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How to Reset the SMC and NVRAM on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs

Step-by-step guide to resetting the SMC and NVRAM on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs, including which procedure applies to each model and when to use it.

5 min readUpdated April 2026

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The SMC (System Management Controller) and NVRAM (non-volatile RAM, formerly called PRAM) are two low-level components on Intel Macs that control hardware power management and store a handful of system preferences. When a Mac misbehaves in certain specific ways — fans stuck at full speed, the wrong startup disk, sleep/wake failures — resetting one or both of these can restore normal behavior. This guide walks through the correct procedure for each Mac generation.

Apple Silicon Macs: No Reset Needed

If your Mac has an M1, M2, M3, M4 or newer Apple Silicon chip, there is no SMC reset and no NVRAM reset key combination. Apple explicitly removed the procedure because these chips handle power management and firmware differently from Intel Macs. macOS automatically tests and clears NVRAM at every boot.

If you suspect a hardware-level glitch on an Apple Silicon Mac:

  1. Choose Apple menu > Shut Down
  2. Wait 30 seconds for all capacitors to fully discharge
  3. Press the power button to start the Mac normally

That is the entire procedure. Any further troubleshooting should focus on software (Safe Mode, macOS reinstall) rather than firmware resets.

Which Procedure Applies to Your Mac

Mac GenerationSMC ResetNVRAM Reset
Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4)Shut down, wait 30 sec, power onAutomatic at boot
Intel with T2 chip (2018 and later)Control+Option+Shift 7 sec, add power button 7 secOption+Command+P+R at boot
Intel portable, non-removable battery (2009–2017)Shift+Control+Option+Power for 10 secondsOption+Command+P+R at boot
Intel iMac / Mac mini / Mac Pro (non-T2)Unplug power cord for 15 secondsOption+Command+P+R at boot

SMC Reset: Intel T2 Mac (2018 and later)

These are MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, iMac Pro, Mac mini, and Mac Pro models from 2018 onward that include the Apple T2 Security Chip.

T2 Portables (MacBook Pro / MacBook Air)

  1. Choose Apple menu > Shut Down and wait for the Mac to fully power off
  2. Press and hold the right Shift, left Option, and left Control keys for 7 seconds
  3. While continuing to hold those keys, also press and hold the power button for another 7 seconds
  4. Release all four keys
  5. Wait a few seconds, then press the power button to start the Mac

T2 Desktops (iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro)

  1. Shut down the Mac
  2. Unplug the power cord from the wall
  3. Wait 15 seconds
  4. Plug the power cord back in, wait 5 seconds, then press the power button

SMC Reset: Intel Portables (Pre-2018, Non-Removable Battery)

For MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models from roughly 2009 through 2017:

  1. Shut down the Mac
  2. Connect the MagSafe or USB-C power adapter
  3. Press and hold Shift+Control+Option on the left side of the keyboard along with the power button for 10 seconds
  4. Release all keys at the same time
  5. Press the power button to start the Mac

If your Mac is old enough to have a removable battery (pre-2009 portables), the procedure is: shut down, disconnect power, remove the battery, hold the power button for 5 seconds, reinstall the battery, reconnect power, and start normally.

SMC Reset: Intel Desktops (Pre-2018 iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro)

  1. Shut down the Mac
  2. Unplug the power cord from the back of the computer
  3. Wait 15 seconds
  4. Plug the power cord back in
  5. Wait 5 seconds, then press the power button

NVRAM Reset (Intel Macs Only)

The NVRAM reset procedure is the same for every Intel Mac, with or without a T2 chip:

  1. Shut down the Mac
  2. Press the power button, then immediately press and hold Option+Command+P+R
  3. Continue holding the four keys for about 20 seconds. On Macs that play a startup chime, you will hear it twice. On T2 Macs, release after the Apple logo appears and disappears for the second time
  4. Release the keys and let the Mac boot normally

After an NVRAM reset you may need to reopen System Settings to reconfigure sound volume, display resolution, time zone, and startup disk.

When You Should Not Bother

SMC and NVRAM resets are commonly recommended as a cure-all, but they only address a narrow set of firmware-level symptoms. They will not fix:

  • Applications crashing or freezing
  • Kernel panics caused by third-party kernel extensions
  • Slow internet, Wi-Fi dropouts, or Bluetooth pairing failures
  • macOS update errors
  • Disk corruption or failing storage

For those problems, start with Safe Mode, check Console for errors, verify the disk with Disk Utility First Aid, and look at Activity Monitor for runaway processes. Neither reset puts data at risk, but treating them as a first step usually wastes time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions

No. Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4 and later) do not have a user-resettable SMC, and NVRAM is tested and cleared automatically at every boot. If you are experiencing symptoms that would traditionally warrant a reset, a full shutdown followed by a 30-second wait and a normal power-on performs the same function. There is no key combination to press.

On Intel Macs, an SMC reset can resolve fans running at full speed with no load, sleep or wake failures, the power button being unresponsive, the battery indicator showing incorrect charge, MagSafe or USB-C power adapters not lighting up, keyboard backlight issues, and display brightness controls misbehaving. It does not fix software bugs, kernel panics, or application crashes.

NVRAM stores small settings like sound volume, display resolution, startup disk selection, time zone, and recent kernel panic information. Reset it if your Mac boots from the wrong disk, the clock is wildly wrong after a reboot, the display defaults to an odd resolution, or a question mark folder appears briefly at startup. NVRAM resets are harmless and take only a few seconds.

No. Neither reset touches your user data, applications, or macOS installation. SMC governs low-level power and thermal hardware, and NVRAM holds a tiny amount of system preference data that macOS will re-populate automatically. You do not need to back up before either reset, though regular backups are always recommended.

Any Intel Mac released in 2018 or later (except the 2018 Mac mini base model variants — check your specific model) ships with the Apple T2 security chip. You can verify by holding Option and clicking the Apple menu > System Information, then selecting Controller or iBridge in the sidebar. If a T2 chip is listed, follow the T2 SMC reset procedure rather than the older portable or desktop steps.

Start with a normal restart. If the issue persists, boot into Safe Mode (hold Shift at startup on Intel, or press and hold the power button on Apple Silicon to access startup options) to rule out third-party kernel extensions and login items. Check Activity Monitor for runaway processes causing heat or battery drain. SMC and NVRAM resets should be a later step, not a first response.

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