How to find your MacBook's diagnostic menu

If your MacBook is having major hardware problems, the Apple Diagnostics menu can help make sense of what's wrong.

A MacBook that keeps shutting down, develops display problems or suddenly stops recognizing its keyboard can leave you guessing whether the problem is hardware or software. Apple Diagnostics can narrow that down by testing hardware inside the Mac. Despite the "diagnostic menu" wording you may see online, it isn't something you'll find buried in System Settings. You access it while your Mac starts up.

Before you get there, you need to know which type of MacBook you have, since the startup process differs between them. Open the Apple menu and select About This Mac . If you see Chip followed by the name of an M-series processor, you have an Apple silicon Mac. An older model may instead show Processor followed by an Intel chip. Apple also maintains a list of Mac models with Apple silicon if you're still unsure.

The experience inside Apple Diagnostics depends on your version of macOS, too. Macs running macOS 26 Tahoe or later can offer individual diagnostics for hardware such as the built-in display, keyboard or trackpad. On earlier versions, the diagnostic test runs automatically.

Before running the test, Apple recommends installing available macOS updates if your MacBook is usable enough to do so. Once that's done, shut down the machine and disconnect external devices. Leave only necessary connections such as power and Ethernet, as well as an external keyboard, mouse or display if applicable. Put your MacBook on a hard, flat surface with good ventilation.

On a MacBook with Apple silicon , press and hold the power button (the Touch ID button also serves as the power button on MacBooks equipped with it). Keep holding until the startup options screen appears and you see Options , then release the button. Press and hold Command (⌘) and D until the Mac restarts into Apple Diagnostics.

On an Intel MacBook , turn the computer on and immediately press and hold D . Release the key when you see a progress bar or are asked to select a language. If that shortcut doesn't work, restart and try holding both Option (⌥) and D , which can start Apple Diagnostics over the internet.

Follow the prompts once Diagnostics opens. Your MacBook may ask to connect to Wi-Fi if it's not wired in. On macOS 26 Tahoe or later, you'll also see the available diagnostic choices and can select the test that matches the problem you're investigating. Earlier versions generally begin testing automatically.