# Stop or terminate your Amazon EC2 Mac instance
Stop or terminate Mac instance

When you stop a Mac instance, the instance remains in the `stopping` state for about 15 minutes before it enters the `stopped` state.

When you stop or terminate a Mac instance, Amazon EC2 performs a scrubbing workflow on the underlying Dedicated Host to erase the internal SSD, to clear the persistent NVRAM variables, and to update to the latest device firmware. This ensures that Mac instances provide the same security and data privacy as other EC2 Nitro instances. It also allows you to run the latest macOS AMIs. During the scrubbing workflow, the Dedicated Host temporarily enters the pending state. On x86 Mac instances, the scrubbing workflow might take up to 50 minutes to complete. If Amazon EC2 needs to update the device firmware, the workflow might take up to 3 hours to complete. On Apple silicon Mac instances, the scrubbing workflow might take up to 4.5 hours to complete.

You can't start the stopped Mac instance or launch a new Mac instance until after the scrubbing workflow completes, at which point the Dedicated Host enters the `available` state.

Metering and billing is paused when the Dedicated Host enters the `pending` state. You are not charged for the duration of the scrubbing workflow.

## Release the Dedicated Host for your Mac instance


When you are finished with your Mac instance, you can release the Dedicated Host. Before you can release the Dedicated Host, you must stop or terminate the Mac instance. You cannot release the host until the allocation period exceeds the 24-hour minimum.

**To release the Dedicated Host**

1. Open the Amazon EC2 console at [https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/).

1. In the navigation pane, choose **Instances**.

1. Select the instance and choose **Instance state**, then choose either **Stop instance** or **Terminate instance**.

1. In the navigation pane, choose **Dedicated Hosts**.

1. Select the Dedicated Host and choose **Actions**, **Release host**.

1. When prompted for confirmation, choose **Release**.