Have you ever faced a problem with your Mac where things aren’t going right? If you find a problem with your Mac’s performance or apps are not working fine, you can boot your Mac in Safe Mode to diagnose and fix issues. Safe mode is referred to as Safe Boot on Mac. If you are not sure how to use Safe Mode in MacOS, keep reading. In this detailed guide, I will explain Safe Mode, how to use Safe Mode in macOS, and other important things you need to know.
What is Safe Mode in macOS?
Safe Mode is a special Mode built into macOS that helps you resolve issues with your Mac. When you boot your macOS in Safe Mode, it only loads essential system files, drivers, and apps. Third-party apps that may be causing problems won’t load.
How to Boot Your Mac in Safe Mode
Booting your Mac into Safe Mode is simple. The process to boot macOS differs in Intel-based Macs and Apple Silicon Macs.
Booting Intel Macs in Safe Mode
You first need to Shut down your Mac. Click the Apple menu icon at the top-left corner of the screen and select “Shut Down.” Once your Mac is fully off, press the power button to turn it back on. As soon as you hear the startup chime or see the Apple Logo, press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard. Keep holding the Shift key until you see the login window or desktop.
Booting Apple Silicon Macs in Safe Mode
Shut down your Mac. When it is fully shut down, press and hold the Power button until you see the startup options. Here, choose your startup disk. Then press and hold the Shift key and click Continue in Safe Mode. Now release the Shift key.
Confirming if you are in Safe Mode
You will see ‘Safe Boot’ in the top-right corner of the screen or on the login window to confirm you are in Safe Mode. You may also note that the desktop background is different. You can also check System information to verify if your Mac is in safe mode. For this, Press and hold the “Option” key, choose the “Apple” menu and select “System information.” Here, click on “Software” in the sidebar and check the value next to
Boot mode.” If it says “Safe,” you are in Safe Mode.
When you are in Safe Mode, you can troubleshoot tasks to ding and fix issues with your Mac Use Activity Monitor to diagnose software issues. If you think the problem is with any software you installed recently, you can uninstall or disable it while in Safe Mode. You can also reset certain system preferences and configurations that may be the reason for performance issues.
If you cannot find the Essie, you can use Time Machine backup to restore your system on a previous date.
How to Exit Safe Mode on a Mac
Once you are done with all the troubleshooting tasks, you can exit Safe Mode. For this, simply restart your Mac and let it boot normally. Your Mac will start normally.
