Mac Frozen or Keeps Crashing? Tell the Cause Apart First

When a Mac freezes or crashes, first work out which of three things happened, because each one has a different fix. If one app shows the spinning wait cursor while the rest of the Mac responds, force quit that app with Option-Command-Esc. If nothing responds at all, wait a minute, then hold the power button for up to 10 seconds until the Mac turns off (Apple). If the Mac restarted by itself and showed a message that it restarted because of a problem, that was a kernel panic, and the useful steps are updates, safe mode, and disconnecting accessories.

The rest of this guide explains how to tell the cases apart, where macOS keeps the reports that say what crashed, and when the cause is likely to be hardware.

Three different problems behind "frozen" and "crashing"

A spinning cursor in one app is not a system crash. How to force quit an app on Mac covers that case in detail, including what a force quit can lose.

If the whole Mac is frozen

1. Give it a minute. A Mac that has run out of memory or disk space can stall for a while and recover once the heavy app finishes or is quit.
2. Press Option-Command-Esc. If the Force Quit window appears, the system is still alive; force quit the app at the top of the problem.
3. If Finder is the one stuck, select it in that window and click Relaunch.
4. If nothing responds, hold the power button for up to 10 seconds until the Mac turns off, then press it again to turn the Mac on. On a laptop with Touch ID, hold the Touch ID button (Apple).

A forced shutdown loses unsaved work in every open app. After the Mac starts again, reopen the documents you had open and check whether they autosaved before redoing anything.

Check memory pressure and disk space after recovering

Two common causes of a Mac that freezes under load are memory demand and a nearly full startup disk. Both are quick to rule in or out once the Mac responds:

• Open Activity Monitor › Memory and look at the Memory Pressure graph. Red pressure with a large Swap Used figure means the workload needed more memory than the Mac had. Mac Memory Pressure explained shows how to read it, and Your system has run out of application memory covers that specific warning.
• Open System Settings › General › Storage. macOS needs free space for swap, caches and updates. If the disk is nearly full, Startup disk full on Mac explains how to find where the space went.

If memory pressure was green and the disk has room, the freeze is more likely a specific app, an extension, an accessory, or hardware.

Read the crash report before guessing

macOS writes a report each time an app crashes or hangs, and Console lets you read them. Apple's Console reports guide lists the categories in the sidebar:

Open Console from Applications › Utilities, select a category under Reports, then select a report. User reports come from apps you used; system reports come from parts of macOS that affect all users, and only administrators can see them. On disk, user reports are in ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports and system reports in /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports.

You do not need to read a crash report line by line. Look for three things:

1. The process name and date. Do the reports line up with the freezes you noticed?
2. Repetition. Ten crash reports for the same app over a week point to that app or one of its plug-ins, not to macOS.
3. Names you did not expect. A crash in a third-party plug-in, input method or system extension is a strong lead.

If the reports all name one app, update it, remove its plug-ins, and send the report to its developer; that is what the report is for. Apple's app troubleshooting steps then suggest restarting, updating the app and macOS, and reinstalling the app, which can remove data stored inside it.

If you clean up logs with a tool while you are still investigating, keep the crash reports until you are done. In Mole, for example, Clean lists a Crash Reports row for system crash reports older than about a week; leave it unselected while you still need them.

If the Mac restarted because of a problem

A Mac that restarts by itself and then shows a message that it restarted because of a problem had a kernel panic: a software or hardware error that macOS could not recover from. Apple says these restarts are rare and are usually caused by installed software or connected devices (If your Mac restarted because of a problem). Work through Apple's checks in order:

1. Install updates. Install all available macOS and app updates. If macOS suggests an app caused the restart, it may offer to move it to the Trash; contact that app's developer about an update.
2. Start in safe mode to see whether the restarts stop when third-party startup software is not loaded (steps below).
3. Remove third-party plug-ins and enhancement software that you no longer need or that has not been updated for your macOS version (Apple).
4. Disconnect accessories. Shut down and disconnect everything except, on a desktop Mac, a display, keyboard, and mouse or trackpad. Use the Mac for as long as it would usually take to restart. If the problem stops, reconnect one device at a time, testing after each.
5. Run Apple Diagnostics if disconnecting does not help.
6. Reinstall macOS if the cause still is not identified.

A single panic after installing something new is a reason to check that one item. Panics that keep happening with nothing connected, in safe mode, or after reinstalling macOS point to hardware.

Use safe mode to separate software from hardware

Safe mode prevents login items, extensions and fonts not installed by macOS from loading at startup, runs a basic check of the startup disk, and clears some system caches.

• Apple silicon: Shut down. Press and hold the power button until Loading startup options appears. Select your startup disk, then hold Shift and click Continue in Safe Mode.
• Intel: Turn on or restart the Mac and immediately hold Shift. Release it when the login window appears.

"Safe Boot" appears in red in the upper-right corner of the login window. Use the Mac in safe mode the way you did when it froze. If it is stable there but not in a normal startup, the cause is likely software that loads at startup, such as a login item or extension; turn them back on one at a time in System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions. If it freezes or panics in safe mode too, look harder at hardware.

When it looks like hardware, and when to contact Apple

Apple Diagnostics tests the Mac's internal hardware:

• Apple silicon: Press and hold the power button. When you see Options, release it, then press and hold Command-D until the Mac restarts.
• Intel: Turn on the Mac and immediately hold the D key until a progress bar appears or you are asked to choose a language.

If Diagnostics reports reference codes, keep them. Apple recommends giving them to Apple, an Apple Authorized Service Provider or an Independent Repair Provider when you seek service.

Contact Apple Support or a service provider when:

• Apple Diagnostics reports an issue.
• The Mac freezes or panics with all accessories disconnected, in safe mode, or after reinstalling macOS.
• The Mac shuts down suddenly, will not start, or shows signs of liquid or physical damage.
• Disk Utility reports that the startup disk is about to fail. How to use Disk Utility First Aid explains what its messages mean.

Back up before any service visit if the Mac still starts. Repairs can involve replacing the storage or erasing the Mac.

What not to do

• Do not reset or erase the Mac as a first step. Erasing removes the evidence and rarely fixes an app or accessory problem.
• Do not delete crash reports while you are still investigating.
• Do not disable System Integrity Protection, or delete files under /System, to stop crashes.
• Do not keep holding the power button out of habit; a freeze that clears in a minute does not need a forced shutdown.

FAQ

What should I do when my MacBook is frozen?

If only one app is stuck, press Option-Command-Esc and force quit it. If nothing responds, wait a minute, then hold the power button for up to 10 seconds until the Mac turns off and start it again. Unsaved work is lost in a forced shutdown.

Why does my Mac keep crashing?

Repeated crashes of one app usually come from that app, a plug-in, or its data; repeated restarts with a "restarted because of a problem" message are kernel panics, usually caused by software or connected devices. Check Console's Crash Reports to see which one you have.

Where are crash reports on a Mac?

In Console under Reports, or on disk in ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports for your apps and /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports for system reports. Crash reports use the .ips extension.

Does safe mode fix a Mac that keeps crashing?

Safe mode is a test, not a repair. If the Mac is stable in safe mode, something that loads at startup is the likely cause; if it still crashes, look at hardware.

When should I contact Apple about a Mac that crashes?

When Apple Diagnostics reports an issue, or crashes continue with accessories disconnected, in safe mode, or after reinstalling macOS.