How To Fix Command R Not Working on Mac: 6 Effective Solutions

Most modern OSes actually have built-in recovery modes that help fix stuff when things go sideways, especially if your startup drive gets wonky or you can’t boot normally. Mac folks, for example, often hit Command + R during startup to get into this recovery environment. But, not gonna lie, sometimes this combo just doesn’t do anything — maybe timing’s off, keyboard has a hiccup, or hardware quirks get in the way. And because of course, Macs like to make it harder than necessary, figuring out what’s wrong can be frustrating.

So, this guide is about what to do when Command + R refuses to cooperate. Whether it’s a keyboard glitch, corrupted NVRAM, or that recovery partition got damaged, there are multiple ways to approach this. When successful, you should be able to access Disk Utility, restore from backups, or even run system diagnostics. It’s not always a perfect fix on the first try, but with some troubleshooting, you’ll probably get in or at least identify what’s broken.

How to Fix Command R Not Working?

Try Again but In a Correct Way

This sounds obvious, but sometimes timing is everything. Make sure you’re holding Command + R immediately after hearing the startup chime or seeing the Apple logo (if you’re on a newer Mac).Not doing this quick enough or having another key pressed accidentally (like Shift or Option) can throw things off.

• Shut down your Mac completely.
• Press the Power button to turn it on.
• Right after it powers up, hold down Command + R. Keep holding until you see the spinning globe or Apple logo. Be patient – it might take a few seconds longer than expected.

On some setups, this fails the first time, then works after a reboot or a second try. It’s kinda weird, but worth a shot.

Check if the Keyboard is Working Properly

This one trips a lot of people. If your keyboard isn’t responding correctly or if wireless keyboards drop out, the key combo won’t register. If you got an external wireless keyboard, try switching to a wired one for the startup process to rule out connection issues.

• On an iMac, make sure the keyboard is plugged in firmly.
• If wireless, go to System Preferences > Bluetooth before rebooting and re-pair the keyboard.
• Then, proceed to hold Command + R during startup again.

Sometimes, the wireless connection just doesn’t initialize fast enough during boot, so wired is more reliable here.

Run First Aid on Your Disk

If the recovery partition is corrupted or your disk has bad sectors, you might not get into recovery mode at all. Running First Aid via Disk Utility can help diagnose and fix disk errors, which might be the reason recovery mode isn’t accessible. Because of course, if your disk is really borked, the system can’t boot into recovery normally.

• Boot into macOS (if possible).
• Open Disk Utility from Applications > Utilities.
• Select your startup disk (usually named “Macintosh HD”) from the sidebar.
• Click on First Aid and then Run.

This process checks for errors and attempts to repair them. If Disk Utility reports major errors, it might be time to consider a full reinstall or hardware check.

Reset the NVRAM

NVRAM stores a bunch of startup info — volume settings, display resolution, startup disk selection, etc. If it gets corrupted, the recovery key combo might fail or lead you to the wrong places. For Intel Macs, resetting NVRAM can clear out those corrupted flags.

On T2 Macs, just shut down, then turn on your Mac and immediately hold Command + Option + P + R until you hear the startup chime twice. For M1 Macs, NVRAM resets automatically each time you restart, but manually resetting isn’t applicable in the same way.

Use Alternative Key Combinations

Sometimes, Command + R isn’t enough, or your Mac’s hardware requires different prompts. Here’s what to try depending on the model:

On T2 Macs

• Shut down, then press the power button.
• Hold Command + Option + R until the spinning globe or Apple logo appears. This triggers Internet Recovery, which loads the recovery environment from Apple’s servers instead of your drive.

On M1 Macs

• Turn off your Mac.
• Hold the Power button until startup options show up.
• Select Options and click Continue to enter recovery mode.

Access an Alternative Recovery Mode (Internet or Fallback)

If your recovery partition is totally busted, you can try the Internet Recovery option. It downloads recovery tools directly from Apple’s servers, which might help if local recovery is corrupted.

On T2 Macs

• Shut down completely.
• Hold Power + Command + Option + Shift + R simultaneously until a spinning globe appears.
• This loads the Internet Recovery environment. Just connect to Wi-Fi if asked.

On M1 Macs

• Power off your Mac.
• Hold down the Power button until you see the startup options screen.
• Click on Options to get into the fallback recovery mode, which is basically a second copy of recovery stored on your drive.

Malfunctioning recovery partition? No worries — these alternate recovery modes are designed for that. They’re slower, sure, but better than nothing.

Hopefully, one of these approaches gets you back into recovery mode. It can be a bit frustrating, especially when hardware or software gets in the way, but persistence often pays off.