Phonecheck T2 Unlocking Utility
Introduction
This process is designed to unlock T2-secured Mac devices that are locked and unable to boot from external media. Follow the steps below to successfully unlock your T2-locked device and perform diagnostics using PhoneCheck MacDiagnostics.
🔐 Macs with the Apple T2 Security Chip
💻 MacBook Pro
Year | Model | Model Identifier(s) | Model Number(s) |
2018 | 13” and 15” Pro | MacBookPro15,2 / 15,1 | A1989, A1990 |
2019 | 13” and 15” Pro | MacBookPro15,2 / 15,1 | A1989, A1990 |
2019 | 16” Pro | MacBookPro16,1 | A2141 |
2020 | 13” Pro | MacBookPro16,2 / 16,3 | A2289, A2251 |
✅ All MacBook Pros from 2018–2020 with Intel CPUs (excluding some 2020 base models) have the T2 chip.
💻 MacBook Air
Year | Model | Model Identifier | Model Number |
2018 | Retina Air | MacBookAir8,1 | A1932 |
2019 | Retina Air | MacBookAir8,2 | A1932 |
2020 | Intel Retina Air | MacBookAir9,1 | A2179 |
✅ All Retina MacBook Airs from 2018–2020 with Intel CPUs include the T2 chip.
🖥️ iMac & iMac Pro
Year | Model | Model Identifier | Model Number |
2017 | iMac Pro | iMacPro1,1 | A1862 |
2020 | iMac (Intel, Retina 5K) | iMac20,1 / 20,2 | A2115 |
⚠️ Standard 2017 and 2019 iMacs do not have the T2 chip.
🖥️ Mac Mini
Year | Model | Model Identifier | Model Number |
2018 | Mac Mini (Intel) | Macmini8,1 | A1993 |
🖥️ Mac Pro
Year | Model | Model Identifier | Model Number |
2019 | Mac Pro (Intel Tower) | MacPro7,1 | A1991 |
❌ Macs Without T2 Chip
Any pre-2018 Macs (except the 2017 iMac Pro)
M1 and M2 Macs (use integrated Secure Enclave in Apple Silicon)
Pre-requisites
Before you begin, ensure that:
The Mac device is T2-locked, without an operating system present.
An external disk with an OS cloned from PhoneCheck USB Cloner is connected to the Mac for the utility to run.
You have access to the Mac's Terminal and Disk Utility.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1️⃣ Connect the USB Drive
Plug the USB drive into the Intel MacBook
(Make sure that the USB Drive was cloned using an Intel Mac)
2️⃣ Boot Into Recovery Mode
Restart the Mac and hold
Command (⌘)+Runtil the Apple logo appears.
3️⃣ Erase the Internal Drive
Select Disk Utility from the recovery menu.
In the top-left corner, click View → Show All Devices.
Select the topmost internal drive (usually labeled as Apple SSD).
Click Erase.
IMPORTANT - Name the internal drive anything other than "mac" (e.g., "internal", "main", etc.).
Choose APFS and GUID Partition Map, then confirm to erase.
Once erased, close Disk Utility.
4️⃣ Run the Unlock Script
From the Recovery Menu, choose Utilities → Terminal.
Enter the following command exactly:
/Volumes/mac/Users/phonecheck/phonecheckT2Unlocker
🔎 Note: If your external drive is not named "mac", adjust the path accordingly.
Press Enter to run the script.
5️⃣ Wait for Completion
A progress % will appear (typically takes 6–8 minutes).
Once finished, you’ll be prompted to restart.
6️⃣ Restart and Remove USB
When prompted, press Y to confirm restart.
IMPORTANT: As soon as the Mac starts restarting, remove the USB drive to avoid boot loops or black screens.
7️⃣ Initial macOS Setup to the Home Screen
After reboot, you may be prompted to connect to Wi-Fi.
When asked for a password, enter: 1234.
Once logged in, do not run diagnostics (See Image) if the MacDiagnostic program launches.
Wait until the Mac Diagnostic application has fully loaded, then shut down the computer.
8️⃣ Adjust Startup Security
Restart into Recovery Mode again (
Command + R), without the USB drive connected.From the menu bar, go to Utilities → Startup Security Utility.
When prompted for login:
Select Admin account
Password: 1234
Change the settings to:
✅ No Security
✅ Allow booting from external or removable media
9️⃣ Boot from USB Drive
Plug the USB drive back in.
Click the Apple logo → Restart.
Hold Option (⌥) key during restart.
Select the external USB drive (orange icon).
Proceed with booting into the USB environment.
⚠️ Important Reminders
Always remove the USB drive immediately after the first restart to avoid errors.
Please don't run diagnostics until the full unlock process is complete.
If any step fails, repeat from Step 2 and double-check drive names and script paths.
Troubleshooting If you encounter any issues during the unlocking process, please check the following:
|