How to Boot M1 Mac Into macOS Recovery

How to Boot M1 Mac Into macOS Recovery

Apple launched the Apple Silicon M1 Macs this year and it’s known as one of the evolutionary steps made by Apple. Alongside a couple of new features, the M1 Mac comes with a built-in recovery mode for your Mac which is known as macOS recovery. But what actually a recovery mode is? What are the advantages of using it? what are the times when you should use it without thinking twice? And how you can boot M1 mac into macOS recovery? These are the questions that come into a user’s mind who just heard the word macOS recovery.

Now don’t get frustrated if you’re one of them. In this post, we’ll talk about all the essential factors of the macOS recovery mode. Also, we’ll know how it can help you to solve some silly problems related to your mac. Besides, you’ll know how you can boot M1 Mac into macOS recovery.

Let’s get started with what actually this recovery mode is and how helpful it can be?

What is macOS Recovery?

Recovery mode is a particular section of your mac which you can enter only by performing certain actions. After entering the recovery mode you’ll be able to access some advanced tools of your operating system. These macOS recovery tools allow you to perform certain actions and fix some particular problems which you can’t do in the normal boot.

Meanwhile, it could be quite handy to repair some silly disks errors, to restore a Time Machine backup, or to install previous versions of the macOS that you ran on your mac. You can easily boot M1 mac and get the benefits of its valuable features. Most of the time, users use it to troubleshoot problems related to a couple of circumstances. For instance, while installing a new operating system into your Mac.

Today we’ll know about how to boot M1 Mac into macOS recovery but before starting boot M1 mac into the recovery mode let’s know what is the exact usages of macOS recovery. Also, when you should get into this helpful but a little tricky part of your macOS.

Let’s starts with the features first.

Main Features to Use in Boot M1 Mac

However, it has multiple little yet useful features to use in need but you’ll see most of the features roam around only four features. Let’s find out what are these four features and their sub-features and how they can help us in trouble.

MacOS utility screen of macOS recovery mode with four different options
Credits: Guidingtech.com

1. Disk Utility

This feature holds all the tools and functions that can help you to attain basic tasks related to your mac disks. Also, this utility works like a cure for your disk problems. Moreover, you can scan your drives to check something malicious or suspicious. After that, you can select verify to make a confirmation. And, this utility also empowered you enough to repair your drives to get rid of these frustrating disk problems.

To know how to Repair your internal disk, you can click here.

2. Time Machine Backup Restoration

Time Machine is an in-built backup software that Apple provides to Mac users. This software copies all the files of your Mac including the operating system you’re using right now and all the settings you’ve applied on that OS. You can use this copy to restore your previous mac’s data. Although, this step will erase the current disk data you’re acquiring right now.

For a detailed guide on how to restore the backup using Time Machine, you can click here.

3. Startup Security Utility: 

The startup security utility allows you to set security policies for your mac startup. You can simply choose Utilities > Startup Security Utility in the macOS recovery mode.

You can know how to Set the security policy by clicking here.

4. Terminal

Every intermediate PC user knows the things we can do with the command line isn’t possible by performing normal actions. To see the importance of the command line, Apple added the command software named “Terminal.” You can change multiple settings by giving commands into the Terminal. To enter the Terminal, you can choose Utilities > Terminal.

5. Share Disk

Apple allows you to transfer files using the macOS recovery mode. All you have to do is boot M1 mac, choose Utilities > Share Disk. You can connect both the macs with a USB, USB-C, or Thunderbolt cable.

To know a detailed guide on how to transfer files between two Mac computers using Share the disk, click here.

6. Reinstall macOS

Suppose you got a disk error that giving you a hard time while repairing it and you’re feeling like you’d waste your time if you keep doing the same then you can restore a Time Machine backup. Although if it doesn’t work too then you can reinstall a fresh piece of the operating system. This utility helps you to completely get rid of the current OS and its data. Later, you can reinstall the new clean OS through the iCloud or an external storage device. Although you need an active internet connection to reinstall a clean macOS. Moreover, you can use a wired or wireless internet connection to perform this task.

To read a detailed guide on how to reinstall macOS, click here.

7. To getting Online Help

If you’re already tried everything and didn’t find any solution. Also, you don’t want to reinstall macOS, you can use this option. It allows you to use Safari to get online help to fix your computer or internet connection issues.

When You Should Use macOS Recovery

Now you’re acquainted with all the essential points of the macOS recovery. And you might be astonished by the fact that how flawlessly it can troubleshoot any computer issues. But if you’ve never boot M1 Mac before, things might seem a little fishy to you. Also, there is a list of countless errors that are so frustrating. And, after knowing only features you won’t be able to answer questions like- should I use macOS recovery for this problem? or Is a particular problem can actually be solved in the macOS recovery?

Moreover, reading a list of countless technical errors won’t help you either. Therefore I am going to provide you a few points where you can give a chance to the macOS recovery.

  • To completely wipe your data from a computer or a disk.
  • When you’re having internet connectivity issues.
  • To remove all the data and Apple ID from your computer.
  • To reinstall a previous version of macOS.
  • When you want to restore a backup from Time Machine backup.
  • When you’re facing startup failures.
  • To erase your disk.
  • To perform a clean macOS installation.
  • Repair the disk errors that you can’t solve with your computer disk utility software.
  • To set up the security policy for different disks.
  • When you want to transfer data from one computer to another.
  • To start-up in safe mode or macOS recovery mode.

How to Boot M1 Mac Into macOS Recovery

Now you know the benefits of boot M1 mac into macOS recovery. Also, you know the particular situations when you should use macOS recovery. Furthermore, if you see a problem your PC might create and you know recovery mode can solve this, I advised you to stop here and read further.

As you know Apple just launched mac with the M1 chip, it is also confirmed that there are only a few pieces of MacBook with the M1 chip. And the rest of them come with an Intel-based processor. Also, both the processors come with a different guideline to boot into the macOS recovery. Therefore, the first step to boot into macOS recovery should be to identify your mac. Don’t take a load, it’s easy to know what processor your mac using right now. And don’t worry, I’ve also added the steps to boot macOS recovery mode in Intel-based macs.

Let’s identify your mac first.

Identify Mac Computers with Apple Silicon

Just start your mac, click on the Apple logo that you see on the top left side. After that choose the About This Mac or Overview section. Now you’ll be able to see all the details of your mac below.

If you’ll see Apple M1 in the adjacent of Chip, it is confirmed that your mac has equipped with an Apple M1 chip.

Note: If your Mac has an Intel-based processor, it’ll show the word Processor instead of Chip as we see in Mac with Apple M1 chipset.

Moreover, if you know the model or your Mac, you can make a quite accurate guess about its processor. Right now Apple recently launched only three Mac models with M1 processors:

  • MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)
  • MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
  • Mac mini (M1, 2020)

 

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