USB Devices

A USB device you plug into your Mac, such as a flash drive, a security key or a serial adapter, can go to a VM, as if you plugged it into the VM itself. You give it in macOS's own menu, so a VM gets a device only when you say so.

USB devices need macOS 27 or later on your Mac. They work in Windows, macOS and Linux VMs.

Give a device to a VM

1. Start the VM. A VM gets USB devices while it runs.
2. Plug the device into your Mac.
3. In the menu bar, click the cable icon, macOS's Virtual Machine Accessories. Find the device, and choose Use with VMPalMachine for it. VMPalMachine is the part of VMPal that runs your VMs.

The VM finds the device at once, as if you plugged it into the VM.

A drive your Mac has open is ejected from your Mac first. If an app still uses it, macOS asks to Force Eject it: quit that app first, so its files on the drive are safe.

Give it back to your Mac

In the same menu, choose This Mac for the device. Eject a drive in the VM first, as you would before you unplug it.

Good to know

• Saved VMs. When VMPal saves a VM, as when you close a Windows VM's window, it unplugs the VM's USB devices, and plugs them back in when the VM goes on.
• Your AI agent can't give a VM a USB device. Only you can, in this menu.