How to boot from USB on Apple Mac (Intel)

Updated 26 October 2026

Intel-based Macs show a start-up disk picker if you hold Option as the Mac starts. Newer Apple silicon Macs cannot start a standard Linux USB drive.

Quick answer

• Boot menu key: Hold Option (Alt)
• Setup (BIOS/UEFI) key: Not applicable

Steps

1. Shut the computer down completely. On Windows, hold Shift while choosing Shut down so Fast Startup does not skip the menu.
2. Plug in your bootable USB drive.
3. Power on and press the boot menu key (Hold Option (Alt)) as soon as the logo appears.
4. Choose the USB drive. Pick the entry with UEFI in its name on a modern computer.
5. If it does not start, check Secure Boot and UEFI vs Legacy settings.

Need a drive to boot? Browse our Linux USB drives or shop by system. Full guide: how to boot from USB.

Other brands

• Dell
• HP
• Lenovo
• ASUS
• Acer
• MSI
• Gigabyte and Aorus
• Samsung
• Microsoft Surface
• Toshiba and Dynabook