If you have an intel based Mac:
- Shut down your computer
- Press and hold the Shift key on the keyboard
- Press the power button to start back up, but keep holding the shift key
- Let go of the shift key after you see the progress bar start to go across the screen
Note that that if you have FileVault enabled, you may be asked to login twice.
If you have an Apple Silicon (M1, M2, etc.):
- On your Mac, choose Apple menu > Shut Down.
- Wait for your Mac to shut down completely. A Mac is completely shut down when the screen is black and any lights (including in the Touch Bar) are off.
- Press and hold the power button on your Mac until “Loading startup options” appears.
- Select a volume (generally Macintosh HD)
- Press and hold the Shift key, then click Continue in Safe Mode.
- The computer restarts automatically. When the login window appears, you should see “Safe Boot” in the menu bar.
To view a video of the process for Apple Silicon based
Booting into safe mode will cause it to boot more slowly than normal. When you get to the login screen, you should see "safe mode" at the top right.
Once booted into Safe Boot, you should see a small "safe boot" in red at the top right
For more information on safe mode, see https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201262