
4. Charge the MacBook first; with a flat battery it will not work.

If you cannot get in any way, or the screen stays black, there may be something with the drive, the logic board or the power. Read MacBook will not start up and MacBook will not turn on.

Leaving Recovery mode

Choose Restart or Shut Down in the Apple menu. The Mac then starts normally from your startup disk again.

What we do at Blue Apple in Amsterdam

If your MacBook does not get into Recovery mode, or Disk Utility shows no drive, we test the storage, logic board and power. If data has to come off, we first try to secure it. More on our pages about MacBook repair in Amsterdam and MacBook data recovery.

Frequently asked questions

Does Recovery mode erase my files?

No, only if you choose Erase in Disk Utility yourself.

Do I need internet?

To reinstall macOS usually yes. For Disk Utility and Terminal, no.

What is Recovery mode on a Mac with an Apple chip?

The same idea, only you open it with the power button instead of Command + R.