What is Safe Mode on a Mac, and how do you start your Mac in it?

Mac Safe Mode is an excellent built-in feature that aids in troubleshooting and can resolve both hardware and software issues. It's also a go-to option when nothing else seems to work.

What Can Safe Mode Do for Your Mac?

In Safe Mode, your Mac only loads the apps and files necessary to run macOS. This means third-party apps and extensions that might be installed won't run. You can use Safe Mode to perform a basic assessment of your system disk and clear out system caches that might be causing problems.

The main purpose of Safe Mode is to start your system in a safe environment where third-party apps don't run, allowing you to assess and troubleshoot issues. In some cases, simply starting in Safe Mode can resolve the issue.

Article summary.

If your Mac is running slow or having other issues, try restarting it and booting into Safe Mode. Safe Mode starts your Mac in a minimal way, loading only the most essential system files and not running any third-party apps. This can help resolve various issues, like removing problematic plugins or fixing disk permissions. If your Mac runs fine in Safe Mode, that indicates that an app or plugin might be causing the problem, allowing you to check them one by one to identify the culprit.

## Starting your MacBook in Safe Mode

1. **Shut down your MacBook.** Click the Apple icon in the top-left corner, then select "Shut Down." Wait for your computer to fully power off and for the screen to go black.

• If the computer doesn't shut down normally, press and hold the power button for 5 seconds until it turns off.

2. **Hold down the Shift key while turning it on.** Place your finger on the Shift key, then press the power button to turn on your MacBook. As soon as you see the Apple logo, hold down the Shift key. Keep it held down until you hear the startup sound.

• Avoid holding down any other keys, or you might enter a different startup mode. For example, holding the Option key will bring up the Startup Manager, and holding Command and R will start up into the Recovery OS.
• If you have a MacBook Pro with Touch ID, touch the Touch ID sensor while holding the Shift key.

3. **Wait for your MacBook to finish starting up.** After you hear the startup sound, keep holding Shift until you see the login screen. Release the Shift key only then. Log in to your account, and you'll have successfully started up in Safe Mode.

• If your MacBook doesn't make a startup sound, it hasn't booted into Safe Mode yet. Keep holding the Shift key and wait for the sound, then try again.
• The Safe Mode desktop looks the same as a normal boot, but there will be a "Safe Boot" label under the Apple icon in the top-left corner.

## Starting your iMac in Safe Mode

1. **Shut down the iMac.** Click the Apple icon in the top left corner, then select "Shut Down." Wait for the computer to fully shut down and for the screen to go black.

• If the computer doesn't shut down normally, press and hold the power button for 5 seconds until it turns off.

2. **Press and hold the Shift key while turning it on.** Place your finger on the Shift key, then press the power button to turn on your iMac. As soon as you see the Apple logo appear, hold down the Shift key. Keep holding it down until you hear the startup sound.

• Don't hold down any other keys while doing this, or you might enter a different startup mode. For example, holding the Option key will bring up the Startup Manager, and holding Command and R will boot into Recovery OS.
• If your iMac has Touch ID, touch the Touch ID sensor while holding down the Shift key.

3. **Wait for your iMac to finish starting up.** After you hear the startup sound, keep holding Shift until you see the login screen. Release the Shift key when you do. Log in to your account, and you'll be in Safe Mode.

• If your iMac doesn't make a startup sound, it hasn't booted into Safe Mode yet. Keep holding the Shift key until you hear the sound, then try again.
• The Safe Mode desktop looks the same as a normal one, but there will be a "Safe Boot" label under the Apple icon in the top-left corner.

## Starting your Mac Mini or Mac Pro in Safe Mode

1. **Shut down your Mac Mini or Mac Pro.** Click the Apple icon in the top-left corner, then choose "Shut Down." Wait for your computer to turn off completely, and for the screen to go black.

• If the computer doesn't shut down normally, press and hold the power button for 5 seconds until it turns off.

2. **Hold down the Shift key while turning it on.** Place your finger on the Shift key, then turn on your Mac Mini or Mac Pro by pressing the power button. As soon as you see the Apple logo, press and hold the Shift key. Keep holding it down until you hear the startup sound.

