How long does it take for macos internet recovery?

Trying to reinstall macOS on my old MacBook Air 2013 but it is still in progress after waiting 8 hours. Not sure how much time I should wait more!

Earlier Mac models

Posted on May 13, 2025 11:37 PM

Reply
3 replies

May 14, 2025 09:02 AM in response to Franob

As noted, subject to your internet provider's speed. it should be between 30 and 60 minutes to do the download. Then another 30 to 45 minutes to install with several automatic restarts. You have a problem and need to reinstall. I strongly recommend only using a wired Ethernet connection, not Wi-Fi as it is slower and often gets errors due to the large size of the download.

May 14, 2025 02:12 PM in response to Ronasara

Ronasara wrote:

I strongly recommend only using a wired Ethernet connection, not Wi-Fi as it is slower and often gets errors due to the large size of the download.

FYI, if a user needs to use wired Ethernet, then they should make sure to use a Thunderbolt2 to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter instead of a USB to Ethernet Adapter. The USB-A adapter will be extremely slow and should be avoided.


This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

How long does it take for macos internet recovery?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.