If your Mac doesn't turn on

If your Mac doesn't seem to turn on after you've pressed the power button, follow these steps.

Check power connections

Make sure your power cable is undamaged and plugged securely into your Mac and a working electrical socket. If you have another compatible power cable or power adaptor, try it.

If your Mac has no built-in display, make sure your external display is connected to a power source, connected to your Mac and turned on.

Press and hold the power button

Press and hold the power button on your Mac for about 10 seconds. (Every Mac has a power button. On laptop computers that have Touch ID, press and hold Touch ID.)

Then press and release the power button normally.

Unplug accessories

You could have an issue with one or more accessories or their cables. Unplug all accessories from your Mac, including printers, drives, USB hubs and mobile devices. Then repeat step 2 above.

If you see something on your screen

If your screen displays a flashing question mark, a circle with a line through it or anything else, this means your Mac is turned on but isn't starting up:

If your Mac turns on but doesn't start up all the way

If you see nothing on your screen

If your Mac seems to be turned on but the screen remains blank, the issue could be software related:

If your Mac starts up to a blank screen

Reset the SMC (Intel-based Mac only)

If you're using an older, Intel-based Mac, resetting the SMC may help. You don’t need to do this on a Mac with Apple silicon.

Reset the SMC

If your Mac still doesn’t turn on

If your Mac still doesn’t turn on, it might need service.

Get service

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