Reviving or restoring a Mac in DFU mode no longer requires the Apple Configurator app, as the feature is now built into macOS Sonoma’s Finder.
Before macOS Sonoma, reviving a Mac stuck in DFU mode required the standalone Apple Configurator app. In macOS Sonoma, however, you can use one Mac to revive or restore another Mac in DFU mode right from the Finder.
macOS Sonoma supports restoring Macs in DFU mode
To do that, connect a Mac in DFU mode to another Mac using the USB-C cable, then select the computer in the Finder on another Mac like you usually would.
The Finder will detect a Mac in DFU mode and present you with two buttons: Revive Mac and Restore Mac. Like the iPhone’s DFU mode, DFU mode in macOS is available on both Intel-based Macs and Apple silicon systems.
“If you are experiencing problems with this Mac, you can attempt to revive it while preserving your media and other data by clicking Revive Mac,” reads the feature’s description. “If you are unable to revive the Mac, you can restore its factory settings by clicking Restore Mac,” it continues.
About reviving and restoring a Mac in DFU mode
As long as both Macs run macOS Sonoma, you can restore or revive one Mac in DFU mode through another Mac’s Finder instead of the Apple Configurator app.
Support documents about reviving or restoring Macs with Apple Configurator:
- Revive or restore a Mac with Apple silicon using Apple Configurator
- Revive or restore an Intel-based Mac using Apple Configurator
You can download Apple Configurator for free:
View Apple Configurator on the App Store
This new feature was discovered by iOS developer @aaronp613 and shared on X. They didn’t provide additional information, so we don’t know whether the reviving and restoring processes are the same as in the Apple Configurator app.
New in macOS Sonoma: You can now use one Mac to revive or restore another Mac that's in DFU mode right from Finder.
Previously you needed to install Apple Configurator to do this but now it's built in!
Accidentally stumbled upon this while playing around with some stuff. pic.twitter.com/NaUdGuTFZl
— Aaron (@aaronp613) August 15, 2023
macOS Sonoma is currently in testing. The operating system will be released for public consumption sometime this fall, most likely in October. Apple has trimmed the device compatibility list for macOS Sonoma, so your Mac should be from 2018 or later to run the latest and greatest Mac operating system.