How to reset the SMC on a Mac

The technique for resetting the SMC varies depending on what kind of Mac you are troubleshooting. Find your device and follow the corresponding steps to reset your SMC.

The procedure for resetting the SMC on an Apple laptop depends on whether your laptop has a user-replaceable battery. Older Apple laptops (made before 2009) commonly had user-replaceable batteries. Only follow the ‘‘Removable Battery’’ steps if you have an Apple laptop with a battery that can be replaced without the use of tools.

If your Apple laptop has a user-removable battery, reset the SMC with the following steps:

1. Shut down the laptop.
2. Remove the battery.
3. With the battery removed, press and hold the power button for five seconds.
4. Reinstall the battery and press the power button to turn on the laptop.

If your Apple laptop does not have a user-removable battery, reset the SMC with these steps:

1. Shut down the laptop from the Apple menu (Apple icon -> Shut Down).
2. Once your laptop has completely shut down, hold the Shift, Control, and Option keys on the left side of the built-in keyboard, then press the power button at the same time. Hold all four keys down for 10 seconds.
3. If you have a MacBook Pro with Touch ID, the Touch ID button is also the power button.

To reset the SMC on a Mac desktop computer:

1. Shut down the computer.
2. Unplug the power cable for 15 or more seconds.
3. Plug in the power cable.
4. Wait five or more seconds, then power on the computer.

Mac computers made with Apple’s proprietary T2 Security Chip have a “soft” method of resetting the SMC in addition to the methods listed above. Apple recommends that you try these methods first. Check this list to see if your computer has a T2 chip.

1. Shut down the computer from the Apple menu (Apple icon -> Shut Down).
2. Once the computer has shut down completely, hold the power button for ten seconds.
3. Release the power button, then wait a few seconds.
4. Press the power button again to turn on your Mac.

For a full list of SMC-related functions and symptoms, visit Apple’s SMC troubleshooting page.

If you’re experiencing speaker, display, or other peripheral-related issues, you may need to reset your Mac’s NVRAM.