How to Force Restart or Hard Reset a MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro

If your MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro freezes, you should be able to fix the problem with a simple hard reset or force restart. You can usually fix frozen MacBook problems in just a few seconds.

If your mouse cursor is still working, clicking the Apple icon in the top left corner and selecting Restart will usually fix your MacBook. However, if your MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro freezes and you cannot shut it down normally, you may need to perform a hard reset.

A hard reset is a quick fix and should return your computer to its normal state. Before hard resetting your MacBook, make sure that this action will not wipe your computer’s data, it will just restart the MacBook.

Here are the steps to fix your frozen MacBook, MacBook Air or MacBook Pro:

Hard Reset a MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro

To force restart your MacBook, you need to know where the power button is. On newer MacBook models, the power button is the Touch ID button located in the upper-right corner of the computer. On some newer MacBook models, you’ll find the Touch ID button on the surface of the Touch Bar. It’s the rightmost button.

On MacBook models with physical F1-F12 keys, it is located in the upper right corner. If you have an older MacBook with an optical drive, the key doubles as you also have an Eject button.

If your MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro stops responding, here’s how to force a restart:

1. To force restart your MacBook, you have to hold down the button, key, and power button at the same time.
2. Press and hold these keys until your MacBook screen goes black and the computer restarts itself.
3. When your computer restarts, you need to sign in to your account again.
4. If force restarting doesn’t help alleviate crashes and freezes, you should try charging and/or restarting your MacBook for up to an hour. Diagnostic Mode To see if the problem is hardware related.
5. If you can’t find anything wrong, you’ll want to get in touch. Apple customer support.

You don’t need to force restart your MacBook regularly as it can cause you to lose your job or be less productive. If your MacBook crashes frequently, you’ll want to check out our guide to solving common macOS problems. You may even want to contact Apple support.

If your MacBook is constantly freezing, you should try updating your apps via the App Store or explore other possible solutions. Sometimes the solution is as simple as forcing the apps that are keeping resources in the background or causing your MacBook to freeze.