• Don't hold down any other keys while doing this, or you might enter a different startup mode. For example, holding the Option key opens the Startup Manager, and holding Command and R starts up in Recovery OS.
• If your Mac Mini has Touch ID, touch the Touch ID sensor while holding down the Shift key.

3. **Wait for the Mac Mini or Mac Pro to finish starting up.** After you hear the startup sound, keep holding Shift until you see the login screen. Release the Shift key only then. Log in to your account, and you'll have successfully started up in Safe Mode.

• If your Mac Mini or Mac Pro doesn't make a startup sound, it's not in Safe Mode. Keep holding down Shift until you hear the sound, then try again.
• The Safe Mode desktop looks the same as a regular boot, but there will be a "Safe Boot" label under the Apple icon in the top left corner.

## Exit safe mode

1. **Restart your computer.** Click the Apple icon in the top left corner, then choose "Restart."

• You can only enter Safe Mode during the Mac startup process. Once you restart your computer, you will not be able to re-enter Safe Mode unless you follow the steps again.

2. **Check if your Mac runs normally.** If Safe Mode works fine, the problem might be with a third-party app or plugin. Uninstall apps and plugins you recently installed one by one to see which one is causing the trouble. If you find nothing, the issue might be with your hard drive. You may need to repair disk permissions or wipe your drive and reinstall OS X.

### Tips

• Safe Mode can be used to remove plugins that might be causing issues, or repair disk permissions.
• It takes longer to boot up in Safe Mode than normal, so don't be concerned.
• Most third-party apps, including antivirus software, won't run in Safe Mode. If you suspect your Mac has a virus, start in Safe Mode, then download new antivirus software and scan your hard drive.
• If you can't get into Safe Mode, try erasing your hard drive and reinstalling OS X. If that doesn't work, it's time to take it in for repairs.

## Warning

• Don't hold down any other keys, or you might enter a different startup mode. For example, holding the Option key opens the Startup Manager, and holding Command and R starts up in Recovery OS.

Want to put your Mac in Safe Mode? The steps vary slightly depending on your model of Mac.

Here are the steps for an Intel-based Mac:

Step 1. Boot into your system while holding down the Shift key.

2. Release the key when you see the login screen, and log in to the system.

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View the steps for an Apple Silicon Mac.

Step 1: Power down the system. Press and hold the power button.

Step 2: Release it when you see the boot options. Select the system disk.

Step 3: Hold down the Shift key.

Step 4: Choose “Continue in Safe Mode.” Log in to your system.

What are the keyboard shortcuts for Safe Mode on a Mac?

There are different keyboard shortcuts to enter Safe Mode on a Mac. For example, Intel-based Macs use the Shift key to start in Safe Mode. On an M1 Mac, you use a combination of the power button and the Shift key to initiate Safe Mode.

What are my options for safe mode on a Mac?

Safe Mode for Mac only loads essential kernel extensions to fix various startup issues, which means all third-party apps, services, and startup items are disabled.

Starting up in Safe Mode causes the following to happen:

• Inspect startup disk volume
• Clear font caches
• Disable third-party fonts not provided by Apple
• Disable login items and launch agents/applications
• Purge dynamic library caches
• Run only necessary kernel extensions

