Your Mac has a hidden diagnostics menu

Apple has a hidden diagnostics menu that can come in handy if there’s a problem with your computer or if you’re considering buying a Mac that once belonged to someone else. While some of the most common MacBook problems can be fixed fairly easily, there are a few others, especially hardware-related, that require closer examination, and you can be the first to review them. Apple’s diagnostic tool can determine which component of your computer might be at fault, and you can check it on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.

While BGR doesn’t recommend anyone buy Intel-based Macs because Apple is finally dropping their software support with macOS Golden Gate, if you’re about to buy a new computer but don’t want to pay the recent extra price for M5 Macs due to the memory crunch, making sure the Mac you want to buy is in good condition is a smart choice. Additionally, if you’re selling your Mac to someone, showing that everything is fine can be another important selling point to give you and the person buying your computer peace of mind.

Before running Apple’s diagnostic tool, the company recommends users make sure they have the latest macOS update. Even if your computer has been out of updates for a while, it’s still a good idea to check if you’re running the most stable version of macOS for your computer. Once done, turn off your Mac and disconnect all possible external devices from it except the keyboard, mouse, display, Ethernet connection and its power cord.

If you have an Apple Silicon Mac, hold down the power button, and continue to hold it even after your computer is turned on and you see the various startup options. When you see Options, you can release the Power button. Finally, press and hold Command + D on your keyboard for the Mac to restart. On an Intel Mac, on the other hand, you must immediately press and hold the D key on the keyboard when the Mac starts up. If the key does not work, you need to press and hold Option + D during startup. When a progress bar appears or you are asked to choose a language, you can release the key(s).

Follow the on-screen instructions, make sure you’re connected to the Internet and running macOS 26 Tahoe or later. You can then choose the type of diagnostic you want to run, such as on screen, keyboard, trackpad, etc.

After running the diagnostic, Apple will display a reference code. The one you are looking for is ADP000, which means no issues found. The company has a support page with around 100 possible issues, ranging from ambient light sensor to onboard memory or antenna connector board. Depending on the case, Apple will give you the option to troubleshoot it yourself, such as if it doesn’t detect that the MacBook isn’t charging but you also haven’t put it on charge, or something more serious that requires you to contact Apple or take the computer to a repair shop.

Customers can also turn to independent repairers or ask Apple to send genuine parts, tools and more, since the company has its own self-service repair page. That said, no matter what you need to do to make sure the Mac is working properly, the first thing you need to do is run Apple Diagnostics, and from there figure out if everything is okay or if you need to talk to an Apple representative, try to repair it yourself, or take it to a repair shop.