Getting stuck on the login screen is one of those frustrating Mac issues that seems to come out of nowhere. You turn on your Mac or MacBook, enter your password, and then… nothing. It freezes, keeps loading, or simply won't respond.
This problem has been reported across macOS Tahoe, Sequoia, Sonoma, Ventura, and even earlier versions. It can show up in different ways:
- MacBook frozen on the login screen with a spinning wheel
- The Apple mouse or the keyboard not working (you can't type in your login password)
- Mac freezes after entering the password
- MacBook stuck on login screen with loading bar
- Mac stuck on the login screen after migration
- Mac stuck on login screen after update
While a force restart might sometimes get things back to normal, it doesn't always solve the problem. And here's the part most people overlook: when your Mac is stuck like this, your data could be at risk. Trying random fixes without a plan can make things worse.
So before jumping into more advanced troubleshooting, it's a good idea to recover your important data first. That way, even if something goes wrong later, you won't lose what matters most.
Then, confirm your situation and try the solutions in this post to fix your Mac that can't load past the login screen.
| Fix Mac/MacBook frozen on login screen | Quick Steps |
| Bypass Login items at startup | 1. Turn on your Mac. 2. Enter the account info and password. 3. Press Shift, then click Log in. |
| Boot in to Safe Mode | ﹒On an Intel Mac, hold down the Shift key at startup. ﹒On an Apple Silicon Mac, hold down the power button at startup, select the startup disk, then press Shift while clicking "Continue in Safe Mode." |
| Reset NVRAM / PRAM | Press Command-Option-P-R at startup. |
| Boot your Mac into macOS Recovery mode | ﹒Repair the startup drive in Disk Utility ﹒Reset password ﹒Check and fix user preference settings ﹒Reset launch services database ﹒Reinstall macOS |
How to recover data when Mac stuck on login screen?
Some repairs, like reinstalling macOS or running disk repairs, may overwrite existing data. Before trying any fixes, it's strongly recommended to recover the important data first.
To recover data from a Mac that won't load past the login screen, using data recovery software in Recovery Mode is the only way if you have no backups. Here's how to recover data from a Mac that can't log in with iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac:
Step 1: Boot into Internet Recovery Mode.
On an Intel Mac before 2018: Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold Command-Option-R until you see the spinning globe.
On an Intel Mac with the T2 chip: Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold Shift-Command-Option-R until you see the spinning globe.
On an Apple Silicon Mac: Press and hold the power button until you see Loading startup options, then click Options.
Step 2: Ensure your Mac has a stable internet connection.
Step 3: Go to Utilities > Terminal and run the command below:sh <(curl http://boot.iboysoft.com/boot.sh)
Step 4: Choose your internal hard drive and click Search for Lost Data.
Step 5: Once the scan is complete, preview the found files.
Step 6: Select the files you want to recover, save them to an external drive, and click Recover.
You can also watch this video to learn how to recover files from a Mac or MacBook that's stuck on the login screen and won't boot up.
What to do when Mac won't load past login screen?
Anyhow, the methods below will help you fix the issue of a Mac stuck on the login screen, whether it's an iMac stuck on the login screen or a MacBook Pro frozen on the login screen.
Solution 1: Bypass Login items at startup
In some cases, it's software that prevents your MacBook from logging in. Then, you can try these steps to sign in to your iMac or MacBook.
- Start your MacBook normally.
- On the sign-in page, enter the admin account and password if you can, but DON'T click on Log in immediately (in case of a login loop).
- Press and hold the Shift key to stop frozen apps from launching. And then, you can click on the Login button.
If you notice the Mac stuck on the login screen after entering the password, keep trying the next method.
Solution 2: Boot your Mac in Safe Mode
You can boot Mac into Safe Mode to launch necessary programs only. It helps isolate incompatible software and repair some errors when the Mac login window does not respond.
Boot an Intel-based Mac into Safe Mode to fix macOS stuck on login screen:
- Press and hold the Shift key while tapping the power button to restart your Mac.
- Release the key when you see the login window.
- Log in to Safe Mode.
Boot an M1/M2/M3/M3 Mac into Safe Mode to fix MacBook Pro M1 stuck on login screen:
- Shut down your Mac.
- Press and hold the power button until the login options appear.
- Select your startup disk.
- Hold down the Shift key and click "Continue in Safe Mode."
- Log in to Safe Mode.
If your Mac loads successfully in Safe Mode, try to uncheck login items in Users & Groups. Click the Apple icon > System Preferences... > Login Items. You can find login items on macOS Ventura in System Settings.
Sometimes Mac computer won't let you start in to Safe Mode because FileVault is enabled. You could decrypt your startup drive temporarily through Reset Password Assistant. This makes Safe Mode able to check and repair errors before the log-in window appears.
If you succeed in turning off FileVault, you can restart your Mac normally. Then you can see if it brings up the login window. But if the progress bar is stuck underneath the Apple icon, you can try Safe Mode again after turning off the FileVault.
Solution 3: Reset NVRAM / PRAM
NVRAM, as well as PRAM, is a small amount of memory that your Mac uses to store certain settings and access them quickly. Thus, whenever your Macbook won't turn on or the MacBook won't load past login screen, you can try to reset the NVRAM / PRAM.
Now, restart your Mac and simultaneously press Command + Option + P + R keys for about 20 seconds until your Mac restarts automatically.
NVRAM is available on M1 Mac, but it automatically runs during startup and automatically resets the NVRAM if needed.
