You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Cable?

I want to Connect an external SSD to the Thunderbolt 2 in my Mac-mini.

Is there an official Apple cable to do this?

Mac mini, macOS 12.0

Posted on Feb 24, 2023 1:13 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Feb 24, 2023 1:48 PM

Most external SSDs are using the USB protocol which is not compatible with Thunderbolt 2. If the SSD you have utilizes the USB protocol, then you will need to connect it to a USB port (preferably a USB3 port....if the SSD only has a USB-C connector you can use an Apple USB-C to USB-A Adapter). If the SSD utilizes Thunderbolt protocols and has a USB-C connector on the drive, then you can use an Apple USB-C to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter.


You first need to confirm the protocol that the SSD supports. Some drives may show an icon, but if no icon is next to the ports on the SSD, then check the SSD's documentation. Generally I assume most drives will be using the USB protocol because most people don't want to pay more for a device with Thunderbolt support. USB icon looks like a trident, whereas Thunderbolt has a lightning bolt icon.

6 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Feb 24, 2023 1:48 PM in response to ad168

Most external SSDs are using the USB protocol which is not compatible with Thunderbolt 2. If the SSD you have utilizes the USB protocol, then you will need to connect it to a USB port (preferably a USB3 port....if the SSD only has a USB-C connector you can use an Apple USB-C to USB-A Adapter). If the SSD utilizes Thunderbolt protocols and has a USB-C connector on the drive, then you can use an Apple USB-C to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter.


You first need to confirm the protocol that the SSD supports. Some drives may show an icon, but if no icon is next to the ports on the SSD, then check the SSD's documentation. Generally I assume most drives will be using the USB protocol because most people don't want to pay more for a device with Thunderbolt support. USB icon looks like a trident, whereas Thunderbolt has a lightning bolt icon.

Cable?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.