What to do when your Mac won't turn on

Why it happens

A Mac that seems dead usually has a completely flat battery, a faulty charger or cable, or is stuck and needs a hard restart. Sometimes the Mac is on but the screen stays dark. If none of the steps below helps, it's likely a hardware fault.

How to fix it

1. Plug in the charger that came with your Mac, or one with at least the same wattage, into a wall socket you know works. Try another cable and socket if you have them.

2. Leave it charging for 15 to 30 minutes. A fully flat battery needs time before the Mac can start.

3. Press the power button once. On a MacBook it's the Touch ID button at the top-right of the keyboard. On an iMac it's on the back, on a Mac mini on the back or underneath, on a Mac Studio on the back, and on a Mac Pro on the top.

4. Check whether the Mac is actually on with a dark screen. Listen for the fan, look for a Caps Lock or keyboard light, and press the brightness up key a few times.

5. Hold the power button for 10 seconds, let go, then press it again normally. This forces a stuck Mac to restart.

6. On a desktop Mac, unplug the power cord, wait 15 seconds, plug it back in, wait 5 seconds and press the power button.

7. On an Intel MacBook Pro, shut it down, then hold Control and Option on the left and Shift on the right for 7 seconds. Keep holding them and also hold the power button for 7 more seconds. Let go of everything, wait a few seconds and press the power button to turn it on.

Still not fixed?

1. Unplug everything else: hubs, docks, drives, monitors and other USB devices. A faulty accessory can stop a Mac starting.

2. If it starts but stops at the Apple logo, a circle with a line through it or a folder with a question mark, it's a startup problem rather than power. On a Mac with Apple silicon, shut down, then hold the power button until the startup options appear and try Safe Mode or Recovery. On an Intel Mac, hold Command-R right after pressing the power button for Recovery, or Shift for Safe Mode.

3. If the Mac was dropped or got wet, stop trying and take it in for repair. Repeated attempts can make liquid damage worse.

4. If there are still no lights, sounds or fan after charging with a known good charger, it's a hardware fault, such as the battery, charging port or logic board. Contact Apple Support or an Apple Authorized Service Provider, and ask about getting your files back if you have no backup.