USB-C Accessories Need User Permission to Communicate With Apple Silicon Macs Running macOS Ventura

With macOS Ventura, there's a new USB-C security feature designed for Apple silicon Macs. As described by Apple in the macOS Ventura release notes (via The Verge), USB-C and Thunderbolt accessories connected to the USB-C port on an Apple silicon Mac will require explicit user permission before the accessory can communicate with macOS.

macbook air purple

On portable Mac computers with Apple silicon, new USB and Thunderbolt accessories require user approval before the accessory can communicate with macOS for connections wired directly to the USB-C port. This doesn't apply to power adapters, standalone displays, or connections to an approved hub. Devices can still charge if you choose Don't Allow.

You can change the security configuration in System Settings > Security and Privacy > Security. The initial configuration is Ask for new accessories. Configuring an accessibility Switch Control sets the policy to always allow accessory use. Approved devices can connect to a locked Mac for up to three days.

Accessories attached during software update from prior versions of macOS are allowed automatically. New accessories attached prior to rebooting the Mac might enumerate and function, but won't be remembered until connected to an unlocked Mac and explicitly approved.

The user permission restriction does not apply to power adapters, standalone displays, or connections to an approved hub, so it will not impact the use of displays or chargers, and it can be toggled off if desired.

macOS Ventura is available to developers at the current time, with a public beta planned for July.

Related Forum: macOS Ventura

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 14, 2025 5:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a...
iPadOS 26 App Windowing

Apple Explains Why iPads Don't Just Run macOS

Friday June 13, 2025 7:46 am PDT by
iPadOS 26 allows iPads to function much more like Macs, with a new app windowing system, a swipe-down menu bar at the top of the screen, and more. However, Apple has stopped short of allowing iPads to run macOS, and it has now explained why. In an interview this week with Swiss tech journalist Rafael Zeier, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that iPadOS 26's new Mac-like ...
Logitech Logo Feature

Logitech Announces Two New Accessories for WWDC

Friday June 13, 2025 7:22 am PDT by
Alongside WWDC this week, Logitech announced notable new accessories for the iPad and Apple Vision Pro. The Logitech Muse is a spatially-tracked stylus developed for use with the Apple Vision Pro. Introduced during the WWDC 2025 keynote address, Muse is intended to support the next generation of spatial computing workflows enabled by visionOS 26. The device incorporates six degrees of...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday June 12, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iOS 26 Feature

Apple Seeds Revised iOS 26 Developer Beta to Fix Battery Issue

Friday June 13, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple today provided developers with a revised version of the first iOS 26 beta for testing purposes. The update is only available for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models, so if you're running iOS 26 on an iPhone 14 or earlier, you won't see the revised beta. Registered developers can download the new beta software through the Settings app on each device. The revised beta addresses an...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Monday June 16, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
Mac Studio Feature

Apple Begins Selling Refurbished Mac Studio With M4 Max and M3 Ultra Chips at a Discount

Thursday June 12, 2025 10:14 am PDT by
Apple today added Mac Studio models with M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips to its online certified refurbished store in the United States, Canada, Japan, Singapore, and many European countries, for the first time since they were released in March. As usual for refurbished Macs, prices are discounted by approximately 15% compared to the equivalent new models on Apple's online store. Note that Apple's ...

Top Rated Comments

rorschach Avatar
40 months ago
Good idea. But what happens if your keyboard and mouse suddenly stop working (it happens) and you need to plug in USB ones? How will you "approve" them?
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zakarhino Avatar
40 months ago
Underrated simple idea that might help mitigate chargers with malware.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dave420 Avatar
40 months ago
Yes good idea. The type of thing that makes you wonder why it wasn't always there.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DEMinSoCAL Avatar
40 months ago

Yes

Exploiting any vulnerability in the USB software stack on the system.
But, how does the user know they are being exploited when "allowing" the device? Most devices don't say "This contains malware" on them...won't everyone just "allow" everything they themselves are plugging in?

What am I missing?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DEMinSoCAL Avatar
40 months ago
If this is for security, then how am I (an unsuspecting victim) supposed to know NOT to allow a USB drive I am plugging in that seems perfectly safe to me? I say "Allow" and BAM! I'm still a victim. Or is this to stop usb-c driving from plugging themselves in when I'm not around?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheColtr Avatar
40 months ago

Not being sarcastic, but why is this a good thing? Are we guarding against random bad actors plugging stuff into my laptop while I’m at out in a public place? What is the risk that is being protected?
I think it’s more for those times you plug into a random usb outlet to charge. A coffee shop, hotel, or airport. Any of those could have been modified with malicious intent. That’s why iOS got the option to disallow USB data connections while locked a while back. It hasn’t been as big of a deal in the past for laptops, USBC PD is becoming powerful enough that it’s not unreasonable to plug in to a usbc port without a normal power brick.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)