How to Restart a MacBook Air GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Computers, Laptops & Tablets > Apple
How to Restart a MacBook Air
Quickly get your MacBook Air running again
By Sam Costello Sam Costello Writer Ithaca College Sam Costello has been writing about tech since 2000. His writing has appeared in publications such as CNN.com, PC World, InfoWord, and many others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on August 22, 2021 Reviewed by Jerrick Leger Reviewed by Jerrick Leger Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Apple Macs iPad What to Know
Restart a MacBook Air: Click the Apple menu > Restart. Then click the Restart button in the pop-up or just let the timer expire.Restart a MacBook Air from the keyboard: Hold Control + Command + power button/eject button/Touch ID sensor.Force restart a MacBook Air: Hold down the power button or Control + Option + Command + the power/eject/Touch ID button. This article covers a few ways to restart a MacBook Air, reasons why you'd want to restart a MacBook Air, and how to force restart a MacBook Air that's frozen. How to Restart a MacBook Air Apple Menu
Probably the simplest way to restart a MacBook Air is by clicking a few menus that you can access from almost any screen. Here's how: This option works on every MacBook Air model, on all versions of the macOS. Click the Apple menu in the top left corner of the screen, then click Restart. To ensure that all apps and documents re-open after the restart, check the box next to Reopen windows when logging back in. Click Restart or let the timer count down. How to Restart a MacBook Air Keyboard
You can also restart a MacBook Air using the keyboard. Do this if you prefer it or if the computer isn't responding to mouse clicks. Here's how: Hold down Control + Command + power/eject/Touch ID at the same time until the screen goes black and you hear the restart sound. After the sound plays, let go of the keys and let the MacBook Air start up. Using Power OR Eject does two separate things: Power, forces the Mac to restart without prompting to save documents; Eject quits all apps, but prompts you to save any open documents with unsaved changes, then restarts. On some older models: Hold down Control + eject button, and the shutdown dialog box will appear. In that pop-up, click Restart. If neither of those options works, try a Force Restart. To do that, hold down Control + Command + the power/eject. When to Restart MacBook Air
We recommend restarting your MacBook Air regularly because it's suitable for the overall operation of your laptop. Each restart refreshes your laptop's active memory (but don't worry; there's no data loss), and it's also when new software updates get installed. Restarting a MacBook Air can also help fix problems like slow performance, trouble opening apps, generally buggy-ness, or freeze-ups. In those situations, a restart will often solve most problems. What Makes a Restart Factory Reset and Power Down Different
Restarting a MacBook Air isn't the same thing as powering it down or a factory reset. A restart resets your operating system and cleans out the memory that programs run in. There's no data loss with a restart, but your MacBook Air will run better afterward. Powering down a MacBook Air turns it off and stops programs from running, and saves battery power. A factory reset takes your laptop back to its original state, just like when you first got it. It deletes all of your apps and data, erases the hard drive, and re-installs the macOS. You should only factory reset your MacBook Air if you're selling the laptop, sending it in for service, or trying some last-ditch troubleshooting. How to Connect AirPods to a MacBook Air FAQ How do you restart a Macbook Air to factory settings? First, back up any important data you don't want to lose. Then, shut down your Macbook and, once it's completely off, long-press the Command+R keyboard shortcut while simultaneously pressing the Power button. Once it boots into Recovery Mode, select reinstall macOS. How do you take a screenshot on a Macbook Air? Press the Shift+Command+3 keyboard shortcut until a thumbnail appears in the corner of your screen. Select the thumbnail to edit the screenshot or wait until it saves on your desktop. How do you update a Macbook Air? To update your Macbook Air, select System Preferences > Software Update > Update Now. If no new update is available, you will receive the message "Your Mac is up to date." Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Restart a MacBook Pro How to Turn Your MacBook on or Off How to Adjust Keyboard Brightness on a MacBook Air How to Reset an LG Phone How to Unfreeze a MacBook Air How to Restart an iPhone (All Models) How to Restart an iPhone 11 How to Restart a Mac in Recovery Mode How to Remove an SD Card from a MacBook How to Reset MacBook Air How to Find a MacBook Model Number How to Connect AirPods to a MacBook Air How to Reset Nintendo Switch How to Turn Off a MacBook Pro How to Reset iPhone 12 (Restart & Hard Reset) How to Fix an Apple Watch That Won't Turn On Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies