External USB accessories not working under 14.8.2.

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4 points

External USB accessories not working under 14.8.2.

Upgraded the OS to 14.8.1 then 14.8.2 on my 2019 MacBook Air. After the first upgrade all of my USB accessories stopped working. In the privacy and security section there is no option to ask for allowing usb accessories. Backed up and then did a complete reinstall of the OS. This has not corrected the issue. What could I be missing? The ports do allow the computer to charge.

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 14.8

Posted on Dec 8, 2025 5:17 PM

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Answer 1

Dec 10, 2025 11:46 PM in response to Silverhawkti

Reset SMC (VERY IMPORTANT on 2019 MacBook Air)

This solves USB data line failures immediately if it’s power-only but no data.

How to reset SMC on Intel MacBook Air:

Shut down your Mac
Hold Control + Option (Alt) + Shift (all on LEFT side)
While holding, press power button
Keep holding for 10 seconds
Release → wait 3 seconds → press power normally

Test USB again.

This alone fixes ~70% of cases.

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