Exit Zen
5
<p><a href="https://etcher.balena.io/"><i>balenaEtcher</i></a> is the Free Software tool that we recommend to install Tails on USB sticksfrom macOS.</p>
English type: Plain text
<p><a href="https://etcher.balena.io/"><i>balenaEtcher</i></a> is the Free Software tool that we recommend to install Tails from macOS.</p>
161/1400 · 140
7
English type: Plain text
<p>We [[stopped recommending|news/rufus]] <i>balenaEtcher</i> to install Tails
from Windows in 2025 because <i>balenaEtcher</i> shares [[!tails_ticket 16381
desc="sensitive information"]] to the Balena company that allows identifying
who is installing Tails.</p>
0/2630 · 263
8
English type: Plain text
<p>We have not updated our installation instructions for macOS yet.</p>
0/720 · 72
9
English type: Plain text
<p>If you are worried about being identified as a Tails user, you can instead:</p>
0/830 · 83
10
English type: Plain text
<ul>
<li>[[!toggle id="dd" text="Install Tails using `dd` on the command line"]].</li>
<li>Install Tails using <a href="https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/"><i>Raspberry Pi Imager</i></a>.</li>
</ul>
0/2060 · 206
15
Open the **Terminal** utility from **Applications**&nbsp;▸ **Utilities**.
English type: Bullet: '1. '
Open the **Terminal** utility from **Applications&nbsp;▸ Utilities**.
68/690 · 69
21
Execute again the same command:.
English type: Bullet: '1. '
Execute again the same command.
36/310 · 31
24
English type: Bullet: '1. '
Take note of the device name of your USB stick.
0/470 · 47
25
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="codemmand-placeholder">/dev/disk1</span>. Yours might be different.
English type: Plain text
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.
250/1490 · 149
27
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.
English type: Bullet: '1. '
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.
102/1540 · 154
29
Execute the following commands to copy the USB image that you downloaded earlier to the USB stick. Replace:
English type: Bullet: '1. '
Execute the following commands to copy the USB image that you downloaded earlier to the USB stick. Replace:
105/1070 · 107
36
<p class="pre command-texamplate">dd if=/Users/me/tails-amd64-3.12.img of=/dev/rdisk9 bs=16m && sync</p>
English type: Plain text
<p class="command-template">dd if=/Users/me/tails-amd64-3.12.img of=/dev/rdisk9 bs=16m && sync</p>
105/1020 · 102
38
<div class="note">
<p>If you get a <span class="guilabel"code>Permission denied</spancode> error, try
adding <code>sudo</code> at the beginning of the command:</p>
English type: Plain text
<div class="note">
<p>If you get a <code>Permission denied</code> error, try
adding <code>sudo</code> at the beginning of the command:</p>
164/1480 · 148
40
<p>If you get an <span class="guilabel"code>invalid number ‘16m’</spancode> error, try
using <code>16M</code> instead:</p>
English type: Plain text
<p>If you get an <code>invalid number ‘16m’</code> error, try
using <code>16M</code> instead:</p>
140/1040 · 104
43
The installation is complete oncewhen the command prompt reappeareds.
English type: Plain text
The installation is complete when the command prompt reappears.
70/670 · 67
45
English type: Plain text
<p class="button">[[Download <i>balenaEtcher</i> for macOS|https://tails.net/etcher/balenaEtcher.dmg]]</p>
0/1100 · 110
46
English type: Plain text
Save your download to your usual *Downloads* folder and not to the USB stick.
0/810 · 81
47
Open the <span class="application">*balenaEtcher</span>* download (DMG disk image).
English type: Bullet: '1. '
Open the *balenaEtcher* download (DMG disk image).
84/500 · 50
50
Close the installation window of <span class="application">*balenaEtcher</span>*.
English type: Bullet: '1. '
Close the installation window of *balenaEtcher*.
84/480 · 48
51
Optionally, eject the <span class="application">balenaEtcher</span> disk image
from the desktopdisk image of *balenaEtcher* from the sidebar of *Finder*.
English type: Plain text
Optionally, eject the disk image of *balenaEtcher* from the sidebar of *Finder*.
105/840 · 84