A frozen booting screen is one of the more frequent issues that long-time Mac users may have experienced a few times. It’s an annoying occurrence, especially since it typically happens during the worst possible times when you probably need to access your Mac right away.
There are several potential causes for a Mac stuck on the Apple logo screen, but most of them are simple software problems. As such, there’s no need to get worried or assume that your Mac is damaged. You might just need a simple solution to fix a Mac stuck on the Apple logo.
Simply try any of the solutions we’ve provided in this guide to fix a Mac stuck on the Apple logo.
How Do I Fix a Mac Stuck on the Apple Logo?
There are some things we recommend that you try if you’re trying to fix a Mac stuck on the Apple logo. Consider the following options.
Leave the Mac for a While
Sometimes, all you need to fix a Mac stuck on the Apple logo is to give it a bit of time. Try waiting through the Apple logo if you’re not in a rush. Computers, particularly Macs, have performance degradation as they age due to component wear, especially if an HDD is used as the initial disk. You can simply have a slow Mac since it takes longer for the system to read the data from the drive.
Your computer might just be running an update if it has a progress bar under the Apple logo while it is stuck. Updates may take some time, maybe even several hours. Therefore, even if the progress indicator first appears to be stationary, leave it.
Disconnect Peripherals and Force Restart
If waiting for a while does nothing to fix a Mac stuck on the Apple logo, this is another option to try. The power button on every Mac uses hardware to turn off the power to the computer and shut it down. If you have simple software issues, such as a corrupted app or a bug interfering with Mac’s booting process, shutting down your Mac this way might help.
Peripheral devices could cause problems with startup as well. Therefore, unplug everything before restarting your Mac, including any external mouse, keyboards, and printers.
To force your Mac to restart, unplug all of your peripherals and then follow these steps:
- To turn off the screen, hold down the Power or Touch ID buttons for 10 seconds.
- Before restarting it by pressing the Power or Touch ID button, leave it for at least 15 seconds.
Boot in Safe Mode
Operating systems have a troubleshooting mode called “safe mode.” Safe mode in macOS boots your machine with just the necessary programs and services. Your system’s cache is partially emptied, all third-party programs are halted, and you have a window to determine whether the issue is fundamental. This entire procedure might prove beneficial to fix a Mac stuck on the Apple logo.
Here is how to boot an Apple silicon Mac in safe mode:
- Shut down your Mac.
- To restart it, long-press the Power (or Touch ID) key and hold it there until the starting options show.
- Hold Shift while selecting the volume you want to troubleshoot.
- Select Continue in Safe Mode when requested.
For Intel Macs, entering safe mode and logging in simply require you to hold Shift while the computer is starting. From the menu bar, you should see Safe Boot displayed in red, and you can then verify that you are in safe mode.
Run Apple Diagnostics
Another option you have to fix a Mac stuck on the Apple logo is to run Apple diagnostics. This troubleshooting tool can help you separate hardware problems from software problems by checking your hardware for problems.
When the options appear in macOS Recovery mode, use Command + D to launch Apple Diagnostics on an Apple silicon Mac. On an Intel Mac, restart the computer while holding down the D key to complete the task.
A collection of error codes may show up after the diagnosis has been run. These codes can be used to locate precise answers to the issues mentioned in the diagnosis
Reinstall macOS
As a final resort, you can reset your Mac and reinstall macOS without losing any data. If every other option we’ve recommended to fix a Mac stuck on the Apple logo fails, this might be the only other solution. To complete this step, click Reinstall macOS when your Mac enters macOS Recovery and adhere to the on-screen instructions.
In summary, it might seem otherwise, but it’s not so hard to fix a Mac stuck on the Apple logo. Try any of the options we’ve suggested in this guide and see if it works to fix a Mac stuck on the Apple logo.
