Restart your Mac

  • On your Mac, choose Apple menu  > Restart. If you don’t want app windows that are open to reopen when your Mac restarts, deselect “Reopen windows when logging back in”.

Shut down your Mac

  • On your Mac, choose Apple menu > Shut Down. If you don’t want app windows that are open to reopen when your Mac restarts, deselect “Reopen windows when logging back in”. A Mac is completely shut down when the screen is black. Some computers also don’t show an active power light or have any fan or drive noise. Important: If you’re using a Mac laptop, wait for it to shut down completely before closing the display. If you close the display while the Mac is shutting down, it may not shut down properly and may start up more slowly the next time you turn it on.

Always shut down your Mac before opening the case to install additional memory or other devices inside the computer. You may also need to shut down before connecting or unplugging certain peripheral devices. If you’re unsure, refer to the documentation that came with the device.

You don’t need to shut down your Mac when connecting or disconnecting cables, such as USB-C, Thunderbolt or Ethernet.

Important: You can force a shutdown if necessary — for example, if your Mac becomes unresponsive — by pressing and holding the power button until your Mac shuts down. You may lose unsaved changes in open documents.

Sleep, log out and shut down shortcuts

You may need to press and hold some of these shortcuts for slightly longer than other shortcuts. This helps you to avoid using them unintentionally.

  • Power button: Press to turn on your Mac or wake it from sleep. Press and hold for 1.5 seconds to put your Mac to sleep.* Continue holding to force your Mac to turn off.
  • Option–Command–Power button* or Option–Command–Media Eject : Put your Mac to sleep.
  • Control–Shift–Power button* or Control–Shift–Media Eject : Put your displays to sleep.
  • Control–Power button* or Control–Media Eject : Display a dialogue asking whether you want to restart, sleep or shut down.
  • Control–Command–Power button:* Force your Mac to restart, without prompting to save any open and unsaved documents.
  • Control–Command–Media Eject : Quit all apps, then restart your Mac. If any open documents have unsaved changes, you will be asked whether you want to save them.
  • Control–Option–Command–Power button* or Control–Option–Command–Media Eject : Quit all apps, then shut down your Mac. If any open documents have unsaved changes, you will be asked whether you want to save them.
  • Control-Command-Q: Lock your screen immediately.
  • Shift-Command-Q: Log out of your macOS user account. You will be asked to confirm. To log out immediately without confirming, press Option-Shift-Command-Q.