According to reports on the web, updating to macOS Sonoma 14.4 is causing some USB hubs to stop working – however it’s unknown how widespread the problem is or which devices are affected.
The news was first shared by AppleInsider readers, but there has also been some discussion on Reddit, Apple support forums, and MacRumors. So far, it appears that only USB hubs incorporated into monitors are affected by the flaw, which includes Dell, Samsung, and Gigabyte models.
According to the number of responses to the article and threads referenced above, many individuals are experiencing this problem. However, issue does not appear to affect everyone using a macOS Sonoma 14.4 computer and a monitor USB hub.
Apple has not commented on the issue, and is unlikely to do so unless it becomes common. The 14.4 software update began going out last week, delivering new emojis and bug fixes, albeit it may have introduced some of its own.
Can you fix it?
Users experiencing problems with USB hubs are attempting a variety of troubleshooting techniques. There does not appear to be a single method that works for all sorts of displays and USB connections.
For some, turning everything off and then back on seemed to work. Others have claimed that going to the Privacy & Security page in macOS System Settings, changing the Allow accessories to connect option to Ask every time, and rebooting resolves the issue.
Reading between the lines, there may be something wrong with the way macOS’sees’ the USB hub and the devices connected to it as peripherals, but there are a lot of steps along that chain – some users have discovered that just switching to a different USB cable helps.
We’ll have to wait and see if Apple provides a solution for those affected. Of course, if workaround methods have already been discovered, any essential bug patches for the problem would most likely be discreetly integrated into the macOS Sonoma 14.5 release.