Solution 4: Boot your Mac into macOS Recovery mode
Mac could be stuck on the login progress bar in a normal startup. But if you can boot into macOS Recovery Mode, you could troubleshoot this issue more easily.
macOS Recovery mode, sometimes called single-user mode, is a lite built-in macOS utility to check and repair some system issues.
To boot into macOS Recovery Mode on an Intel Mac:
- Press and hold the power button until the Mac turns off.
- Restart the Mac and immediately press and hold the Command and R keys.
- Release those keys when you see the loading bar.
Booting M1 Mac to macOS Recovery Mode is different from the steps for Intel Macs. Check the picture below for instructions.
macOS Recovery Mode Not Working, How to Fix?
Occasionally, macOS Recovery mode may not work on your MacBook Pro, Mac mini, MacBook Air, and iMac. Read this post to check what you can do. Read more >>
If you successfully boot into macOS Recovery Mode, you'll see a macOS Utilities screen. (In some old systems, it's called Mac OS X Utilities.) Then, you can do several things to fix the Mac stuck on login screen issue.
1. Repair the startup drive in Disk Utility
Mac stuck on login screen could be caused by file system corruption or disk errors. Fortunately, you can check for and repair errors with the built-in tool Disk Utility First Aid.
How to Run First Aid to Repair the Problematical Disk on Your Mac?
This post will guide you to repair the startup drive with Disk Utility First Aid. Read more >>
2. Reset password
Mac could be stuck on the login screen after you forget Mac's password. If you've entered the wrong password too many times, the system could be locked. Then the Mac won't accept the password even if it's the right one.
In this case, you should reset your password first. Apart from other ways, resetting your login password via Terminal is a common way.
1. In macOS Recovery mode, open Terminal by clicking Utilities > Terminal in the top menu bar.
2. At the Terminal prompt, type resetpassword, and then hit Return / Enter.resetpassword
3. Follow its onscreen wizard to reset the password.
With the password hint, you can change the password of a non-encrypted account. Then you can restart your Mac and log in to your Mac again.
3. Check and fix user preference settings
Sometimes, the .plist files related to user preferences could be changed. Then, your login information would not be accepted. This could also be the culprit of the issue Sonoma will not automatically log in.
In this case, you can use the mv command in Terminal to rename the preference folder. And you can troubleshoot and nuke the problematic .plist file easily.
The other times you can't log in to the Mac just because the access to the user directory was changed. You can run chmod to change the access permission.
4. Reset launch services database
If the Mac gets stuck on the login screen and won't accept the password, you can remove the .csstore file ( a launch services database) in Terminal and fix the problem.
1. Open Terminal in macOS Recovery mode.
2. At the Terminal prompt, type the following command and then hit Return / Enter.find /private/var/folders | grep com.apple.LaunchServices | grep csstore
3. Remove every .csstore file you can find by rm command.
Hopefully, the problem of the MacBook stuck on login screen with loading bar is gone and you can log in to your Mac after rebooting.
5. Reinstall macOS in macOS Recovery mode
You can also reinstall Mac OS to get access to your Mac when it is stuck on the login screen. The process may cause data loss, you are recommended to recover your data first before reinstalling macOS.
If your Mac can't boot into macOS Recovery mode, you can create a bootable USB installer to make your Mac boot from USB. This way of reinstalling macOS is complex but efficient if necessary.
Have you fixed the MacBook Air frozen at login screen? Let's share with others!
How to prevent Mac from getting stuck at login screen?
Once you've fixed the issue, it's worth taking a few simple steps to prevent your Mac from getting stuck on the login screen again:
1. Make sure macOS is compatible with your Mac
Before updating, check that your Mac model supports the macOS version you're installing. Incompatible updates can sometimes lead to login or startup issues.
2. Keep enough free disk space
macOS needs working space to run smoothly. If your startup disk is almost full, your Mac may slow down, freeze, or fail to load properly.
3. Back up your important files regularly
Use Time Machine or another backup method so you always have a copy of your data, even if something goes wrong.
4. Turn off FileVault before troubleshooting (if needed)
If you plan to start your Mac in Safe Mode or perform certain diagnostics, disabling FileVault in advance can help avoid login-related issues
Final Words
If your Mac is stuck on the login screen, don't panic. Most cases can be resolved with the right steps.
A good way to approach this is to follow a clear order:
Recover your data → Bypass login items → Try Safe Mode → Reset NVRAM/PRAM → Use Recovery Mode → Seek professional repair
Starting with data recovery helps protect what matters most, while the later steps focus on fixing the system itself.
FAQs
- QWhy won't my Mac go past the startup loading screen?
-
A
This usually happens due to system or disk-related issues, such as:
1. Corrupted macOS files (often after an update or improper shutdown)
2. Startup disk errors or insufficient disk space
3. Problematic login items or third-party apps
4. Hardware issues (e.g., failing SSD or peripherals interfering with boot)
In many cases, starting in Safe Mode or using Recovery Mode can help identify and fix the problem.
- QWhat to do if my MacBook Pro stuck on login screen before password?
-
A
Try these steps:
1. Force restart your Mac
2. Hold the Power button until it shuts down, then turn it back on.
3. Disconnect external devices.
4. Remove USB drives, hubs, or accessories that may interfere.
5. Start in Safe Mode.This disables login items and checks your disk automatically.
6. Reset NVRAM/PRAM (Intel Macs) Helps fix display, login, and startup-related glitches.
7. Use macOS Recovery Mode. Run Disk Utility (First Aid) or reinstall macOS if needed.
If the issue persists, recover your data first, then consider contacting Apple Support for further help.