MacBook Stuck on Loading Screen — How to Fix [All Models]

Quick Answer: If your MacBook is stuck on the Apple logo with a loading bar, first try a force restart by holding the power button for 10 seconds. If that doesn’t work, boot into Safe Mode, reset NVRAM/PRAM, run Disk Utility First Aid in Recovery Mode, or reinstall macOS. Most cases are fixable without losing data.

You turn on your MacBook expecting it to boot up like normal, but instead, it gets stuck on the Apple logo with that loading bar frozen in place. Or maybe the bar moves slowly for hours and never finishes. Or worse — it keeps restarting in an endless loop, never making it past the loading screen.

I get it. This is stressful. Your work files, photos, projects — everything feels trapped inside a machine that won’t cooperate.

The good news? In most cases, this problem is fixable without losing any of your data, and you don’t need to be a tech expert to do it. I’m going to walk you through every method that actually works, step by step, starting with the simplest fixes and moving to more advanced options if needed.

Let’s get your MacBook working again.

Read: How to Fix MacBook Pro USB Ports Not Working?

Why Does MacBook Get Stuck on the Loading Screen?

Before jumping into fixes, it helps to understand what’s actually happening. When your Mac gets stuck on the loading screen, it means the system is trying to boot macOS but something is blocking it from finishing.

Here are the most common causes:

After a macOS update — This is the #1 reason. Updates sometimes fail to install correctly, leaving your Mac in a half-updated state. macOS Sonoma, Sequoia, and Ventura updates have all caused boot loops for users.

Corrupted system files — If critical macOS files get damaged (from a power outage, forced shutdown, or disk errors), your Mac can’t complete the boot sequence.

Full storage drive — If your startup disk has zero free space, macOS can’t create the temporary files it needs to boot.

Faulty peripherals — A malfunctioning USB drive, external hard drive, or even a wireless mouse can sometimes prevent boot.

Bad software or kernel extensions — Third-party apps, especially ones that modify system-level settings (like antivirus software, VPNs, or customization tools), can cause boot failures.

Hardware issues — Less common, but failing RAM, a dying hard drive, or display/logic board problems can cause boot loops.

NVRAM/SMC issues — These store critical settings like startup disk selection. If they’re corrupted, your Mac might not know where to boot from.

Now that you know what might be causing it, let’s fix it.

Fix 1: Wait It Out (Seriously)

I know this sounds ridiculous, but hear me out.

If your Mac just finished installing a major macOS update (Sonoma, Sequoia, etc.), the loading screen can legitimately take 30 minutes to 2 hours to complete — especially on older MacBooks or if you have a lot of files.

Apple even recommends starting macOS updates in the evening so they can run overnight if needed.

How to know if you should wait:

• The loading bar is moving, even if it’s incredibly slow
• Your Mac recently completed an update before shutting down
• The loading bar hasn’t been stuck in the exact same spot for more than 30 minutes

When to stop waiting:

• The loading bar hasn’t moved at all in 1+ hours
• Your Mac keeps restarting on its own
• The screen goes black and comes back to the Apple logo repeatedly

If waiting doesn’t work, move to the next fix.

Fix 2: Force Restart Your MacBook (The First Thing to Try)

This is the easiest fix and works more often than you’d think. A simple force restart can break the boot loop and let your Mac start normally.

For all MacBook models:

Step 1: Press and hold the Power button for about 10 seconds until your MacBook completely shuts down. The screen will go black and stay black.

Step 2: Wait 10–15 seconds.

Step 3: Press the Power button again to turn your MacBook back on.

For MacBooks with Touch ID: The Touch ID button IS the power button — press and hold it.

If your Mac boots normally, great! Problem solved. If it gets stuck on the loading screen again, keep reading.

Fix 3: Disconnect All External Devices

Faulty or incompatible peripherals can prevent your Mac from booting. I’ve seen this happen with everything from USB hubs to wireless mice to external SSDs.

Step 1: Force shut down your MacBook (hold power button for 10 seconds).

Step 2: Unplug or disconnect EVERYTHING:

• External monitors
• USB drives and hard drives
• SD cards
• Printers
• Keyboards and mice (except Apple’s built-in keyboard and trackpad)
• Bluetooth devices (if you can, turn off Bluetooth)
• Docking stations or hubs
• Charging cables (unplug for a moment, then plug back in)

Step 3: Turn your MacBook back on.

If it boots successfully without the peripherals, you know one of them was causing the problem. Reconnect them one at a time to figure out which one is the culprit.

Fix 4: Boot Into Safe Mode

Safe Mode is a diagnostic mode that loads only the essential macOS components and runs some automatic repairs. It’s one of the most effective ways to fix boot issues caused by software problems.

For MacBooks with Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4)

Step 1: Shut down your MacBook completely.

Step 2: Press and hold the Power button until you see “Loading startup options” on the screen.

Step 3: Select your startup disk (usually Macintosh HD).

