How to Recover Data from an Apple Silicon Mac Using Share Disk

Yvette Bonnet updated Jul 09, 26

5 min(s)

TL;DR:

Recover data from an unbootable Apple silicon Mac by booting into macOS Recovery, enabling the Share Disk utility, and connecting it to a working Mac via a compatible USB-C or Thunderbolt cable to extract accessible files.
    ● Accessing the shared internal storage requires the correct account password to unlock the volume if FileVault encryption is enabled on the device.
    ● This macOS Recovery utility is specifically for Apple silicon Macs and replaces the classic Target Disk Mode used on older Intel hardware.
    ● Avoid reinstalling macOS if files are deleted or corrupted to prevent overwriting storage blocks, and instead scan the mounted volume or a safe clone using Recoverit Mac File Recovery.

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Data may be recoverable from an Apple silicon Mac by starting macOS Recovery, using Share Disk, connecting the Mac to another working Mac, and copying accessible files from the internal storage. Share Disk is most useful when macOS does not boot normally but the internal volume can still be shared, mounted, and unlocked. Deleted, corrupted, or inaccessible files may require a separate recovery workflow after the volume or a safe clone becomes available.

Step 1
Shut down the Apple silicon Mac fully. Press and hold the power button until startup options appear, then open macOS Recovery.
Step 2
Open the Share Disk option from Recovery utilities. Select the internal disk or volume that contains the needed files, then start sharing the disk.
Step 3
Connect the Apple silicon Mac to a working Mac with a compatible USB-C or Thunderbolt cable. On the working Mac, check Finder for the shared disk or network volume.
Step 4
Mount and unlock the shared disk if prompted. If FileVault is enabled, use the correct account password before attempting to access folders.
Step 5
Copy important files to another storage device first. If files are missing, deleted, corrupted, or inaccessible, avoid reinstalling macOS or writing new data before recovery options are checked.

Common Issues and Fixes

Shared disk does not appear in Finder: likely cause is cable, port, or sharing setup incompatibility; fix by using a known-good USB-C or Thunderbolt data cable and checking the Share Disk steps again.
Volume appears but cannot be opened: likely cause is FileVault encryption, account permissions, or a locked APFS volume; fix by unlocking the disk with the correct account password.
Internal disk shows as unmounted: likely cause is file system damage or APFS volume corruption; fix by avoiding erase or reinstall actions before accessible data is copied or cloned.
Transfer is very slow or disconnects repeatedly: likely cause is an unstable cable, low battery, port issue, or hardware fault; fix by keeping both Macs powered and testing another compatible cable.
No files are visible after mounting: likely cause is severe corruption, deleted data, encryption, or APFS damage; fix by stopping write activity and checking whether a clone, backup, or Mac recovery workflow is possible.

Quick Tips

Share Disk is different from classic Target Disk Mode on Intel Macs. Apple silicon Macs use macOS Recovery to share internal storage.
Copy accessible files before reinstalling macOS. Reinstallation or continued use can reduce recovery chances if storage blocks are overwritten.
Encrypted volumes usually require the correct password. Without authentication, recovered or copied data may remain unreadable.
If the Mac has liquid damage, unusual heat, no power, or repeated shutdowns, software recovery may not help and hardware diagnosis may be safer.

💡Protip:

Before using Share Disk for recovery, record the Mac model, chip type, macOS version, FileVault status, and whether the shared volume mounts normally. These details help decide whether file copying, cloning, software recovery, or professional diagnosis is the safer next step.