How to Reset SMC on Mac with non-removable battery Mac includes: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, MacBook Shut down your Mac. Plug in the MagSafe power adapter. Simultaneously press and hold the left shift, control, and option keys and at the same time press the power button for. Release all keys at.

Performing a SMC Reset has the potential to fix problems and performance related issues on Mac. You will find below the actual steps to Reset SMC on MacBook, Mac Mini and iMac.

Reset SMC On MacBook, Mac Mini and iMac

SMC or System Management Controller is a Microchip located on the Logic board of Apple computers using Intel processors.

  • If the issue persists, follow these steps to reset the SMC: Shut down your Mac. On your built-in keyboard, press and hold all of the following keys. Your Mac might turn on. Control on the left side of. Control on the left side of your keyboard Option (Alt) on the left side of your keyboard Shift.
  • Step 6: Press the power button to turn on Mac. Reset SMC for Mac with non-removable battery. Step 1: Shut down Mac. Step 2: Plug in the MagSafe power adapter to a power source, connecting it to the Mac if its not already connected.
  • SMC or also known as System Management Controller is the one who handles most of Mac’s physical performance such as the fan, ports, LED indicators, Bluetooth, power, lights, and more. It manages more parts than the PRAM.
  • Shut down the computer. Plug in the MagSafe power adapter to a power source, connecting it to the Mac if its not already connected. On the built-in keyboard, press the (left side) Shift-Control-Option keys and the power button at the same time. Release all the keys and the power button at the same time.

SMC is responsible for functions like Battery Control, Battery Indicator Light, Temperature control, Light Sensing, Fan Speed, Keyboard backlights and other low-level functions.

Sometimes, SMC can become confused or corrupted, leading to problems on Mac computers and needs to be Reset.

When to Reset SMC on Mac?

In general, the following problems indicate the need for SMC Reset on MacBook, Mac Mini and iMac computers.

Power Supply Issues: MacBook is not turning ON, Battery Not Charging, Battery Indicator Light Not Working. Keyboard Backlight Not Working, Mac shutting down abruptly or not waking up from sleep mode.

Cooling System: Fans not working, Fans always running at high speed.

Display Problems: External Display not working, Videos not playing, Change in Display brightness.

Devices & Ports: Ports not working, external connected devices not working, track pad not working, keyboard not responding normally or mouse behaving abnormally.

Performance Related Issues: Slow or sluggish performance even under low CPU load, Bluetooth not working, Mac not connecting to WiFi and others.

The steps to Reset SMC vary, depending on the Type and Model of your Mac and whether or not it has an Apple T2 Security chip.

Check If Your Mac Has Apple T2 Chip

Before going ahead with the steps to Reset SMC, you need to find if your Mac has a removable battery and whether or not it is equipped with Apple T2 Chip.

1. Click on Apple Logo > About This Mac > System Information.

2. On the next screen, click on Controller in the left-pane. In the right-pane, you will be able see if your Mac is equipped with Apple T2 Chip.

After checking for T2 Chip, follow the steps as applicable to Reset SMC on your Mac computer.

1. Reset SMC On MacBook Without Apple T2 Chip

If your MacBook does not have an Apple T2 Chip, find out if it has a removable or non-removable battery.

If the battery is non-removable type:

1. Click on Apple Logo > Shut Down and wait for your Mac to shut down.

2. Unplug USB Storage and other connected devices from your Mac.

3. Press Shift+Control+Option keys on the left side and also press the Power button. Hold these four keys for 10 seconds.

4. Release All the Keys at the same time.

5. Start your Mac by pressing the Power button.

Note: The boot time of your Mac immediately after SMC Reset can be longer than normal.

If the Battery is Removable type:

1. Click on Apple Logo > Shut Down and wait for your Mac to shut down.

Smc Reset For Macbook Air

2. Remove the Battery from your Mac.

3. Press and hold the Power button for 5 seconds.

4. Reinstall the Battery.

5. Start your Mac by pressing the Power button.

2. Reset SMC On Mac Mini, iMac Without T2 Chip

Follow the steps below to Reset SMC on desktop versions of Macs like iMac, Mac Mini and Mac Pro.

1. Click on Apple Logo > Shut Down and wait for your Mac to shut down.

2. Unplug the power cord from your Mac.

3. After 15 seconds > plug the Power Cord back in.

4. Wait for 5 seconds and press on the Power button to restart your Mac.

3. Reset SMC on Macbook with Apple T2 Chip

Follow the steps below to Reset SMC on newer versions of MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptop computers (2018 and later).

1. Click on Apple Menu > Shut Down and wait for your Mac to shut down.

2. Remove all accessories from your Mac.

3. Press and Hold the Power button on your Mac, until Apple Logo appears on the screen and goes away.

Note: Continue holding the Power button as Apple Logo appears on the screen and release the Power button as soon as Apple Logo disappears from the screen.

4. Wait for 10 seconds and press the Power button to restart your Mac.

Note: If you have a MacBook Pro with Touch ID, the Touch ID button is also its Power button.

If this does not fix the issue, follow the steps below.

1. Click on Apple Menu > Shut Down and wait for your Mac to shut down.

2. Press and hold Right Shift Key + Left Option + Control keys for 7 seconds > Keeping holding these keys and press the Power button for 7 seconds.