Step 4: Press and hold the Shift key, then click “Continue in Safe Mode”.

Step 5: Your Mac will boot into Safe Mode. You’ll see “Safe Boot” in red text in the upper-right corner of the login screen.

Step 6: Log in and let your Mac sit for a few minutes. Safe Mode runs automatic disk repairs in the background.

Step 7: Restart your Mac normally (don’t hold Shift this time) and see if it boots.

For Intel MacBooks

Step 1: Shut down your MacBook.

Step 2: Press the Power button, then immediately press and hold the Shift key.

Step 3: Keep holding Shift until you see the login screen with “Safe Boot” in the corner.

Step 4: Log in, wait a few minutes, then restart normally.

What Safe Mode actually does:

• Verifies and repairs your startup disk
• Deletes system cache files that might be corrupted
• Loads only essential kernel extensions
• Prevents startup items and login items from loading

If your Mac boots in Safe Mode but not in normal mode, the problem is likely caused by third-party software. Check what apps you installed recently and uninstall them.

Fix 5: Reset NVRAM/PRAM

NVRAM (or PRAM on older Macs) stores settings like startup disk selection, screen resolution, and recent kernel panic info. Resetting it can fix boot problems.

For Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4)

Good news — you don’t need to do anything. Apple Silicon Macs automatically reset NVRAM when they detect boot problems. It happens in the background.

For Intel MacBooks

Step 1: Shut down your MacBook.

Step 2: Turn it on and immediately press and hold these four keys together:

• Command + Option + P + R

Step 3: Keep holding all four keys for about 20 seconds. Your Mac might restart during this time — that’s normal. Keep holding until you hear the startup chime twice (if your Mac has a chime) or the Apple logo appears and disappears twice.

Step 4: Release the keys and let your Mac boot normally.

After resetting NVRAM, you might need to reconfigure some settings like display resolution or startup disk selection.

Fix 6: Reset SMC (Intel MacBooks with T2 Chip Only)

The SMC (System Management Controller) manages hardware functions like power, battery, fans, and sensors. Resetting it can fix boot-related hardware issues.

Note: Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4) do NOT have an SMC, so skip this step if you have an M-series Mac.

For MacBooks with T2 Chip (2018–2020 MacBook Air, MacBook Pro)

Step 1: Shut down your MacBook.

Step 2: Press and hold these three keys on the left side of the keyboard:

• Shift + Control + Option

Step 3: While holding those three keys, press and hold the Power button as well.

Step 4: Hold all four keys for 10 seconds, then release everything.

Step 5: Wait a few seconds, then press the Power button to turn your MacBook back on.

For Older Intel MacBooks (Non-Removable Battery)

Step 1: Shut down your MacBook.

Step 2: Unplug the power adapter (if connected).

Step 3: Press and hold the Power button for 10 seconds, then release.

Step 4: Plug the power adapter back in.

Step 5: Press the Power button to turn your Mac on.

Fix 7: Run Disk Utility First Aid in Recovery Mode

If your startup disk has errors or corruption, Disk Utility’s First Aid can detect and repair them. This is one of the most effective fixes for boot issues.

For Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4)

Step 1: Shut down your MacBook.

Step 2: Press and hold the Power button until you see “Loading startup options.”

Step 3: Click Options, then click Continue.

Step 4: Select your user account and enter your password.

Step 5: In the macOS Utilities window, select Disk Utility, then click Continue.

Step 6: In the sidebar, select your startup disk (usually Macintosh HD).

Step 7: Click First Aid at the top, then click Run.

Step 8: Wait for First Aid to complete. If it finds and fixes errors, restart your Mac and see if it boots normally.

For Intel MacBooks

Step 1: Shut down your MacBook.

Step 2: Turn it on and immediately press and hold Command + R until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe.

Step 3: Select Disk Utility → Continue.

Step 4: Select your startup disk → Click First Aid → Run.

Step 5: After First Aid finishes, restart your Mac.

What if First Aid says it can’t repair the disk? This usually means your hard drive is failing and needs to be replaced. Back up your data immediately if possible (you can do this from Recovery Mode using Target Disk Mode or external recovery tools).

Fix 8: Reinstall macOS (Keeps Your Files)

If nothing else has worked, reinstalling macOS usually fixes the problem. The good news is that reinstalling macOS does NOT delete your files — it only replaces the operating system files.

Important: This process requires an internet connection.

For Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4)

Step 1: Shut down your MacBook.

Step 2: Press and hold the Power button until “Loading startup options” appears.

Step 3: Click Options, then Continue.

Step 4: Enter your password when prompted.

Step 5: In macOS Utilities, select Reinstall macOS [version name], then click Continue.

Step 6: Follow the on-screen instructions. Select your startup disk when asked (usually Macintosh HD).

Step 7: Wait for the installation to complete. This can take 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on your internet speed.

Step 8: Your Mac will restart automatically when done.

