What is Safe Mode on a Mac, and why is it useful?

Safe Mode on a Mac is a diagnostic mode that allows you to troubleshoot issues with your computer. When you start your Mac in Safe Mode, it performs a series of checks and disables certain software and system extensions that may be causing problems. This can help you identify and fix issues such as startup problems, crashes, and software conflicts.Safe Mode is useful because it allows you to isolate and troubleshoot issues without interference from third-party software or extensions. It can help you determine if a particular software or driver is causing problems, and it can also help you fix issues with your Mac's startup process. Additionally, Safe Mode can be used to perform maintenance tasks such as repairing disk permissions and running disk checks.Overall, Safe Mode is a valuable tool for diagnosing and resolving issues with your Mac, and can help you keep your computer running smoothly.

What are some common issues that Safe Mode can help troubleshoot on a Mac?

Startup issues: Safe Mode can help troubleshoot issues related to the Mac not booting up properly or getting stuck during the startup process.Software conflicts: Safe Mode can help identify and resolve conflicts between software applications that may be causing issues on the Mac.System performance issues: Safe Mode can help identify and resolve performance issues such as slow performance, freezes, or crashes.Kernel panics: Safe Mode can help troubleshoot kernel panics, which are serious system errors that can cause the Mac to crash.Hardware issues: Safe Mode can help identify hardware issues that may be causing problems on the Mac, such as faulty RAM or hard drive issues.Malware or virus infections: Safe Mode can help troubleshoot and remove malware or virus infections that may be affecting the Mac's performance.System updates: Safe Mode can help troubleshoot issues related to system updates that may be causing problems on the Mac.

What limitations does Safe Mode impose on the functionality of a Mac?

Limited access to certain system features and settings: In Safe Mode, some system features and settings may be restricted or disabled to prevent potentially harmful software or drivers from running.Limited ability to install or run third-party software: Safe Mode may prevent the installation or running of certain third-party software, especially if it is not compatible with Safe Mode.Limited network connectivity: Safe Mode may restrict network connectivity, making it difficult to access the internet or network resources.Limited graphics and display capabilities: Safe Mode may use lower resolution graphics and limit the display capabilities of the Mac to ensure stability and prevent potential issues.Limited access to external devices: Safe Mode may restrict access to external devices such as USB drives, printers, and other peripherals to prevent potential conflicts or issues.Limited ability to troubleshoot and diagnose issues: While Safe Mode can help diagnose and troubleshoot certain issues, its limited functionality may make it difficult to fully diagnose more complex problems.

Can Safe Mode be used to remove problematic software or drivers?

Safe Mode is primarily used to troubleshoot and diagnose issues with software or drivers that may be causing problems with the system. While it can help identify problematic software or drivers, it is not designed to remove them. However, once the problematic software or driver has been identified, it can be uninstalled or updated in Safe Mode to resolve the issue.

How does Safe Mode affect system logs and diagnostics? Are there additional logs generated?

Safe Mode typically does not affect system logs and diagnostics. The same logs are usually generated in Safe Mode as in normal mode. However, Safe Mode may provide additional diagnostic information that can help troubleshoot issues, such as identifying problematic drivers or software that may be causing the system to crash or malfunction. Additionally, Safe Mode may log any actions taken during the troubleshooting process, such as loading specific drivers or disabling certain services. Overall, Safe Mode can be a useful tool for diagnosing and resolving system issues.

How to Start a macOS Computer in Safe Mode

Author: Vladimir Artiukh
Editor: Oleg Afonin
Updated: 22.08.2024 16:19

Read this article to find out how to start a macOS computer in Safe Mode. We’ll explore Safe Mode, learn how to enable it, when it can be used, and what peculiarities should be kept in mind.

Contents

Safe Mode if one of the important features inside your PC. It helps you start a computer with a minimal set of apps and drivers to identify and fix various system issues.

In this article, we’ll explore Safe Mode, learn how to enable it, when it can be used, and what peculiarities should be kept in mind.

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How to Recover Mac from Time Machine Backup / MacOS Recovery Mode

What is Safe Mode in macOS

Safe Mode is a special boot mode in macOS that allows you to start a computer with a minimal set of drivers, kernel extensions, and third-party apps. In this mode, only essential software is used, which allows to identify and eliminate system issues caused by software conflicts, damaged files or other problems.

The main goal of Safe Mode is to ensure stable and reliable system boot, while reducing possible software-related issues to a minimum. In this mode, the computer works with a limited set of functions which helps to isolate and eliminate a problem without any additional interferences.

Safe Mode is often used for troubleshooting various macOS issues such as freezing, app crashing, incorrect system operation and so on. It can also be useful when installing or removing software, or when updating the operating system.

Function	Description	How to Activate	What It Does
What is Safe Mode?	Safe Mode is a special startup mode in macOS that allows you to start your computer with limited functions to troubleshoot issues.	Turn off your Mac, then turn it on and hold the Shift key until the login screen appears.	Loads the system with a minimal set of drivers and extensions, which can help resolve software issues.
Disk Check	In Safe Mode, macOS automatically checks the disk for issues and fixes them if necessary.	Enter Safe Mode.	Helps resolve issues related to the file system and disk.
System Update	In Safe Mode, the system can automatically update important components or applications that may be causing issues.	Enter Safe Mode.	Facilitates system updates without interference from third-party extensions or applications.
Cache Clearing	Safe Mode clears system caches, which can help resolve issues related to incorrect application or system behavior.	Enter Safe Mode.	Helps resolve issues related to cached data that may cause errors.
Problem Diagnosis	Safe Mode helps diagnose issues, including software and driver problems, by starting with the minimal necessary components.	Enter Safe Mode.	Provides the ability to check and resolve issues that may be caused by third-party components.
Disabling Third-Party Extensions	In Safe Mode, third-party extensions and startup items do not load, allowing you to troubleshoot issues caused by these elements.	Enter Safe Mode.	Helps determine if the issue is with third-party extensions or applications.

