How to Create a Bootable USB macOS Sequoia/Sonoma (Easy Steps)

If you have a macOS Bootable drive on-hand, you can use it to clean, install your macOS, or upgrade your Mac. Besides this, you can also use the Bootable drive to troubleshoot your device and clean install macOS on multiple devices without the internet. And the best part is that you can easily create macOS Bootable USB installers on Mac using Terminal. Here’s how.

Steps to Make macOS Bootable USB Installer on Mac

In this article, we’ll show you how to create a bootable drive of macOS Sonoma, macOS Ventura, and older Mac versions on your Mac. 

What you need to make a bootable USB for Mac

First, you will need a USB drive and the installation file to create a macOS Bootable USB installer on your Mac. Once you’ve both, the process to do so is easy.

A flash drive of up to 15GB

For this procedure, we suggest having at least a 15 GB drive: the installer for most macOS, including macOS Sonoma, would be between 10GB – 15 GB. We recommend having Flash Memory Stick, compared to the simple USB hard drive. You can use USB 3 or USB-C if you have a newer Mac

Note: If you already have data stored in your drive, you must transfer it to another drive or buy a new one.

The installation file   

Depending on which version of macOS you are willing to install and which version you are running on Mac. You will either get the installation file from the Software Update in the System Settings… or the Mac App Store.

Remember, the Mac App Store is one of the easiest, but sometimes it could not be easy depending on which macOS version you are running on your Mac. For this, you can read our article on how to get and install old macOS Versions. During the downloading procedure, ensure your Mac has a strong internet connection, or else you will get stuck with installation. 

Note: We can’t create a bootable Drive for macOS Sonoma Developer Bata. The Limitation is, Without enrolling the device using Apple ID, we can’t do that so. Watch the below video,’

Watch This Video for a hands-on Guide,

To download macOS Sonoma Beta Version

  1. Go to Apple Logo.
  2. Select System Settings…
  3. Choose General.
  4. Head to the Software Update.
  5. Click on Info Icon present in the Automatic Update and select ON.
  6. Select the Info Button in the Beta Updates and choose macOS Sonoma Developer Beta. 
  7. After this, click on Download Now.

Once the Download is finished, Don’t start the installation. And Quit installation. Install macOS Ventura > Quit Install macOS. Downloaded setup saved under the finder > Applications folder.

To download macOS Sonoma or other macOS Public Version

  1. Go to the App Store.
  2. Search for macOS Sonoma or older versions.
  3. From the result, tap on Download.

How to create a bootable installer for macOS 

Before creating the bootable installer for macOS, remember to create a backup of all your data stored in the drive. This is because it can harm all your personal data. After that, follow the steps below.

  1. First, connect the bootable drive to your Mac.
  2. Then, press Command + Space to open the spotlight search.
  3. Enter Terminal and click on it to open.
  4. In the Terminal, enter the below command.

Note: Enter your USB drive name instead of MyVolume in the below command. 

macOS Sonoma

  • sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sonoma.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia –volume /Volumes/MyVolume.

macOS Ventura

  1. Press the Return to run the command. 
  2. The Terminal Command will ask you to jot down the Mac login password, enter it, and hit the Return Key. Press the Y key to continue the procedure.
  3. Now, your installer file will erase first, and copy the macOS installation file to your bootable drive. It will take time, depending on the transfer speed. Wait until the confirmation message appears in the terminal. 

That’s It!

Before starting the installation, Don’t miss to check it. Is Your Mac model in MacOS Sonoma Compatible Devices List?

Final Thought!

This way, you can create a bootable drive on your Mac. Further, read our article on how to clean and install macOS on Mac.

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Karly Wood

Karly Wood is a journalist based in Ohio who specializes in covering Apple and technology trends. With a varied experience in reporting on public safety, government, and education, her insights bridge multiple disciplines, providing readers with a well-rounded perspective on today's technological advancements. If you need to contact me, you can reach me at [email protected] or through (Facebook)

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