macOS Catalina 10.15.6 Successfully Fixes USB 2.0 Issues Experienced by 2020 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air Users

macOS Catalina 10.15.6 successfully fixes a frustrating bug that prevented some USB 2.0 accessories from working properly with 2020 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models, according to MacRumors readers and users on Reddit.

13inchmacbookpro20203
Apple in the release notes for the macOS Catalina 10.15.6 update said that the update "resolves an issue where certain USB mouse and trackpads may lose connection," and people who were experiencing that particular problem have confirmed that their accessories are now able to successfully connect.

The bug was first noticed earlier this year by ‌MacBook Air‌ and ‌MacBook Pro‌ users who purchased one of the new 2020 machines. The Mac notebooks were unable to properly work with USB 2.0 accessories connected to their machines through hubs or adapters.

Problems included lost connections, freezes, and a failure to work entirely, and those affected were unable to find any kind of fix with methods like SMC resets, safe mode, Disk Utility repairs, and more. The only suitable fix was using a more expensive Thunderbolt 3 hub instead of a USB-C hub.

Though Apple's release notes mention mice and trackpads, the problem affected all kinds of devices, including keyboards and other accessories, though it appeared to be limited to USB 2.0 devices rather than USB 3.0 or 3.1 accessories.

There have been numerous reports from those who were experiencing the issue that confirm macOS 10.15.6 addresses the issue for all kinds of accessories. The fix doesn't appear to have been implemented in macOS Big Sur, however, so some users may still run into USB issues on the newest update until Apple adds the fix to Big Sur as well.

Related Roundups: MacBook Pro, MacBook Air
Related Forums: MacBook Pro, MacBook Air

Popular Stories

Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:07 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Apple Says These Vehicle Brands Plan to Offer All-New CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, customizable widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust...
iPhone 12 Made in India

Trump Tells Tim Cook to Stop Building iPhones in India

Thursday May 15, 2025 2:21 am PDT by
President Donald Trump has asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to halt the company's manufacturing expansion in India, in a potential disruption of Apple's plan to shift iPhone production away from China. "I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday," Trump said during his state visit to Qatar, according to Bloomberg. "He is building all over India." "They [India] have offered us a deal where...
apple music

Apple Music Gets New Transfer Tool to Make Switching From Spotify Easier

Wednesday May 14, 2025 5:17 pm PDT by
Apple this week introduced a new feature designed to allow prospective Apple Music users to import their saved music and playlists from third-party music services to Apple Music. The feature is either in an expanded testing phase or it has started rolling out, and it is available in Australia and New Zealand according to an Apple Support document. Signs of the transfer option first surfaced...
maxresdefault

Here's the First Real-World Look at Apple's CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:52 am PDT by
The first videos of Apple's CarPlay Ultra experience are now available, providing a never-before-seen look at the long-anticipated iPhone-linked infotainment software. British automaker Aston Martin today shared the first video of Apple's CarPlay Ultra experience in-action, followed by a detailed walk-through of the CarPlay Ultra system on Top Gear's YouTube channel, which provides the...
vision pro video recording

WSJ: Some Apple Vision Pro Buyers 'Feel Total Regret'

Friday May 16, 2025 7:43 am PDT by
Apple's Vision Pro headset has left many early adopters expressing dissatisfaction over its weight, limited use cases, and sparse software ecosystem, according to a new article from The Wall Street Journal. In the year following the device's launch, user feedback suggests that it has failed to meet expectations for comfort, software support, and social acceptance. In interviews conducted by T...

Top Rated Comments

totom_ Avatar
63 months ago

How long did it take to fix this issue. Although I must admit USB 2.0 should be rare these days
Mouses, keyboards, printers,... Literally anything not storage related uses USB 2.0. Even most USB C charging cables are USB 2...
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bobtem Avatar
63 months ago
Nice to know that it “successfully fixes” because, you know, we wouldn’t want it to unsuccessfully fix it.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
theorist9 Avatar
63 months ago
Which is why (unless you're having serious issues with the current OS, and can't deprecate to an earlier one*), the most hassle-free update path has become to go from x.6 to (x+1).6, rather than x.0 to (x+1).0.

I.e., update to a new OS in the summer, when the last version of the current OS is released, rather than in the fall, when the first version of the next OS is released.

*Relatedly, the one exception might be when the next OS is a "stability" release (e.g., Snow Leopard and High Sierra). These tend to be the best ones.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C DM Avatar
63 months ago

It took COVID for this engineers to put their heads down and actually fix the problem. Maybe they should just sell the space ship and let everybody work from home.
Not sure one thing is connected to another.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chucker23n1 Avatar
63 months ago
Does it fix the PowerNap-related kernel panics? Or Mail losing messages when you move them between folders?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lkrupp Avatar
63 months ago

This is one reason I won't be buying ARM-based Macs right out of the gate... New hardware revisions on the existing platform end up having little glitches like this... Imagine an entirely new platform.
Coward! :)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)