How to Boot Your Mac in Safe Mode: A Step-by-Step Guide

Booting your Mac in Safe Mode might sound too technical, but it’s something you can easily master, too. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the steps to boot your Mac in Safe Mode, whether it’s the latest Apple Silicon model or an Intel-based one.

How to Boot Your Mac in Safe Mode

Safe Mode on a Mac loads only essential software, simplifying the diagnosis and repair of issues affecting normal startup. The process to enter Safe Mode varies between Intel and M1 chip-equipped iMacs or MacBook Pros. Below, I’ll walk you through the step-by-step instructions to boot your Mac in Safe Mode on both.

Apple Silicon Macs

Here’s how to boot your Mac in Safe Mode on an Apple Silicon chip:

1. Shut down your Mac by clicking the Apple icon and choosing Shut Down from the drop-down menu.

2. Wait for your Mac to shut down completely, and press the Power button to turn it on.

3. Keep holding the Power button until you see the Loading startup options screen.

4. Select a volume from the options.

5. Press and hold the Shift ⇧ key and click Continue in Safe Mode.

6. Your Mac will restart automatically, and you will see Safe Boot in the menu bar when the login screen appears.

Intel-Based Macs

Here’s how to boot your Intel-based Mac in Safe Mode:

1. Restart or turn on your Mac and press and hold the Shift ⇧ key immediately.

2. Keep holding the Shift ⇧ key until you see the login screen.
3. Release the Shift ⇧ key and log in to your Mac.
4. You may be asked to log in again.
5. You’ll see Safe Boot in the menu bar on your first or second login window.

How Do I Know if My Mac Is in Safe Mode?

It’s super easy to tell if your Mac is in Safe Mode. When you start your computer in Safe Mode, your screen will display Safe Boot in red letters in the menu bar.

You can also tell if you’re in Safe Mode by the way your computer behaves. In Safe Mode, your Mac only loads the essential software and drivers required for operation, so you may notice some changes in how it runs. For example, your display resolution might be lower than usual.

If you’re unsure, you can check it listed in the System Report. Here’s how:

1. Click the Apple icon and select About This Mac from the drop-down menu.

2. Click More Info.

3. Scroll down to the end in the right-side menu and select System Report.

4. Click Software in the left sidebar, and you’ll see Safe next to Boot Mode.

Testing Your Mac in Safe Mode

Testing your Mac in Safe Mode isn’t just a techy procedure, it can tackle many computer issues. Let me show you how Safe Mode turns you into a troubleshooting pro:

1. 📲 Tackling App and Software Glitches: Got an app acting up? Uninstall it while in Safe Mode. When Slack kept crashing my Mac every time I launched it, I booted into Safe Mode and uninstalled it. After rebooting in normal mode and reinstalling the app, the app worked perfectly.
2. 🛠️ Fixing Peripheral and Hardware Issues: When my printer just wouldn’t communicate with my Mac, I booted into Safe Mode and disconnected the printer. After restarting, my printer was working fine with my Mac.
3. 🌐 Troubleshooting Network Connectivity Problems: If you’re having issues with your internet connection, try resetting your network settings on your Mac while in Safe Mode.

Rebooting Your Mac in Regular Mode

Now that you’ve used Safe Mode to solve your Mac’s problems, it’s time to bring it back to regular mode. Rebooting your Mac in regular mode is pretty straightforward.

Here’s how to reboot your Mac in regular mode:

1. Click the Apple icon and select Restart.

2. Wait for your Mac to restart and boot up in regular mode.

5 Reasons to Use Safe Mode on a Mac

The Safe Mode is the ultimate troubleshooter for your Mac, allowing you to troubleshoot and diagnose any issues with ease. If you’re experiencing one of the following problems, starting up in Safe Mode is a good first step.

Here’s why you might want to use Safe Mode on your Mac:

1. 🔍 Solving Startup Problems: If your Mac is slow to start or keeps freezing, Safe Mode helps you figure out why. It’s like giving your Mac a clearer path to start up without the usual clutter.
2. 🗑️ Removing Troublesome Software: When apps cause chaos, Safe Mode helps you clean up. It’s easier to remove stubborn software in this mode, helping your Mac run smoother.
3. 📶 Fixing Wi-Fi Issues: Struggling with network connections? Booting in Safe Mode can sometimes fix these glitches, like hitting a reset button on your Mac’s network issues.
4. 💾 Disk Check and Repair: Safe Mode isn’t just about troubleshooting, it also checks and fixes disk problems, ensuring your Mac’s foundation is solid.
5. 🦠 Dealing with Malware: If you suspect malware, Safe Mode can be your first line of defense, preventing these harmful programs from causing more trouble.

What to Do If Safe Mode Doesn’t Solve the Problem?

If booting your Mac in Safe Mode doesn’t solve the problem, there are other methods to try. You may want to clear your Mac’s Other storage, check for malware on Mac, update your apps and macOS, and defrag your Mac.

Below, I’ve shared some other troubleshooting methods if Safe Mode doesn’t fix your problem.

1. Disable Login Items

Login items may be the culprit if Safe Mode doesn’t fix your Mac’s issues. You can identify if login items are causing issues with your Mac by disabling them individually. By disabling login items one by one, you can identify the app that’s causing trouble and remove it.

Here’s how to remove login items on your Mac:

1. Click the Apple icon and select System Settings.

2. Click General and tap Login Items.

3. You’ll see a list of items that Open at Login. Here, select the item you want to disable and click the small – icon.

4. Restart your Mac for changes to take effect.

2. Resolve Performance Issues With MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup

If you’re still facing issues with your Mac’s startup after booting it in Safe Mode, consider MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup feature. It scans and cleans up your Mac’s storage system, removing unwanted or unnecessary files and optimizing performance. It frees up space on the Mac, boosting its performance.

Here’s how to use the Safe Cleanup feature:

1. Download and install MacKeeper on your Mac.
2. Launch the app and open Safe Cleanup from MacKeeper’s Cleaning section.

3. Click Start Scan.

4. Select the files you want to remove or click Check All.

5. Click Clean Junk Files.

6. This will remove the selected junk files from your Mac. You can click Rescan to repeat the process.

Troubleshoot Mac Problems in Safe Mode

Now that your Mac is back in optimized condition, you may want to keep it that way. Here are some of the best ways to optimize your Mac’s performance:

• Keep your system running smoothly by clearing cache on your Mac.
• Avoid app crashes and reduce app startup time by updating apps on Mac.
• Identify and uninstall problematic apps from Mac to keep them running without crashes and unresponsive windows.

Frequently Asked Questions