macOS Tahoe Beta Discontinues Support for Outdated FireWire Standards

Testers have reported on social media that the initial beta version of macOS Tahoe does not support the outdated FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 data transfer standards, according to MacRumors.

Unlike macOS Sequoia and previous iterations, the first beta version of macOS Tahoe lacks a FireWire section in the System Preferences app. This means that Macs running the beta version of macOS Tahoe cannot connect to early iPod models or older external drives that utilize FireWire.

However, this situation could potentially change, as the beta testing phase for macOS Tahoe is still ongoing, and support for FireWire might be reinstated.

FireWire was originally developed by Apple but was later standardized as IEEE 1394 and licensed for use in devices from other manufacturers.

In 2003, Apple began transitioning the iPod from FireWire to USB, marking a significant decline in the relevance of this standard, according to MacRumors. The last Mac featuring a FireWire port was released in 2012, so connecting older iPods and FireWire drives to new Macs has long required adapters.

Previously, Apple’s director of developer relations, Matthew Firlik, announced that Intel-based Mac computers would no longer receive major software updates following the release of macOS Tahoe this fall.