How to create a bootable USB installer for macOS Tahoe

A clean installation of macOS Tahoe requires either wiping your Mac’s internal storage or starting fresh on a new drive. One of the most reliable ways to do this is by creating a bootable USB installer. This allows you to install macOS Tahoe on multiple Macs without re-downloading the system each time, and it can also help if your Mac’s internet recovery is not working.

The process is straightforward but requires careful preparation. You’ll need a USB drive with at least 16GB of storage (32GB recommended) that will be completely erased during setup. You also need to download the full macOS Tahoe installer from the App Store or using a direct download method if the App Store is unavailable. Once you have the installer and the USB drive, the process can be completed entirely through Terminal.

Prepare your USB drive

1. Connect your USB flash drive to your Mac.
2. Open Disk Utility from Applications > Utilities.
3. Select your drive in the sidebar and click Erase.
4. Format it as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and set the scheme to GUID Partition Map.
5. Name the drive MyVolume (this name will be referenced in the Terminal command).
6. Click Erase and wait for the process to complete.

Download macOS Tahoe

If you have a supported Mac, download macOS Tahoe directly from the Mac App Store. If you need an alternative method, you can also follow our guide on how to download macOS Tahoe without the Mac App Store. The installer will appear in your Applications folder once downloaded.

Create the bootable USB installer

1. Open Terminal from Applications > Utilities.
2. Copy and paste the following command, then press Return:

   sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Tahoe.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume
   

3. Enter your administrator password when prompted.
4. Press Y to confirm erasing the drive.
5. Wait until the process finishes, which may take several minutes.

Once the command completes, your USB drive will be renamed to “Install macOS Tahoe” and will now function as a bootable installer.

Boot from the USB installer

• On an Intel Mac: Restart your Mac and immediately press and hold the Option (⌥) key. Select Install macOS Tahoe from the startup options.
• On an Apple silicon Mac: Shut down your Mac, then press and hold the power button until you see the startup options screen. Select Install macOS Tahoe.

From here, you can use Disk Utility to erase your internal drive if you are doing a clean install, and then proceed with the macOS Tahoe installation.