How to Boot in Single User Mode on a Mac

A mac computer is a pretty compact system. It usually has everything a user hopes to obtain from a macOS. However, that doesn’t mean that it won’t run into any bugs or errors one time or the other. And in this case, you must know how to boot into the mac single-user mode. 

The single-user mode in mac is accessed during the system startup. It is a special boot mode that is usually used to troubleshoot problems on your computer. Through the single-user mode, you are directly taken to the command line interface of your macOS.

The normal user-friendly GUIs are not seen on this mode, and the only operations you can perform are via UNIX commands. And as the name implies, you operate as a single superuser. 

So, here in this guide, we’ll take you through all the ways you can access the single-user mode on different types of Macs. Here we go!

How to Boot in Single User Mode on a Mac

The single-user mode is meant to perform certain administrative, maintenance, and troubleshooting tasks. These functions are carried out by starting up your system with the minimum required resources and only enabling a single user to take control of the normal multi-user environment.

Well, depending on your mac chipset, there are several different ways to boot into the single-user mode.

In single user mode, any unsuitable commands are likely going to have a drastic change on your system’s stability and performance. 

With the T2 Chip

Before we dive into the exact steps to boot into the single-user mode, we would like to help the users who are not sure if their computer is integrated with the T2 chip or not. So, for this, 

1. Turn on your computer. 
2. On the desktop screen, click on the Apple icon.
3. Select About This Mac. 
4. Go to System Report that’s on the Overview tab. 
5. Click on Controller from the left panel. 
   
6. Look for an option resembling the T2 security and whatnot. 

Now that you’ve figured out your system’s characteristics, we shall look towards the ways to access the single-user mode. The general method to access the single-user mode is by holding the Command + S button configuration during the system start-up. However, Intel macs are known to be rigid at times and could prevent you from accessing the CUI (Character User Interface). 

Therefore, Apple has officially recommended Intel Mac users to run the Single User Mode from the macOS recovery window. So, for this, 

1. Turn off your computer.
2. Power up your system and immediately hold the Command + R button configuration.
3. Enter your password when prompted. 
4. You’ll now be directed toward the macOS recovery window. 
5. Click on Disk Utility.
   
6. From the left panel, select the disk volume you’d like to start up with.  
7. Then, click on Mount. 
8. Enter password if prompted. 
9. Exit the Disk Utility window. 
10. Finally, from the menubar, go to Utilities > Terminal. 
    
11. Once you’re done, type and enter shutdown -rto restart your computer. 

With the Apple Silicon Chips

The shortcut Command + S to access the single user mode has been removed for Apple silicon macs. So, for concerned users with the Apple silicon chips, you have to access the single user mode via the macOS recovery window. So, 

1. Turn off your computer.
2. Hold the power/eject button until you see the startup options. 
3. Click on Options.
4. Enter your password when prompted.
   You’ll now be directed toward the macOS recovery window. 
5. Click on Disk Utility.
6. From the left panel, select the disk volume you’d like to start up with.  
7. Then, click on Mount. 
   
8. Enter password if prompted. 
9. Exit the Disk Utility window. 
10. Finally, from the menubar, go to Utilities > Terminal. 
11. Once you’re done, type and enter shutdown -r to restart your computer. 

Without the T2/Apple Silicon Chips 

For Macs without the T2/Apple silicon chips, accessing the single-user mode is relatively straightforward. The Command + S shortcut key that we mentioned earlier can be used here to access the CUI. Here are the steps to do so, 

1. Turn off your computer. 
2. Power up your system and immediately hold the Command + S button configuration.
   
3. Enter your password when prompted. 
4. You can now enter the commands as per your requirement. 
5. Then finally, once you’re done, type and enter shutdown -r to restart your computer. 

What is Verbose Mode, and How Can I Access It?

Verbose mode is similar to the single-user mode. That is, it is a special startup feature provided by the macOS that lets users troubleshoot and debug certain hardware and startup issues directly from the CUI. 

The two modes mentioned above are fairly similar, with the only difference being that the Verbose mode displays a detailed description of your computer as part of the command-line texts. However, both these modes operate on the Terminal, and there is no difference in their workflow. 

Furthermore, due to its close similarity with the single-user mode, Apple opted to totally discard the Verbose mode in newer macOS updates. However, for users using somewhat older OS builds, here are the steps to access the Verbose mode:

1. Turn off your computer. 
2. Power up your system and immediately hold the Command + V button configuration.
3. Enter your password when prompted. 
4. You can now enter the commands as per your requirement. 
5. Then finally, once you’re done, type and entershutdown -rto restart your computer.