When your volumes appear, punch the one you want to boot.
Then hold Shift and choose “Continue in Safe Mode” to boot your Mac.
On an Intel Mac, press and hold Shift while your Mac boots up.
Marcus Mears III / How-To Geek
Knowing how to boot your Mac into Safe Mode can help fix a myriad of problems with your Mac.
In the worst-case scenario, you may be able to use Safe Mode to recover data and apply updates.
Here’s how to do it.
Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
If you could’t boot your Mac (hence, safe mode) then you may be able to guess.
The instructions for booting into safe mode are pretty simple.
Wait a few seconds for your machine to power off.
You should see a “Continue holding for startup options…” message appear on the screen.
Your Mac will restart and then boot automatically in Safe Mode.
Now as your Mac starts up, press and hold the Shift key.
How Do I Know My Mac Is in Safe Mode?
Whether you have an Apple Silicon or Intel-based Mac, the tell-tale signs of Safe Mode are the same.
You should see “Safe Boot” in the top-right corner of the login (or lock) screen.
This won’t be visible once you’ve logged in or unlocked your Mac.
There’s another way of checking this while logged in.
Now tap on the “Software” heading to get to the System Software Overview screen.
Next to “Boot Mode” you should see “Safe” mode.
If you’re not in Safe Mode this will read “Normal” instead.
What Is Safe Mode on a Mac, and What Does It Do?
This slowness is due to Safe Mode running a file repair not dissimilar toDisk Utility’s First Aid mode.
On older versions of macOS and non-Apple Silicon Macs, Safe Mode also disables all third-party kernel extensions.
How Do I Exit Safe Mode on a Mac?
To exit Safe Mode simplyrestart your Macas normal.
punch the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen, then choose Restart and wait.
Other times, it can point you in the right direction to fix a problem.
Removing login items to prevent software from starting up automatically andupdating macOSare good starting points.
More Ways to Fix Your Mac
Are software problems getting you down?
Learnhow to fix crashing apps on your Macandresolve common Mac App Store problems.
Notice your MacBook battery isn’t lasting as long as it should?
Learn how tomake your MacBook battery last longerandidentify the causes of battery drain.
Related:8 Ways to Make Your Mac Boot Faster
Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
