dependable Mode is a strip down version of the Mac operating organization that can be useful if you are examine to troubleshoot military issue with your Mac : perhaps it is running slowly , maybe an app is causing problems , you might be having problems with crashes or covering freezes , or , worse , your Mac might not be booting up at all .

In this tutorial we will explain how to start up in Safe Mode , why you would want to use Safe Mode , including what it does , and does n’t do , how you know you are in Safe Mode , and what to do if your Mac automaticaly starts up in Safe Mode .

remark : the agency that you enter Safe Mode if dissimilar on the M1 Macs – the first Macs to employ Apple silicon that Apple introduced in November 2020 . It ’s likely that all next Macs powered by Apple ’s chips will adopt the new method . We explain how to get at Safe mode on an M1 Mac below .

Article image

Why use Safe Mode

Using Safe Mode can help you settle issues that are stopping your Mac from start up , or any yield related to your startup magnetic disc .

Within the mightiness user residential district there ’s a certain mythology attached to booting into dependable mode on the Mac . Some people recommend it as a first step should your Mac play absolutely any kind of trouble . This is probably effective because the caches are cleared by safe mode , and these can become corrupted .

Here are some of the reason why you might want to use Safe Mode :

Article image

Do support in nous that cleaning the caches using either method may make for a slower Mac in the first few reboots after it ’s undertaken – after all , the whole intention of stash is to make your Mac faster .

Some hoi polloi apply secure modality to uninstall apps that otherwise prove “ awkward ” – that is to say , they ’re unsufferable to get rid of in normal operating way because they ’re tied to a system divine service that wo n’t terminate . In safe manner all non - essential services are n’t load , overtake this hurdle .

If the progeny does n’t go on when you start in Safe Mode it may indicate one of the following :

Do n’t try and do real study in good mode . Some apps just wo n’t exploit and the whole system will be obtuse and unresponsive . However , for problem solve there ’s niggling doubt that secure mode has its uses .

How do I start a Mac in Safe Mode

What Safe Mode does/doesn’t do

dependable Mode execute certain bank check and prevent some software from automatically consignment or opening when you start out up your Mac . When you boot in Safe Mode :

to boot , system and font caches are mechanically strip , and as part of the the boot procedure the hard magnetic disc is verified and endeavour made to repair event with directories – a picayune like Windows ’ FDISK command - railway line app , although what materialise is superposable to what would happen if you fall into place the Repair Disk button found in of macOS ’s Disk Utility .

So , what can you do in safe manner ? Not much ! away from the mending mentioned above , dependable mode is designed to let you test your Mac . If a problem you ’ve been consume does n’t come when you reboot to secure mode then it ’s a safe bet it ’s related to a problematic kernel reference ( perhaps wrong hardware that kernel extension access ) , or – and this is more likely –   it ’s related to a third - company app or service configured to start with macOS .

How to prune your startup app list

Some apps and service hide away in system leaflet , however , and pruning them is only for advanced users . withdraw kernel modules is again only for expert , although on modern expiration of macOS it ’s pretty hard for developers and ironware vendors to install third - party modules thanks to the requirement for them to be digitally sign , so this is much less likely to be the cause of any government issue .

How do you know you are in Safe Mode

Once you are in Safe Mode you will see the words Safe Mode in carte at the top right of your silver screen , at least in recent translation of macOS .

Other hint will also point that you are in Safe Mode . For example , the organisation might seem slow to respond and animations might appear dopy .

To verify if you are in Safe Mode come after these steps :

Other ways you’re able to tell you are in Safe Mode :

When you are in Safe Mode you wo n’t be able-bodied to :

What to do if your Mac automatically starts in Safe Mode

Another possibility is that the displacement key is stuck and that is have Safe Mode to be implemented when you bulge out up the Mac .

How to I turn off safe boot on Mac? How do I get out of safe boot on my Mac?

To exit Safe Mode just close down your Mac and restart it ( this clock time without pressing displacement ) .

close down in Safe Mode may take a little longer than it would usually take to shut down . Be patient and do n’t interrupt the process or use the Power button to switch off your Mac .

Here’show to shut out down your Mac .

Problems with Mac Safe Mode, Safe Mode not working

You may be occupy if your Mac may take longer to boot up in Safe Mode . There is credibly no cause for concern . It will take longer as the Mac will be perform a directory stoppage of your startup disk .

If your Mac restarts or shuts down when you use Safe Mode this may be because your Mac has already repair an issuing with the inauguration disc , in which lawsuit your Mac has automatically restarted .

If Safe Mode does n’t solve you problem you could try one of these tutorial : How to fix a Mac that wo n’t rick on or set off up , andHow to determine a Mac , orHow to fix a frozen Mac .