Now let’s find out how to enable Safe Mode on a Mac computer.

How to start a Mac in Safe Mode

The sequence of steps to boot a Mac in Safe Mode slightly differs for Intel-based computers and computers equipped with Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3). We will examine both options.

To boot an Intel-based Mac in Safe Mode take the following steps:

If the computer is running, restart it by pressing the power button and choosing the Restart option in the menu. As soon as the computer begins to restart, hold down the Shift key.
For a computer which is off: hold down the Shift key before you turn it on. Keep holding down the Shift key until you see the Apple logo on the screen and the boot progress bar.
After that, the sign-in screen appears, and you will see the Safe Boot line on top. Type your account password.
You can see it’s Safe Mode because the desktop is white.
To make sure that your Mac has booted in Safe Mode, open a system report.
To do it, go to Settings – General – About, and open System Report below.
Here, go to Software – and you can see its Boot Mode is Safe.

Safe Mode on Macs with an M chip

To boot macOS with M chip in Safe mode, do the following:

Press and hold the power button until you see the startup options menu.
Select your boot disk.
Hold down the Shift key. The line Continue will change to Continue in Safe Mode.
Click on Continue in Safe Mode.
Release the Shift key.

Now you can see your Mac has booted in Safe Mode.

When and why you need Safe Mode

Safe Mode can come in handy in such cases:

Fixing boot issues. If your Mac computer faces certain boot problems such as freezing while displaying an Apple logo, or stuck boot screen, Safe Mode can help you identify and eliminate the cause of the problem.
Eliminating software conflicts. In Safe Mode, only main components of the operating system are booted, which allows to remove the effects of third-party software or drivers on the work of your computer. It can be useful when eliminating conflicts or errors caused by installed applications or drivers.
Access to diagnostics and recovery tools. In Safe Mode, you can use various diagnostics and recovery tools available in macOS, such as Disk Utility or Console to check and restore the file system integrity or fix other issues.
Safe Mode also forces a check on all directories in the boot volume, which allows you to identify any hard disk issues that may interfere with the boot process.

Overall, Safe Mode gives you an opportunity to boot your Mac in a minimal configuration, which helps to isolate and eliminate various problems that you might face when using your device.

Since Safe Mode boots only a limited set of drivers and kernel extensions, it enables you to minimize possible software conflicts and issues. If your computer is able to work properly in Safe Mode, then its problems may be caused by third-party software. In this case, it’s recommended to disable automatic startup for such apps.

To do it, open System Settings – General – Login Items. Here, you can choose a third-party app to remove from the automatic startup list.

If you need to run a hardware check or diagnostics, Disk Utility and Console are available in Safe Mode. Use them to check your hard disk, restore file system integrity, or fix other issues.

Generally speaking, Safe Mode offers you a limited but stable set of functions to help isolate and eliminate various problems with your Mac.

How to exit Safe Mode

To exit Safe Mode, just restart the computer. Open the Apple menu in the top left corner of the screen, choose Restart and wait until your computer restarts.

Otherwise, shut it down with the power button, and then turn it on again.

How to boot Mac in Safe Mode without keyboard

If you have no keyboard for Safe Mode, but remote access is configured for your Mac, you can start it remotely by SSH. For this method to work, your computer should have the Remote Login option activated.

To check or enable it, open Settings – General – Sharing.

Drag the slider next to Remote Login to Enabled position.

After that, click on the icon with the “i” letter and set access permissions – For all users, or for specific users whom you can add by clicking on the plus button.

Then open Terminal if you do it from another Mac, or use an SSH client. I’ll show you the steps for an SSH client. Type the IP address for your Mac computer, and then the login and password to sign in.

Use an SSH client: type the IP address for your Mac computer, and then the login and password to sign in

Then type the following command:

sudo nvram boot-args="-x"

If you see an error like this, it means you won’t be able to boot this way:

Error setting variable - 'boot-args': (iokit/common) not permitted

To fix this problem, you may have to disable the system integrity protection for some time. To do it, you need to boot the computer in Recovery Mode. Use the keyboard shortcut Command + R when turning on the computer.

After that, open Terminal from the Utilities menu and run this command:

csrutil disable

The next step is to restart your Mac and try running this command again.

sudo nvram boot-args="-x"

As you can see, when this error appears, you still need to use the keyboard.

After the restart, the computer will boot in Safe Mode.

When you’re finished with Safe Mode, use this command to go back to normal boot:

sudo nvram boot-args=""

To enable the system protection again, boot the computer in Recovery Mode and run this command in the Terminal:

csrutil enable

This way, after some initial configuration you’ll be able to boot Mac in Safe Mode without a keyboard while using remote access. You can even do it from your phone, with the help of a corresponding SSH client.

Conclusion

Summing up, I’d like to stress that Safe Mode in macOS is a useful feature to help you fix various issues your computer might have. It provides a minimal system boot that allows to identify and eliminate software or driver problems. However, always remember that Safe Mode includes only basic functions, and some apps or driver may be temporarily disabled.

If you encounter problems with your Mac, try booting it in Safe Mode and taking necessary actions to eliminate the issues. If they persist, contact a repair specialist or Apple support.

Don’t forget that Safe Mode is a tool designed to eliminate problems, and it should be used cautiously and carefully. After the issues are fixed, remember to exit Safe Mode and continue your work in normal boot mode.