macOS Tahoe 26 Developer Preview 1 doesn’t support FireWire – is Apple phasing it out?
Following the release of macOS Tahoe 26 developer preview 1 after the launch of WWDC 2025, Reddit user /u/mowd8574 took to /r/MacOS to share that Apple seems to have removed support for the legacy FireWire I/O connection standard.
Several comments in the thread confirm that the change affects both FireWire 400 and FireWire 800-supported devices, including old hard drives, MiniDV capture devices, and even some of the very first iPod models. When plugged in, macOS Tahoe 26 doesn’t even recognize them.
Users have also shared that they went into the System Information app in macOS and FireWire is not present in the Hardware tree on the left side of the app as it is on macOS Sequoia 15 and earlier. This suggests that the removal of FireWire was intentional by Apple, and not just some fluke.
For those who don’t know, Apple’s first-generation iPod from 2001 used a FireWire port exclusively for both data transfer and for charging the internal battery. It wasn’t until the third-generation iPod that Apple replaced FireWire with the now deprecated analog 30-pin connector; it was later replaced by the digital Lightning port and finally overtaken by the ubiquitous USB-C standard that we use today.
While unfortunate, it wouldn’t be all that surprising, as FireWire is a particularly old standard – released way back in 1995. FireWire 400 (IEEE 1394a) featured 400mb/s data transfer speeds and FireWire 800 (IEEE 1394b) featured 800mb/s data transfer speeds. Comparatively, the more common USB standard reaches or exceeds these speeds, with USB 2.0 topping out at 480mb/s data transfer speeds and USB 3.0 topping out at 5gb/s.
Most people aren’t going to miss the FireWire standard on any modern Mac, but it’s worth noting that a small percentage of users do still use FireWire devices even today. Unless Apple adds the FireWire standard back in future iterations of macOS Tahoe 26, those users could be forced to upgrade their working legacy accessories.
Are you upset to see that Apple appears to have abandoned the FireWire standard in macOS Tahoe 26? Let us know in the comments section down below.
Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2025/06/20/macos-tahoe-26-developer-preview-1-lacks-legacy-firewire-support/
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