How to Turn On a Mac
What you need: A Mac that is turned off. If it has a power cord or a charger, plug it into a wall outlet. On a Mac with a separate screen, plug the screen into a wall outlet too.
Steps
- If your Mac is a laptop (a MacBook), open the lid: lift the top half until the screen faces you. Many MacBooks turn on by themselves when the lid opens. If the screen lights up or the Apple logo appears, go to step 4.
- Find the power button. On a MacBook, it is the key in the top-right corner of the keyboard. On an iMac, Mac Studio or most Mac mini computers, it is a round button on the back of the computer, near a lower corner. On a newer Mac mini, it is underneath the computer, near its back edge.
- Press the power button once and let go right away. Do not hold it down, because holding it can open a special startup screen or turn the Mac off again.
- Wait while the Mac starts. The Apple logo appears, sometimes with a bar below it that fills up. This can take a minute or two.
- If the screen is still dark after two minutes, look at what kind of Mac you have. On a Mac mini or Mac Studio, if the screen has its own power button (usually on its back, side or underneath), press it once. On a MacBook, plug in its charger, wait 15 minutes, then press the power button once again.
- Wait until you see the sign-in window (your name and picture, or several names to choose from, and a box for your password) or the desktop (with the menu bar across the top of the screen). If you see the sign-in window, sign in by following How to Sign In to a Mac to start using the Mac.
Expected result: The Mac is on and shows the sign-in window or the desktop.