I want to enter Recovery Mode on my Mac to do some checks and fixes but I don’t know how to start up from macOS Recovery. I learned that there are diverse combinations and I tried Command + R but found it wasn’t working. What should I do?
The way to enter macOS Recovery Mode on an Intel-based Mac differs from a Mac with Apple silicon. You should first check the type of your Mac’s processor. Go to About This Mac under the Apple menu (the Apple icon at the top left corner).
To start up an Intel-based Mac from macOS Recovery mode, follow these steps:
- Restart or start your Mac while pressing and holding one of the key combinations below.
Three key combinations are available for booting an Intel-based Mac into Recovery Mode.
Command-R: Boot up your Mac to the built-in Recovery Mode. The Reinstall macOS utility in this Recovery Mode allows you to reinstall the macOS version that your Mac is currently using.
Option(or Alt)-Command-R: Let your Mac enter Recovery Mode over the Internet. The Reinstall macOS utility in this Recovery Mode enables you to reinstall the latest version of macOS that your Mac supports. Since it helps you enter the internet macOS Recovery Mode, ensure your Mac is well-connected to the internet.
Option(or Alt)-Shift-Command-R: Start up your Mac from the Recovery Mode over the internet. Make sure your Mac is connected to the internet well. The Reinstall macOS utility in this Recovery Mode lets you reinstall the version of macOS that comes with your Mac or the closest version that’s still available.
-
Release the keys when you see the startup screen (an Apple logo or spinning globe).
-
Enter your admin password if asked and choose a volume if you have multiple.
-
When you see the utilities like Reinstall macOS, you are in macOS Recovery.
To start a Mac with an Apple silicon from macOS Recovery Mode, follow:
-
Turn off your Mac.
-
Press and hold the power button (the Touch ID) for seconds until the startup options appear.
-
Select Options and click Continue.
-
Enter your admin password if asked. Then, your Mac will enter Recovery Mode.
1 Like
You say that Command R does not work for starting up from macOS Recovery. I have two questions. How do you use this key combination? Is your Mac an Intel-based one?
Command R is used to help Intel-based Mac devices enter Recovery Mode. It won’t work if your Mac with an Apple silicon chip.
For the use, you should press and hold down these keys while your Mac starts. Remember don’t release these keys before the Apple logo or spinning globe shows up on the screen.
As the user answered above, there are three combinations for an Intel-powered Mac to enter Recovery Mode, you can try Option-Command-R to enter macOS Recovery over the internet, which can check if the failure is due to the built-in macOS Recovery system corruption.
1 Like
Clear guide, thx! I entered my Apple silicon Mac into macOS Recovery.