For Intel MacBooks

Step 1: Shut down your MacBook.

Step 2: Turn it on and immediately press and hold Command + R.

Step 3: Release the keys when you see the Apple logo or spinning globe.

Step 4: In macOS Utilities, select Reinstall macOS, then Continue.

Step 5: Follow the prompts to complete the installation.

Will this delete my files? No, as long as you don’t erase your disk first. Reinstalling macOS only replaces system files.

Fix 9: Erase and Reinstall macOS (Last Resort)

If reinstalling macOS over your existing system didn’t work, you’ll need to erase your startup disk and do a clean install. This WILL delete all your files, so only do this if you have a backup or if you’ve already recovered your important data.

Step 1: Boot into Recovery Mode (instructions above in Fix 8).

Step 2: Select Disk Utility, then Continue.

Step 3: Select your startup disk in the sidebar.

Step 4: Click Erase at the top.

Step 5: Choose these settings:

• Format: APFS
• Scheme: GUID Partition Map

Step 6: Click Erase. Wait for it to finish.

Step 7: Quit Disk Utility (Command + Q).

Step 8: Select Reinstall macOS and follow the installation process.

After macOS is installed, you can restore your files from Time Machine or another backup.

Fix 10: Revive or Restore Firmware (Apple Silicon Macs with Boot Loops)

If your M1, M2, M3, or M4 MacBook is completely bricked and won’t even enter Recovery Mode, you can revive or restore the firmware using another Mac and Apple Configurator.

What you’ll need:

• Another Mac (any Mac running macOS 12.0.1 or later)
• A USB-C to USB-C cable (Thunderbolt cable works too)

Step 1: On the working Mac, download Apple Configurator from the Mac App Store.

Step 2: Shut down the MacBook that won’t boot.

Step 3: Connect both Macs using a USB-C cable.

Step 4: Put the bricked MacBook into DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode:

• For MacBook Air/Pro: Press and hold the Power button for 10 seconds, then release. The screen stays black.
• Immediately press and hold the right Shift + left Option + left Control keys for 10 seconds.
• Without releasing those keys, press and hold the Power button as well for another 10 seconds, then release everything.

Step 5: On the working Mac, open Apple Configurator. Your bricked MacBook should appear as a device in “DFU Mode.”

Step 6: Click Revive (this keeps your data) or Restore (this erases everything).

Step 7: Follow the on-screen instructions. The process takes 15–30 minutes.

This has saved countless MacBooks that seemed completely dead.

When to Take Your MacBook to Apple

If you’ve tried all of the above and your MacBook is still stuck on the loading screen, it’s likely a hardware issue. Here are signs you need professional help:

• Your Mac makes clicking, beeping, or grinding noises when booting
• Recovery Mode won’t load at all
• Disk Utility can’t detect your startup disk
• First Aid reports that your disk is failing
• Your MacBook shuts off randomly during boot
• The screen flickers or shows weird graphical glitches

These symptoms usually point to a failing hard drive, bad RAM, logic board issues, or display problems — all of which need hands-on repair.

Contact Apple Support: https://support.apple.com

Make a Genius Bar appointment: Go to an Apple Store and have them run hardware diagnostics.

How to Prevent This From Happening Again

Once you get your MacBook working, here’s how to avoid future boot problems:

Keep at least 15–20GB of free storage — A full disk causes all kinds of problems, including boot failures. Go to Apple Menu → About This Mac → Storage and free up space regularly.

Don’t force shut down your Mac — Unless it’s completely frozen, always shut down properly through the Apple menu. Force shutdowns can corrupt system files.

Update macOS carefully — Before updating, back up your Mac with Time Machine. If you hear about widespread issues with a new update, wait a week or two before installing it.

Uninstall apps properly — Don’t just drag apps to the Trash. Use an uninstaller like AppCleaner to remove all associated files, especially for system-level apps like antivirus software.

Run regular backups — Use Time Machine or a cloud backup service. If your Mac ever fails completely, you won’t lose your files.

Check for disk errors periodically — Run Disk Utility First Aid every few months to catch problems early.

Avoid third-party kernel extensions — Apps that install kernel extensions (kexts) can cause boot loops. Only install them from trusted developers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Getting stuck on the loading screen is frustrating, but in most cases, it’s fixable. Start with the simple solutions (force restart, disconnect peripherals, Safe Mode) and work your way up to the more advanced fixes only if needed.

The vast majority of boot issues are caused by software problems — corrupted files, bad updates, or misbehaving apps — not hardware failures. That means you can usually fix them yourself without spending a dime.

If you’ve gone through this entire guide and your MacBook still won’t boot, it’s time to contact Apple Support or visit a Genius Bar. At that point, you’ve ruled out all the common software causes, and a technician can diagnose the hardware.

Still stuck on a specific step? Drop your MacBook model and what you’re seeing in the comments and I’ll help troubleshoot.