What Is Mac Single User Mode?

If you're a Mac user, you'd have known that your device might face some issues due to unforeseen reasons.

There are many ways to fix the Mac issues you face. For instance, people were used to putting Mac into recovery mode, but this method has some limitations. Hence, opting for booting your Mac into Single User mode has more rewards than any other method.

We'll tell you about the Single User mode and boot Mac into Single User mode.

Quick Navigation:

• 1. Overview of Single User Mode
• 2. What are the ways to boot Mac in single-user mode?
• 3. How to quit the Singer User Mode on your Mac?

Overview of Single User Mode

Singer User Mode is a special booting mode on your Mac that helps you fix Mac issues and tends to perform administrative operations.

It allows you to boot your Mac into an appropriate text-based environment without any graphical interface. Moreover, it doesn't tend to mount the drive volumes on startup.

You'll only need to access a Unix prompt; all you need to do is type commands. You can find many Unix commands in the minimal environment, in which Singer User Mode boots the Mac to perform basic repairs to mount the storage drives, write and read files, and startup drive.

Fsck is the most commonly used command in your Mac's Single User mode. This command empowers the user to assess the macOS file's consistency. In addition, it also enables you to repair your hard disk.

What are the ways to boot Mac in single-user mode?

The process of booting your Mac PC in single-user mode depends up the kind of Mac PC you're currently using.

You can own three categories of Mac, and here's the list of those Mac computers.

• 1. Older Mac computers without a T2 security chip
• 2. Apple Silicon Macs
• 3. Macs with an Intel CPU and T2 security chip

Apple came up with a T2 security chip in 2018 when it introduced new MacBook Airs, MacBook Pros, and Mac Minis.

If you're using Intel Mac and are unsure whether your Mac PC has a T2 chip or not, you can check it via System Report.

Here's how to do it.

Step 1. Select ‘About this Mac’ after hitting ‘Apple menu’.

Step 2. Navigate to the Controller icon after hitting ‘System Report.’ Now, you might watch out for a T2 Security reference.

Boot into Single User mode on older Mac computers without T2

Step 1. To begin, you'll need to shut down your Mac PC.

Step 2. After pressing the ‘Power button’, you'll need to hold Command + S.

Step 3. Release the Command + S icon when the black ground option with white text appears. If asked, you'll need to enter your passcode.

Boot into Single User Mode on your Intel Mac with T2

Mac computers with T2 chips have limitations on how you can boot them, the operating system you intend to boot them into, and what those computers boot from.

Moreover, Intel Mac might also prevent the single-user mode from working. Startup Security Utility controls these settings and access in recovery mode.

You can opt for Terminal in recovery mode instead of changing the settings.

Step 1. Turn off your Mac PC first, and power up your device before holding down Command + R. You'll need to wait for a while until the spinning globe or Apple logo makes its presence felt.

Step 2. You might be asked to type in your password, and you shouldn't waste any time before entering your password.

Step 3. Navigate to the macOS utility menu and tap the ‘Disk Utility’ icon from there.

Step 4. After visiting the sidebar, you'll need to tap on your startup volume icon.

Step 5. Enter your password after pressing the ‘Mount’ icon.

Step 6. After quitting the ‘Disk Utility’, you'll need to tap on Utilities in the menu bar. Next, all you need to do is select the Terminal icon from there.

Boot into Single User Mode on your Apple Silicon Macs

If you're using Apple Silicon instead of Intel, you can boot into single-user mode on your Apple Silicon Macs like we used when booting into Single User Mode with the T2 security chip.

All you need to do is boot into recovery mode and use Terminal from there. There is a slight difference in how you opt to boot into recovery mode.

Here's how to do it.

Step 1. Shut down your Mac entirely and press and hold Mac's power button.

Step 2. Release the power button when you see the spinning globe or Apple logo on the screen. You'll need to follow steps 3 to 6 to access the Terminal option in macOS Utilities.

How to quit the Singer User Mode on your Mac?

Once you're done using your Mac Single User Mode, you can quit it quickly. You'll need to navigate to the command prompt in Single User Mode and then type the ‘reboot’ or ‘exit’ icon. Next, you'll need to tap the ‘Return’ Key.

However, if you tend to rely on Terminal to boot into the Single User method, you can follow the guide below to quit Single User Mode.

Step 1. Navigate to the ‘Terminal’ utility after opening the Launchpad and tapping the ‘Other’ icon. You can also rely on Spotlight to search Terminal by clicking Command + Space button combinations.

Step 2. You'll need to input the command written below into the Terminal Window. Next, you'll need to tap the ‘Return’ Key icon.

sudo nvram -d boot-args

Step 3. You'll need to input the administrator password; tap the ‘Return’ key if asked.

Step 4. Quit the Terminal and start your Mac device to assess if the Mac device boots normally.

Final Words

That's it.

You have all the necessary things to know if you want to fix your Mac from an unwanted issue. Going for any method might help your cause but booting Mac into Mac Single User mode will assist you in eliminating the issue you're currently having.

Hence, you shouldn't waste time before booting your Mac into Single User mode. We've mentioned how to boot into Mac Single User Mode on different categories of Mac computers.

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