Try the force restart first.

Yes, a forced restart usually fixes this.

On most MacBook Air models, press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds until the screen goes black, then release, wait a couple seconds, and press it again to turn it back on. That’s it. The update probably just got stuck in a weird state.

If that doesn’t work, try resetting the SMC (System Management Controller) if you have an Intel-based Mac. For Apple Silicon (M1, M2, etc.), there’s no SMC reset — the force restart covers it. You can also try resetting the NVRAM by holding Option + Command + P + R immediately after pressing the power button and holding for about 20 seconds.

One more thing: plug the charger in. Sometimes a drained battery masquerades as a black screen after an update.

Don’t panic — this is common and almost always fixable in under a minute.