**How to Boot in Safe Mode** 1. **Shut down your Mac.** If your Mac is still on, press the power button until the screen goes black. 2. **Hold down the Shift key while starting up.** Release the Shift key once you see the Apple logo or a spinning gear. Your Mac will start up in Safe Mode. - Safe Mode takes longer to boot, so don't worry if it's sluggish. Your Mac might take a few minutes to load everything. - On some Macs, you might need to hold down Shift and Control to enter Safe Mode. 3. **Enter your password.** When you see the login window, type your password and click "Log In." 4. **Check for issues.** If your Mac runs normally, the problem could be with a startup item, system plugin, or kernel extension. You can fix it by deleting or disabling them. - If you have issues in Safe Mode, it might indicate a hardware issue or damaged system files. You may need to contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store Genius Bar for assistance. **Disabling Startup Items** 1. **Open "System Preferences."** Click the Apple icon in the Dock, then choose "System Preferences." 2. **Click "Users & Groups."** It's on the second row of the System Preferences window. 3. **Select your account.** It's in the left pane. 4. **Click the "Login Items" tab.** It's at the top of the Users & Groups window. 5. **Select the item to remove.** In the Login Items pane, scroll through the startup items list, then check the box next to the one you want to disable. 6. **Click the "-" button.** It's at the bottom of the Login Items pane. The selected item will be removed and won't automatically load on the next startup. - If you're unsure if an item is causing the issue, disable it temporarily to see if it resolves the problem. If it does, add it back. 7. **Restart your computer.** Press the power button, then turn it back on. If your Mac starts up normally, the issue should be resolved. **Disabling System Plugins** 1. **Open "Finder."** Click the smiley face icon in the Dock. 2. **Go to the "Library" folder.** Click "Go" at the top of the screen, then choose "Go to Folder." In the pop-up, type `/Library` and click "Go." 3. **Double-click the "LaunchAgents" folder.** It's on the left side of the Library window. 4. **Move plugins to the Trash.** Select the plugin you want to disable, then press Command+Delete. Click "Move to Trash" in the confirmation prompt to permanently delete the file. - LaunchAgents are system plugins that run automatically on startup. Moving them to the Trash prevents them from loading. - If you're unsure if a plugin is causing the issue, temporarily move it to the Trash and see if the problem persists. If not, put it back. 5. **Restart your computer.** Press the power button, then turn it back on. If your Mac starts up normally, the issue should be resolved. **Disabling Kernel Extensions** 1. **Open "Finder."** Click the smiley face icon in the Dock. 2. **Go to the "Library" folder.** Click "Go" at the top of the screen, then choose "Go to Folder." In the pop-up, type `/Library` and click "Go." 3. **Double-click the "System" folder.** It's on the left side of the Library window. 4. **Double-click the "Extensions" folder.** It's on the left side of the System window. 5. **Move extensions to the Trash.** Select the extension you want to disable, then press Command+Delete. Click "Move to Trash" in the confirmation prompt to permanently delete the file. - Kernel extensions allow apps to access system-level files. Moving them to the Trash stops them from loading. - If you're unsure if an extension is causing the issue, temporarily move it to the Trash and see if the problem persists. If not, put it back. 6. **Restart your computer.** Press the power button, then turn it back on. If your Mac starts up normally, the issue should be resolved. **Tips** - While in Safe Mode, you can repair disk permissions, which might resolve some startup issues. Open "Disk Utility," select your hard drive, then click "Repair Disk Permissions." **Warnings** - If you're unsure about deleting a file, move it to the Trash but don't empty it. If the problem remains after deletion, you can restore the file.

Safe Mode on a Mac can be used to fix various Mac startup issues. You might choose it if you're having networking problems, for example. It's also a good choice if your system is frozen or running slowly.

If you can't start up macOS normally, you can use Safe Mode to troubleshoot. You might also want to try Safe Mode if you're experiencing repeated system crashes or restart issues. In all these cases, Safe Mode can be your go-to solution.

Starting in Safe Mode often fixes issues on a Mac. You can scan for malware and uninstall apps to see if the problem goes away. Use the built-in antivirus or download TotalAV to quickly remove viruses and malware. Now, restart your computer as normal and see if the issue is resolved. However, if that doesn't work, you'll need to take more drastic measures.

The last resort would be to do a Factory Reset on Mac without Password. Here, you're on your own, but before that, make sure to back up all your data or else it will be lost. After wiping out all the data, you can get a fresh macOS. If the factory reset still doesn't work, contact Apple Support right away.

Conclusion

“Safe Mode” on a Mac is, as the name implies, a stable environment that lets you run necessary apps and perform diagnostics to fix an issue. You can enter it easily with just a few simple steps. Here, you can scan for malware, uninstall apps or files, and check if macOS needs an update.