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

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
icloud private relay outage

iCloud Private Relay Experiencing Outage

Thursday July 25, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...

Top Rated Comments

KaliYoni Avatar
36 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
36 months ago
How are they going to get the update if they can’t boot their Mac?
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
36 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
36 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
36 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
36 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)