Firewire support in the near future?

FireWire is fully deprecated, and there is no reason to anticipate that will change.

It makes my otherwise functional 15 GB Dock Connector iPod sad, but that’s life.

SCSI is old, but it lives on in the form of things like UASP (USB-attached SCSI Protocol) enclosures for external SSDs. That might explain continued support in the OS.

The depreciation of FireWire support is bad news for people with old MiniDV and Digital8 camcorders, old professional audio gear, and old film scanners. But I don’t expect Apple to change their minds and to start supporting FireWire again.

Orvillerobertson wrote:

Firewire support in the near future?

Is anyone working to add Firewire support through a driver or otherwise?

your kidding right ...(?) 1986; 39 years ago. Firewire has been on the way out for a loooong time.

Apple officially did away with built-in FireWire ports on its computers in 2014.

for your issue see if any of these adapter still exist

ref: Apple Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter to work with the Apple USB-C to Thunderbolt adapter / USB-C to USB Adapter - Apple

you can submit your Apple Feedback here: Product Feedback - Apple

Orvillerobertson wrote:

Thanks for the Feedback link.

I've been beta testing Tahoe and prior MacOS's and have submitted feedback specific to Firewire.

By the way my Minolta scanner digitized both 35mm and 120 film with a Firewire 800 port, which Apple began supporting about 2000. Unfortunately the protocol never took off unlike USB.

Despite all of this I really love Tahoe, have upgraded to it already, and will scan from my Mac Mini M2 running Sequoia.

Good computing Orvillerobertson ! We certainly appreciate your beta testing efforts.

Glad to hear you have alternative methods to get you by.

leroydouglas wrote:

for your issue see if any of these adapter still exist

ref: Apple Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter to work with the Apple USB-C to Thunderbolt adapter / USB-C to USB Adapter - Apple

Apple discontinued the Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter some time ago. That adapter is almost impossible to find now. Likewise, although Thunderbolt 3-5 docks could implement FireWire ports, I don't know of any that do.

Even if you find that adapter, it won't do you any good if you

• Are running Tahoe, which reportedly doesn't support FireWire in any way, shape, or form.
• Are running Ventura or later, and trying to use a "plug and play" FireWire audio device that relies on standard FireWire audio device support rather than on its own drivers.

Increasingly, the best solution to keeping old FireWire equipment running may be to keep around a Windows PC (gasp!) or an old Mac.

For filmmakers that still want to use mini-DV handy cam, this is terrible news.. I can't comprehend why they have the need to discontinue this support when that doesn't bother anyone.. This is planned, unnecessary obsolescence. Very disappointed.

Superjeanmarc wrote:

For filmmakers that still want to use mini-DV handy cam, this is terrible news.. I can't comprehend why they have the need to discontinue this support when that doesn't bother anyone.. This is planned, unnecessary obsolescence. Very disappointed.

Every port takes up room, not only on the outside of the device but it also requires components inside that take up space. And the system software needs to support it. Maintaining that software support costs resources. Code has to be updated for the new OS. At a certain point, this becomes unprofitable.

I believe it’s not more unprofitable than the money apple would loose from all of us audio users who will prioritise upgrading our interfaces over upgrading to latest silicon platforms… My new RME would cost me 1500£ so bye bye m4 mini which I wanted to get as backup…

leonidas153 wrote:

I believe it’s not more unprofitable than the money apple would loose from all of us audio users who will prioritise upgrading our interfaces over upgrading to latest silicon platforms…

I'm not sure Apple would notice. They shipped approximately 5.5 million Macs in the first quarter of this year. I'm guessing the number of users wanting Firewire support is negligible.

Re: “Every port takes up room, not only on the outside of the device but it also requires components inside that take up space. And the system software needs to support it.”

I think most FireWire users would be happy if Apple released an updated Thunderbolt to FireWire 800 adapter that plugged directly into a Thunderbolt 3, 4, or 5 port. That would not take up any space inside current Macs. And if Apple restored macOS support for FireWire.

However, given that Apple never released such an adapter in all of the years that Thunderbolt 3 was out, I do not expect them to do so now. I am guessing that third party vendors either did not have the expertise to build their own, or did not think they could sell enough units to make building one profitable.

I find it a bit ironic to worry about Apple’s “profitability” here … this is a company sitting on roughly USD 55 billion in cash and cash equivalents as of mid-2025. But beyond that, it’s just sad to see how everything gets reduced to money.

Apple’s legacy was built on creativity, on empowering artists, musicians, and filmmakers with revolutionary tools. They were pioneers in making video editing affordable and accessible to everyone. In my own case, part of my career in filmmaking exists thanks to iMovie 2 and Apple’s FireWire :)

Maintaining FireWire support (even just through software), to allow older cameras or devices to connect, would have been a simple gesture of respect for their roots. Instead, the removal feels symbolic of how Apple has drifted away from the community that once defined it.

And about the argument that “ports take up space”: before macOS 26 Tahoe, I could connect my Sony PC101 miniDV camera to the Thunderbolt port of my M1 Mac mini using a FireWire 800 → Thunderbolt adapter. So no, it didn’t require any extra hardware built into the machine, just software support that Apple has now chosen to drop.

FWIW, this is not a soapbox forum. Feel free to share your thoughts with Apple.

Feedback - macOS - Apple

Servant of Cats wrote:

I think most FireWire users would be happy if Apple released an updated Thunderbolt to FireWire 800 adapter that plugged directly into a Thunderbolt 3, 4, or 5 port. That would not take up any space inside current Macs. And if Apple restored macOS support for FireWire. However, given that Apple never released such an adapter in all of the years that Thunderbolt 3 was out, I do not expect them to do so now. I am guessing that third party vendors either did not have the expertise to build their own, or did not think they could sell enough units to make building one profitable.

Before MacOS Tahoe, I would connect my MiniDV camera trough a chain consisting of:

• Micro FireWire to FireWire 800 Cable (the camera having a micro FW output)
• Firewire 800 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter (A1463)
• Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) adapter (A1790)

As cumbersome at it might look, it totally worked.. I used FCPX to import my videos, and further edited in DaVinci Resolve as my professional workflow involves shared projects over the Cloud etc...

I have written to Apple Support to request a return of a software support of Fiwewire in MacOS.. The above listed adapters seem indeed to be hard to find, so it would require Apple (or 3rd party manufacturers) to keep making those adapters, or as Servant of Cats suggest , release an updated Thunderbolt to FireWire 800 adapter.

For anyone willing to write to Apple, here is the message I sent them:

"Dear Apple Team,

The decision to remove FireWire support from MacOS Tahoe affects many creatives who still rely on FireWire devices from vintage video cameras, to high-end professional scanners that are still relevant today. Apple built its legacy on creativity and accessibility. You empowered a generation of filmmakers, musicians, and photographers by giving us tools that were revolutionary yet affordable. Restoring FireWire support, even through limited or legacy compatibility layers, would be more than a technical adjustment. It would be a gesture of respect for Apple’s creative roots and for those who continue to rely on the reliability and quality of these older tools.

Please consider reinstating FireWire support in MacOS. "