How to Reset SMC on MacBook Air & MacBook Pro (2018 or later) with T2 Security Chip

Resetting the System Management Controller on modern Mac laptops with the T2 security chip is  now a two-step process.

Sometimes simply completing the first step alone will resolve the issue, but proceeding with both part 1 and part 2 of the SMC reset process for the troubleshooting process is generally a valid approach on these laptops.

Resetting SMC on MacBook Air / Pro (2018 and later) – Part 1

1. Go to the  Apple menu and choose “Shut Down” to turn off the Mac
2. After the Mac is turned off, press and hold the Power button for 10 seconds
3. Release holding the power button, then wait a few more seconds.  If the computer has powered, skip step 4.
4. Now press the Power button again to turn the Mac on

Check to see if the problem is still occurring on the Mac, sometimes the steps above alone will resolve the issue. If the issue persists, proceed to the next set of steps.

Resetting SMC on MacBook Pro / Air (2018 and later) – Part 2

1. Go to the  Apple menu and choose “Shut Down” to turn off the Mac
2. After the Mac is turned off, press and hold the right SHIFT key, and the left OPTION key, and the left CONTROL key, for 7 seconds
3. Keep holding all three keys for 7 seconds, then press and hold the power button as well. If your Mac is on, it will turn off as you hold the keys.
4. Keep holding all four keys for another 7 seconds, then release them.
5. Wait a few seconds, then press the power button to turn on your Mac.

Whatever the issue with the System Management Controller was should now be resolved, assuming the problem was with the SMC in the first place anyway.

If after resetting the SMC the MacBook Pro or MacBook Air continues to experience problems, then perhaps the SMC reset failed in which you can simply try the process again, or the problem may not be related to the SMC, or the issue may not be resolvable by a simple SMC reset.

Remember that SMC related issues are almost always related to hardware issues, like blasting runaway fans, or backlit keyboards not working, or USB-C ports not properly charging the Mac, things of that nature, and SMC related difficulties pretty much never pertain to software or system software. 

After completing the SMC Reset, we recommend also resetting the NVRAM.

This article was originally published here.