Shut down your Mac
Choose Apple menu > Shut Down and wait until your Mac turns off. If you can't choose Shut Down, or your Mac isn't turning off, press and hold its power button for up to 10 seconds, until it turns off.
Every Mac has a power button. On notebook computers that have Touch ID, press and hold Touch ID.
Start up from macOS Recovery
To reinstall from macOS Recovery, your Mac must be able to connect to the internet. If you're not sure whether you're using a Mac with Apple silicon instead of an older Intel-based Mac, you can try the steps for both.
If you're using a Mac with Apple silicon
- Press and hold the power button on your Mac. As you continue to hold the power button, your Mac turns on and loads startup options. When you see Options, release the power button.
- Click Options, then click the Continue button that appears below it.
- If you're asked to select a user you know the password for, select the user, click Next, then enter their administrator password.
If you're using an Intel-based Mac
If you're not using a Mac with Apple silicon, then you're using an Intel-based Mac.
- Press the power button on your Mac to turn it on, then release the power button and immediately press and hold both the Command (⌘) key and R key until you see an Apple logo or spinning globe. If you can't start up from Recovery in this way, review the guidelines for using startup-key combinations.
- If you're asked to select a user you know the password for, select the user, click Next, then enter their administrator password.
Reinstall macOS from macOS Recovery
When you see a window with the option to reinstall macOS, your Mac has started up from Recovery.
- Select the option to reinstall macOS. Reinstalling macOS doesn't remove your personal data.
- Click Continue, then follow the onscreen instructions.
- If the installer asks to unlock your disk, enter the password that you use to log in to your Mac.
- If the installer doesn't see your disk, or it says that it can't install on your computer or volume, you might need to erase your disk first.
- If the installer offers you the choice between installing on Macintosh HD or Macintosh HD - Data, choose Macintosh HD.
- Allow installation to complete without putting your Mac to sleep or closing its lid. Your Mac might restart and show a progress bar several times, and the screen might be empty for minutes at a time.
After installation is complete, your Mac might restart to a setup assistant. If you're selling, trading in, or giving away your Mac, press Command-Q to quit the setup assistant without completing setup, then click Shut Down. When the new owner starts up the Mac, they can use their own information to complete setup.
Other macOS installation options
When you install macOS from Recovery, you get the current version of the most recently installed macOS, with some exceptions:
- If you just used Disk Utility to erase your startup disk, you might be offered an earlier compatible version of macOS.
- On an Intel-based Mac, if you use Option-Command-R during startup, you might be offered the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.
- On an Intel-based Mac, if you use Shift-Option-Command-R during startup, you might be offered the macOS that came with your Mac, or the closest version still available.
- If the Mac logic board was just replaced during service, you might be offered the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.
You can also use these methods to install macOS, if the macOS is compatible with your Mac:
If you need help
- Learn what to do if your Mac doesn't start up all the way.
- On an Intel-based Mac, if you can't install macOS successfully after pressing Command-R during startup, press Option-Command-R at startup instead. Then try installing macOS again.
- If you still need help, contact Apple Support.