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Normal Restart
- Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen.
- Click “Restart.”
- A dialog asks if you want to reopen windows when your Mac restarts. Check or uncheck this based on your preference.
- Click “Restart” to confirm. Your Mac closes all apps and restarts.
If apps have unsaved work, macOS asks you to save before restarting. Save your work first to avoid the prompts and speed up the restart process.
Keyboard shortcut: Press Control + Command + Power button (or Control + Command + Eject on Macs with an Eject key) to restart immediately. This skips the confirmation dialog.
Force Restart (When Your Mac Is Frozen)
If your MacBook Pro is completely unresponsive – the cursor doesn’t move, keyboard shortcuts don’t work, and the screen is frozen – force a restart.
- Press and hold the power button (Touch ID button on newer MacBook Pros) for about 10 seconds.
- The screen goes black and the Mac shuts off.
- Wait 5 seconds.
- Press the power button again to turn the Mac back on.
A force restart doesn’t save any unsaved work. Only use it when the normal restart method doesn’t work. If your Mac freezes frequently, something else is going on – check for software updates, run Disk Utility’s First Aid, or look for problematic apps in Activity Monitor.
Force Quit a Frozen App (Without Restarting)
If a single app is frozen but the rest of your Mac works fine, force quit just that app instead of restarting the whole computer.
- Press Command + Option + Escape to open the Force Quit window.
- Select the frozen app (it may show “Not Responding” next to its name).
- Click “Force Quit.”
- Confirm by clicking “Force Quit” again.
You can also right-click (or Option-click) the frozen app’s icon in the Dock and select “Force Quit.” This is faster if the Dock is accessible.
Restart in Safe Mode
Safe Mode starts your Mac with only essential system software. It’s useful for troubleshooting – if a problem goes away in Safe Mode, a third-party app or extension is likely the cause.
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Apple Silicon Macs (M1 and later):
- Shut down the Mac completely.
- Press and hold the power button until “Loading startup options” appears.
- Select your startup disk.
- Press and hold the Shift key, then click “Continue in Safe Mode.”
Intel Macs:
- Shut down the Mac.
- Turn it on and immediately press and hold the Shift key.
- Release Shift when the login screen appears.
- “Safe Boot” appears in red text in the menu bar.
Safe Mode disables login items, non-essential system extensions, and third-party fonts. Performance is slower than normal. To exit Safe Mode, just restart normally without holding any keys.
Reset NVRAM (Intel Macs Only)
NVRAM stores settings like display resolution, startup disk selection, time zone, and speaker volume. Resetting it can fix boot issues, display problems, and sound issues.
- Shut down your Mac.
- Turn it on and immediately press and hold Option + Command + P + R.
- Hold these keys for about 20 seconds. The Mac may appear to restart during this process.
- Release the keys and let the Mac boot normally.
Apple Silicon Macs (M1 and later) don’t have user-resettable NVRAM. The system manages it automatically.
Reset SMC (Intel Macs Only)
The System Management Controller (SMC) handles power, battery, thermal management, and other hardware functions. Reset it if your Mac has power issues, fan problems, or charging issues.
MacBook Pro with T2 chip (2018-2020):
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- Shut down the Mac.
- Press and hold Control + Option + Shift (on the left side) for 7 seconds.
- While still holding those keys, also press and hold the power button for another 7 seconds.
- Release all keys. Wait a few seconds.
- Press the power button to turn on the Mac.
MacBook Pro without T2 chip (2017 and earlier):
- Shut down the Mac.
- Press and hold Shift + Control + Option (on the left side) and the power button at the same time for 10 seconds.
- Release all keys.
- Press the power button to turn on the Mac.
Apple Silicon Macs don’t have an SMC. Shutting down and waiting 30 seconds before restarting achieves a similar reset of the power management system.
When to Restart vs. Shut Down
Restart when you’ve installed software updates, your Mac is running slowly, or an app is misbehaving. Restarting clears temporary files, resets memory, and reloads the system.
Shut down when you won’t use the Mac for an extended period (overnight or longer), when traveling with it, or when you want to save battery. Modern MacBook Pros use very little power in sleep mode, so shutting down isn’t strictly necessary for short breaks.
Sleep is fine for daily use. Just close the lid. The Mac enters a low-power state and wakes instantly when you open it. Most people rarely need to shut down or restart unless something is wrong or an update requires it.
How often should I restart my MacBook Pro?
There’s no strict schedule. A restart once a week is a good habit to keep things running smoothly. Restart whenever your Mac feels sluggish, after installing updates, or when apps start behaving oddly. macOS is designed to run for extended periods without restarting, but accumulated background processes can slow things down over time.
Will restarting fix my problem?
It fixes a surprising number of issues. Frozen apps, slow performance, WiFi connectivity problems, Bluetooth glitches, and display issues often resolve after a restart. If the problem persists after restarting, try Safe Mode to isolate whether a third-party app is causing it.
My MacBook Pro won’t turn on at all. What do I do?
Plug in the charger and wait 5 minutes (the battery may be completely drained). Try a different charger or outlet. Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds, release, then press it again. If none of that works, try an SMC reset (Intel Macs). If the Mac still won’t turn on, it may need hardware repair – contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store.
Sources
Apple – Force Restart Mac | Apple – Reset SMC
