Usbutil For Mac Now
usbutil power status usbutil power off 0x14130000 For everyday tasks—ejecting drives, viewing basic USB device lists, or checking transfer speeds— usbutil is overkill and potentially dangerous. Use diskutil list , system_profiler SPUSBDataType , or the Disk Utility app instead.
When most Mac users need to interact with USB devices, they turn to the graphical System Information app (formerly System Profiler) or the system_profiler SPUSBDataType command in Terminal. However, buried deep within macOS is a lesser-known, command-line utility designed specifically for lower-level USB debugging and device management: usbutil . usbutil for mac
First, identify the location ID (the hex value under Location ID in System Information). Then run: usbutil power status usbutil power off 0x14130000 For
sudo usbutil reset-port 0x14130000 Note: This requires sudo and must be used carefully; resetting the wrong port can disrupt keyboard/mouse input. On laptops, you can query or toggle power to individual USB ports (e.g., to conserve battery or force a hard reset). Example: However, buried deep within macOS is a lesser-known,
system_profiler SPUSBDataType | grep -E "Product ID:|Vendor ID:|Speed:" This is safer, more readable, and fully supported across all macOS versions. usbutil is a surgical tool for the USB stack on macOS—not a general-purpose utility. It shines in debugging scenarios: a drive that won't mount, a device that vanished after sleep, or a hub that needs port-level reset. For developers and advanced administrators, mastering usbutil opens a window into the low-level USB architecture that graphical tools cannot provide. For everyone else, admire it from a distance, and stick with system_profiler .
USB Device Tree (0x10000035a): +-+ Root Hub @ 0x14000000 (AppleUSB20InternalHub) +-- FaceTime HD Camera @ 0x14300000 (AppleUSBDevice) +-- Bluetooth USB Host Controller @ 0x14200000 (Broadcom) +-- External USB 3.0 Hub @ 0x14100000 (VIA Labs, Inc.) +-- SanDisk Ultra Fit @ 0x14130000 (SanDisk) Use the -v flag for verbose output, which reveals device IDs, vendor/product strings, and current power state. This command listens for USB connection and disconnection events in real-time. It is invaluable for debugging erratic devices or testing driver reload behavior.
