FireWire Is Officially Dead: End of 25 Years of Existence on macOS

This guide provides a clear, practical overview of "FireWire Is Officially Dead: End of 25 Years of Existence on macOS". It organizes the most useful details, explains important considerations, and highlights the steps or choices that matter most.

25-year journey: From "USB-Killer" to technological legacy

Introduced in 1999 on the PowerMac G3, FireWire (IEEE 1394) revolutionized the way first-generation USB was a snail's pace. With a bandwidth of 400 Mbps (30 times faster than contemporary USB), it quickly became the standard interface for:

• Digital video editing
• High speed external hard drive
• Professional audio equipment

Although it lost out to USB later, FireWire was still a practical solution to the real speed needs of users at that time - a testament to Apple's technological pioneering.

In fact, FireWire has been discontinued on Macs since the iMac in mid-2011. macOS 26 Tahoe also marked the final milestone in Apple's "boycott of old technology" policy:

• The last version of macOS to support Macs with Intel chips
• The AFP (Apple Filing Protocol) file sharing standard is also about to die.
• Entire ecosystem to move to Apple Silicon by 2025

For most users, the demise of this outdated technology will hardly cause any disruption. However, professionals using FireWire audio equipment (studios) or old data storage devices that are forced to maintain Macs running macOS Sequoia or earlier will be more or less affected. It is worth noting that many users do not even know that FireWire still exists today.

Apple's decision reflects an inevitable trend: focusing resources on modern technology (Thunderbolt 4/USB4). FireWire is now just an old chapter in the history of technology textbooks - a disappearance that was predicted, but perhaps still makes some people feel regretful.