Note: You may notice Apple Logo appearing and find Mac turning ON and turning OFF.

3. Release all three keys and the Power button.

4. After 5 seconds start your Mac by pressing the Power button.

4. Reset SMC on Mac Mini, iMac with Apple T2 Chip

Follow the steps below to Reset SMC on newer versions of Mac Mini, iMac and iMac Pro Desktop computers (2018 and later).

1. Click on Apple Menu > Shut Down and wait for your Mac to shut down.

2. Remove all accessories from your Mac.

3. Press and Hold the Power button on your Mac, until Apple Logo appears on the screen and goes away.

Note: Continue holding the Power button as Apple Logo appears on the screen and release the Power button as soon as Apple Logo disappears from the screen.

4. Wait for 10 seconds and press the Power button to restart your Mac.

If this does not fix the issue, follow the steps below.

1. Click on Apple Menu > Shut Down and wait for your Mac to shut down.

2. Unplug the Power Cord.

Reset Mac Smc Macbook Air

3. Wait 15 seconds > Plug the Power Cord back in.

Mac reset pram and smc

4. After 5 seconds start your Mac by pressing the Power button.

Source: Apple Support

How to reset your SMC on any Mac?

You may have noticed reduced Apple computer functionality, tried several methods to reset your Mac, but are still unable to find a solution. Furthermore, if you are not an experienced IT user, you may not be aware of components such as SMC (System Management Controller) and others.

Smc Reset For Mac

System Management Controller is a low-level Mac hardware component that controls computer power consumption, battery charging and functionality, thermal and fan activity, GPU and video mode functionality/video output, sleep/wake modes and led lightning management, and other hardware functionality. Resetting the SMC might solve issues related to these devices. In this article, we describe common issues and ways to reset the System Management Controller for the most popular Apple products.

Table of Contents:

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The most popular issues related to SMC

Resetting the SMC will not return your computer to new, but it is a useful tool to solve many hardware problems.

A list of the most common problems that SMC reset might solve:

  • Problems with Mac cooling fans and fan management. For example, fans running at high speed despite normal CPU usage and temperature, or fans not working at all. In the last case, if a reset does not solve the issue, check that the fan is not impeded.
  • Power management and battery life problems. For example, the Mac does not power up, does not transition to 'wake' mode from 'sleep', unwanted revert to 'sleep', or portable Mac not responding to lid opening and closing.
  • Lightning issues. For example, battery indicator lights not working, unable to manage display or keyboard back lights, or lights not working at all.
  • Video and external displays do not work properly. For example, video mode and external display not working correctly, or at all.
  • General performance and functionality problems. For example, poor computer performance and responsiveness (perhaps caused by partial CPU or hard disk usage), external ports with Airport and Bluetooth do not work, cannot detect or mount external devices or drives.

If you experience one or more of these problems, perform an SMC reset by following the instructions below for most Apple models.

Reset SMC of a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro Retina, or MacBook Pro with an integrated battery

Before you proceed, bear in mind that, by resetting the SMC, you are erasing all data such as power settings, sleep schedule, and other customizations. All settings will revert to their defaults.

The path to reset SMC on most Apple laptops, which have none-removable battery:

First, shut down the device and connect the power adapter to the Mac. Hold down the Shift, Control and Option keys while clicking the power button. Finally, release all keys simultaneously - the light on MagSafe adapter may change color to signify that SMC has been reset. After a successful reset, reboot your computer in the usual way.

Reset your SMC on iMac, Mac Pro, Mac Mini

Note that performing an SMC reset for a non-portable Apple device is different for portable devices. As with MacBooks and portable devices, however, the procedure is straightforward and any problems with SMC on a desktop Mac will be similar to those of a laptop.

To reset SMC on a non-portable device, follow these instructions:

  1. Shut down the Mac.
  2. Disconnect the power cord.
  3. Hold down the Mac power button for five seconds.
  4. Release the button, reattach the power cable, and boot the Mac in the usual way.

Reset SMC of a MacBook or MacBook Pro's with removable battery

Some earlier Apple laptops had detachable batteries, so the SMC reset is performed in a slightly different way to newer models.

Reset Smc Macbook Air 2018

To perform an SMC reset follow these instructions:

What Is Smc Reset For Mac

Shutdown the MacBook or MacBook Pro and remove the battery. Disconnect the power adapter, hold the power key for 10 seconds. Release the button and reattach your power adapter and battery. Turn on the Mac in the usual way.

Alternative method for Mac Pro manufactured in 2012 or earlier

If you own a Mac Pro produced in 2012 or before, and the normal reset (described earlier) did not work, try a manual SMC reset: press the reset button located on the Mac Pro motherboard.

Macbook Pro Reset Pram And Smc

Now, follow these instructions to manually reset the SMC:

  • Shut down the Mac.
  • Unplug the Mac power cord.
  • Open the Mac Pro side access panel.
  • Below the Drive 4 sled and adjacent to the top PCI-e slot, you should find a small button labeled SMC. Press and hold down this button for 10 seconds.
  • After resetting, close the Mac Pro side access panel, reconnect the Mac power cord, wait for at least five seconds, and then turn the computer back on by pressing the power button.

After the Mac SMC has been reset, hardware issues should be resolved. If you continue to experience the same problems, there might be more serious, or different, issue that need to be troubleshooted separately.