Apple Fixes Bug That Bricked Some Intel Macs After macOS Monterey Install

Apple has fixed an issue that could cause some Intel Macs with a T2 chip to fail to boot up after macOS Monterey was installed, Apple said in a statement. There was a problem with the firmware on the Apple T2 security chip that prevented some users from being able start their Macs after updating to the macOS Monterey software.

macOS Monterey on MBP Feature
Apple says that a BridgeOS firmware update is now included with the existing macOS updates to prevent further failures, and users already impacted by the issue should contact Apple Support for assistance with their machines.


Following the launch of macOS Monterey, there were multiple reports from users who found their Macs bricked after updating. Affected users were unable to turn their Macs on, an issue that affected models with a T2 security chip that powers things like Touch ID. Macs with M-series chips were not affected as they do not have a separate T2 chip. Macs with a T2 chip were manufactured between 2017 and 2020, with a list available below.

  • iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020)
  • ‌iMac‌ Pro
  • Mac Pro (2019)
  • ‌Mac Pro‌ (Rack, 2019)
  • Mac mini (2018)
  • MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020)
  • ‌MacBook Air‌ (Retina, 13-inch, 2019)
  • ‌MacBook Air‌ (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
  • MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
  • ‌MacBook Pro‌ (13-inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
  • ‌MacBook Pro‌ (16-inch, 2019)
  • ‌MacBook Pro‌ (13-inch, 2019, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
  • ‌MacBook Pro‌ (15-inch, 2019)
  • ‌MacBook Pro‌ (13-inch, 2019, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
  • ‌MacBook Pro‌ (15-inch, 2018)
  • ‌MacBook Pro‌ (13-inch, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)

Intel Mac users will no longer run into this issue now that new firmware has been released to address the problem, but those who already have a dead Mac will need help from Apple to get their devices up and running again.

Related Forum: macOS Monterey

Popular Stories

iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.5 With New Wallpaper, Screen Time Changes, Carrier Satellite Support for iPhone 13 and More

Monday May 12, 2025 10:06 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5, the fifth updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 come a little over a month after Apple released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. The iOS 18.5 update has a...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

WSJ: Apple Weighing Price Hikes for iPhone 17 Lineup Without Blaming Tariffs

Monday May 12, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
Apple is considering raising prices for its upcoming iPhone 17 models set to release this fall, according to people familiar with the matter cited by The Wall Street Journal. The company reportedly aims to pair the potential price hikes with new features and design changes to justify the increased cost to consumers, rather than attributing them to U.S. tariffs on goods from China. The...
tvOS 18 Feature

Apple Releases tvOS 18.5

Monday May 12, 2025 10:01 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 18.5, the latest version of the tvOS operating system. tvOS 18.5 comes a little over a month after the launch of tvOS 18.4, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models. tvOS 18.5 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software. ‌Apple TV‌ owners who have...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.5

Monday May 12, 2025 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.5, the fifth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched last September. macOS Sequoia 15.5 comes a little over a month after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.4. Mac users can download the ‌‌‌macOS Sequoia 15.5‌‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Expected This Week With These New Features

Monday May 12, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple is expected to release iOS 18.5 to the general public this week. While the software update is relatively minor, it still includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones. Below, we recap everything new in iOS 18.5. Pride Wallpaper Apple recently announced its 2025 Pride Collection, including a new Apple Watch band, watch face,...
Apple Logo Spotlight Blue

Report: Apple Preparing to Launch Mind-Control Support for iPhones

Tuesday May 13, 2025 6:18 am PDT by
Apple is planning to allow users to natively control iPhones, iPads, and other devices using brain signals later this year, The Wall Street Journal reports. The initiative involves a partnership with Synchron, a neurotechnology startup that produces an implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) device called the Stentrode. The Stentrode enables users with severe motor impairments, such as...

Top Rated Comments

KaliYoni Avatar
46 months ago
This is a bug that never should have made it past QA testing. I think the frequent problems with macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS releases and updates are symptoms of how Apple's culture (secrecy, compartmentalization, non-collaborative across company enforced silos) hurts us, Apple USERS. An OS is a lot different from a social media app; the Keep Shipping mentality can do a lot of damage to somebody who completely loses the ability to use their machines.
Score: 53 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mikeb13 Avatar
46 months ago
How are they going to get the update if they can’t boot their Mac?
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
46 months ago
This is why I don't update my Apple devices on day one anymore.

Apple's quality has become atrocious.

How the heck do they not catch that Intel based computers fail to boot after installing this update?

There was a 6 month long public beta for Monterey - how was this not caught during that?

And then when it's discovered, the OS was released 11 days ago. Apple was just too busy making other broken software to bother fixing the fact that a lot of Macs couldn't boot for nearly two weeks?
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrMacintoshBlog Avatar
46 months ago

They can't, or at least Apple hasn't released instructions on how it can be done. Fix will prevent more Macs from having this problem, but those who already have a bricked Mac will need to get it fixed by Apple.
I've released instructions for anyone who is having this issue. ?

You are affected by this issue if your T2 Intel Mac (2018-2020) is booting up to a black screen after installing the Monterey 12.0.1, Big Sur 11.6.1 or Catalina 2021-007 Security Update.

You will need a 2nd Mac for the fix and will be restoring the BridgeOS firmware. Once connected, you will perform a REVIVE. This will fix the issue + retain all OS and User data.

The Apple Store can do this for you but BE SURE to say you need a REVIVE and not a restore. If they click the restore option all your data will be ERASED.

https://mrmacintosh.com/how-to-restore-bridgeos-on-a-t2-mac-how-to-put-a-mac-into-dfu-mode/
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
antiprotest Avatar
46 months ago

is this really a "bug"?

or is it Apple's polite way of reminding people to upgrade to a Mac with M1 chip?
(a.k.a. time to contribute more money to the "Tim Cook & Apple Executives New 225-foot Yachts Fund")
They have been incompetent enough in recent years for me to believe that this was indeed an unintentional bug.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
w5jck Avatar
46 months ago

I actually appreciate Apple is being more transparent to push obsolescence on the intel macs.

Your pc wouldn’t have been bricked if it were an iMac M1 chip :)
Not everyone can go out and plop down thousands of dollars to replace their Intel Macs. It takes time to replace those Macs. I can't write out the rest of my response to you as it would certainly get deleted by the mods...
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)