Mac book pro M1 chip cannot use key combination to enter recovery mode
.Use the Power Button to Enter Recovery Mode
If your Mac has an ARM-based Apple M1 processor, you can no longer use the usual Command + R key combination to enter Recovery Mode.
All you need to do to enter Recovery Mode on the ARM-based M1 MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac Mini is shut down your computer and follow the steps below.
1. Press and hold the power button and continue to hold it while your Mac starts up with the Apple logo.
2. Release the power button when you see the "Loading boot options" message on your computer screen.
3. Wait for all the startup icons to appear on the screen, then click on Options to access the recovery mode options.
M1 Mac Recovery Mode Screen
On the next screen, you'll see options to reinstall macOS, Restore from Time Machine, Disk Utility, and other options to fix issues on your device.
- Using the Option(Alt) + Command + R keys
If your Intel-based Mac doesn't enter recovery mode when you press the usual Command + R key combination, it probably has the Apple T2 chip.
Click the Apple logo > About This Mac > System Information. On the next screen, click Controllers in the left pane. In the right pane, you'll be able to see if your Mac is equipped with an Apple T2 chip.
Apple T2 chip on Mac
If your Mac has a T2 chip, you should be able to enter Recovery Mode with Option (Alt) + Command + R keys.
3. Check the keyboard
Sometimes, the problem is due to a malfunctioning keyboard (keystrokes are mistyped or not working) or the keyboard temporarily lost its Bluetooth connection to the Mac.
To confirm, open a text file and use the Option (Alt), Command, and R keys to make sure they work.
- Check your macOS version
If you have an old Mac running Mac OSX Snow Leopard, it will not have a recovery partition, and the only way to reinstall the operating system on an old Mac is to use the disc that came with the Mac.
Also, if your Mac is running macOS Sierra, it may not have all the recovery options available on the latest version of macOS.
You can check the version of macOS running on your device by clicking on the Apple logo and selecting the About This Mac option in the drop-down menu.
About this machine
On the next screen, you will be able to view the version of macOS installed on your device.