What is usbd?

usbd is the main USB management daemon on macOS.

What is usbd?

usbd manages USB device connections on your Mac. It detects when USB devices are plugged in or removed, loads the right drivers, and handles talk between the system and USB hardware.

What does it handle?

usbd manages the whole USB system:

• Detecting when devices are plugged in or unplugged
• Working out what was plugged in
• Loading the right driver for each device
• Managing USB power (with usbpowerd)
• Handling USB hubs
• Managing USB device sleep and wake

What devices go through usbd?

Almost every USB device:

• External drives and flash drives
• Wired keyboards and mice
• Printers and scanners
• Audio interfaces and webcams
• iPhones and iPads (when connected by cable)
• USB hubs
• USB-C to HDMI or DisplayPort adapters (the USB part)

Does it use many resources?

No. usbd responds to events and is otherwise idle.

What if a USB device is not recognised?

Try these steps:

1. Unplug and replug the device
2. Try a different USB port
3. Check System Information, USB to see if the device appears
4. Restart your Mac

If the device shows in System Information but does not work, the problem is likely with the device driver, not usbd.

Should you worry?

No. It is a core macOS process for USB device management.

Enjoyed this post?

Well, you could share the post with others, follow me with RSS Feeds and/or send me a comment via email.

Tags