macOS Kernel Panic (1999 - present)

Over the years, an iconic part of Apple’s macOS system since its introduction in 2001 is the Kernel Panic, which means a total system failure requiring a computer reboot. In this blog you will see how the kernel panic prompt has evolved over the years.

Mac OS X Server 1.0: the panic prompt will appear on top of the system UI.

Mac OS X 10.0 Public Beta: The font is similar to that of linux-based operating systems

Mac OS X 10.0 - 10.1

Mac OS X 10.2: A curtain animation covers the whole screen from top to bottom, and then this panic dialog will appear, telling you to restart your computer in multiple languages. Note at the time, PowerPC Macs from 1998-2001 had immediate Restart buttons which allows for immediate reset.

Mac OS X 10.3 - 10.5: Same curtain animation as 10.2, however the panic dialog is now black. If the panic occurs very early on during startup, the verbose panic output will also appear.

Mac OS X 10.6 - 10.7

OS X 10.8 - 10.10: The panic dialog appears at startup after the OS automatically reboots itself.

macOS 10.11 - present (Intel Macs)

OS X 10.8 - 10.15 (if startup is in verbose mode)

macOS on Apple Silicon Macs: There’s no kernel panic prompt, the display will simply turn purple and immediately reboot.