Start on macOS.

In the **Erase** dialog, if you want the USB stick to also work on Windows and Linux, specify:

**Format**: **MS-DOS (FAT)**

**Scheme**: **Master Boot Record**

Click **Erase**.

<p>If the erase process fails, try [[!toggle id="format"
text="formatting the USB stick using the command line"]] first.</p>

[[!toggleable id="format" text="""

<span class="hide">[[!toggle id="format" text=""]]</span>

<!-- Note for translators: This section is very similar to /install/inc/steps/install_with_etcher.inline. -->

Open the **Terminal** utility from **Applications&nbsp;▸ Utilities**.

Execute the following command.

It returns a list of the storage devices on the system. For example:

/dev/disk0
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *500.1 GB disk0
1: EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1
2: Apple_HFS MacDrive 250.0 GB disk0s2
3: EFI 134.1 GB disk0s3
4: Microsoft Basic Data BOOTCAMP 115.5 GB disk0s4

Execute again the same command.

Your USB stick appears as a new device in the list. Check
that its size corresponds to the size of your USB stick.

/dev/disk1
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: FDisk_partition_scheme *8.0 GB disk1
1: Apple_HFS Untitled 1 8.0 GB disk1s1

Take note of the device name of your USB stick.

In this example, the USB stick is 8.0 GB and its device name is <span class="command-placeholder">/dev/disk1</span>.
Yours might be different.

Execute the following command to safely eject the USB stick. Replace <span class="command-placeholder">device</span> with the device name found in step 6.

<p class="command-template">diskutil unmountDisk <span class="command-placeholder">device</span></p>