What to do when your Mac keeps restarting?

A Mac that restarts unexpectedly is frustrating. There are a few reasons why your Mac might repeatedly restart. In this article, we’ll go over ways to identify why your Mac keeps restarting — and, even better, how to fix it.

Why does my Mac keep restarting?

The most common cause of a Mac continually restarting is called “kernel panic.” This occurs when your Mac’s kernel, or operating system, detects an issue that can be fixed by restarting your computer. You’ll know that this has occurred when your Mac shows you a message that “Your computer restarted because of a problem.”

Kernel panic may result from faulty or problematic software, peripheral devices, or hardware settings. Your Mac may also restart because of issues with its operating system. Here’s how to fix the possible causes of your Mac restarting:

macOS problems

Missed macOS updates and update issues can confuse your Mac, leading it to repeatedly restart (among other issues). Luckily, this is easy to fix — simply install all available updates your Mac is compatible with. 

To check for macOS updates, go to System Settings > General > Software Update. If an update is available, click Update Now.

 

If updating your software or performing minor resets doesn’t stop your Mac from restarting, you may need to reinstall macOS entirely. This is pretty much guaranteed to resolve any issue that may be causing kernel panic. Unfortunately, your data may not survive reinstallation, so make sure you back up all important information before doing this.

Software issues

In some cases, the root of your Mac’s kernel panic may be apps that you’ve downloaded. When your Mac restarts and the message stating that “Your computer restarted because of a problem” pops up, you may see a “More info…” button. Clicking it may help you identify the particular software causing your problem, so you know where to start resolving the issue.

After you’ve identified the software responsible, check whether it needs to be updated. In some cases, an update is all you’ll need to solve the problem. If that doesn’t help, you may want to remove recently downloaded third-party software entirely. You’ll need to restart your Mac after doing so. If this fixes your issue, you’ll want to keep this app off your Mac entirely (or at least until it is updated).

Incompatible peripheral devices 

Kernel panic is commonly caused by accessories or peripheral devices that are incompatible with your Mac. You’ll know that this is the case if your computer restarts immediately or a few minutes after connecting the device (or turning your Mac on with the device connected).

This is an easy issue to resolve. Start by removing all external devices, such as keyboards, drives, and mouse, and restarting your Mac. Connect one device at a time until your Mac crashes and reboots. When this happens, you know that this device is at fault. 

The best way to avoid this issue entirely is to use only Apple-made or Mac-compatible peripheral devices.

Fix it by running maintenance tasks

Certain maintenance tasks help your macOS optimize itself. Running them fixes small errors like the one we're discussing. You can force-run maintenance routines using the free version of CleanMyMac. This is a Mac troubleshooting app by MacPaw. Apple has notarized it as safe to use.

1. Start your free CleanMyMac trial.
2. Install the app and choose Performance in the sidebar.
3. Hit Scan and then run recommended maintenance tasks.

Additionally, click View All Tasks to check out more tools. They are rather impressive.

CleanMyMac will help you optimize your Mac’s performance and may even fix the issue that is causing your Mac to restart repeatedly. It can also remove malware, detect high RAM and CPU consumers, and let you quit them — these may also help fix the kernel panic. 

• Comes with an unlimited 7-day free trial — you can test all 25+ tools at no cost
• Not only does it protect and maintain your Mac, but it also lets you remove safe-to-delete junk files: on average, users get rid of 10.5 GB of such files after the first scan
• A universal privacy protector: on average, users find and remove 1 malware and 20 privacy-related items (e.g., browser data or recent items lists)
• Cleans and maintains over 51K Macs daily

Get started with a free CleanMyMac trial — see it in action on your MacBook. 

A few extra way to fix random Mac restarts

Apple developed several built-in modes to help fix a variety of glitches, and you can use them to deal with the kernel panic. These are safe mode, recovery mode, and Apple Diagnostics. 

📌 Safe mode loads only vital system extensions and processes. If your Mac does not restart randomly in safe mode, disable apps in System Settings > Login Items & Extensions one by one and then restart normally and enable them one by one until you find the culprit. Learn how to boot into safe mode here. 

📌 Recovery mode allows to run First Aid for the startup disk and fix any issues with it. You'll need to use Disk Utility. Learn how to boot into recovery mode here. 

📌 Apple Diagnostics (aka Apple Hardware Test) lets rule out hardware failure. Learn more here. 

If none of the above worked, contact Apple support for additional tips or help in booking an appointment at a Genius Bar or an Apple-certified repair center.