<!--
Title: How to install Tails on USB flash drive or SD card on macOS
Description: Learn how to install Tails on USB flash drive or SD card on macOS.
Author: Sun Knudsen <https://github.com/sunknudsen>
Contributors: Sun Knudsen <https://github.com/sunknudsen>, 7aqdxe6f <https://github.com/7aqdxe6f>
Reviewers:
Publication date: 2021-05-05T14:49:08.692Z
Listed: true
-->
# How to install Tails on USB flash drive or SD card on macOS
[](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ4NHz-gjLo "Why Tails is not only for hacktivists and whistleblowers and how to get started")
## Requirements
- Computer running macOS Mojave or Catalina
- USB flash drive or SD card (faster is better)
## Caveats
- When copy/pasting commands that start with `$`, strip out `$` as this character is not part of the command
## Guide
### Step 1: install [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/)
```shell
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install.sh)"
```
### Step 2: disable Homebrew analytics
```shell
brew analytics off
```
### Step 3: install [GnuPG](https://gnupg.org/)
```shell
brew install gnupg
```
### Step 4: download latest release of [Tails](https://tails.boum.org/install/download/index.en.html)
### Step 5: set Tails release semver environment variable
> Heads-up: replace `4.18` with [latest release](https://tails.boum.org/install/download/index.en.html) semver.
```shell
TAILS_RELEASE_SEMVER=4.18
```
### Step 6: download PGP signature of Tails release
```shell
curl -o ~/Downloads/tails-amd64-$TAILS_RELEASE_SEMVER.img.sig https://tails.boum.org/torrents/files/tails-amd64-$TAILS_RELEASE_SEMVER.img.sig
```
### Step 7: import “Tails developers” PGP public key
```console
$ curl https://tails.boum.org/tails-signing.key | gpg --import
% Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current
Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed
100 1334k 100 1334k 0 0 92536 0 0:00:14 0:00:14 --:--:-- 212k
gpg: key 0xDBB802B258ACD84F: 2170 signatures not checked due to missing keys
gpg: key 0xDBB802B258ACD84F: public key "Tails developers (offline long-term identity key) <tails@boum.org>" imported
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg: imported: 1
gpg: key 0x4E2C6E8793298290: no user ID for key signature packet of class 10
gpg: key 0x4E2C6E8793298290: no user ID for key signature packet of class 12
gpg: key 0x4E2C6E8793298290: no user ID for key signature packet of class 12
gpg: marginals needed: 3 completes needed: 1 trust model: pgp
gpg: depth: 0 valid: 3 signed: 0 trust: 0-, 0q, 0n, 0m, 0f, 3u
```
imported: 1
👍
### Step 8: verify Tails release (learn how [here](../how-to-verify-pgp-digital-signatures-using-gnupg-on-macos))
```console
$ gpg --verify ~/Downloads/tails-amd64-$TAILS_RELEASE_SEMVER.img.sig
gpg: assuming signed data in '/Users/sunknudsen/Downloads/tails-amd64-4.18.img'
gpg: Signature made Mon 19 Apr 11:30:01 2021 EDT
gpg: using EDDSA key CD4D4351AFA6933F574A9AFB90B2B4BD7AED235F
gpg: Good signature from "Tails developers (offline long-term identity key) <tails@boum.org>" [unknown]
gpg: aka "Tails developers <tails@boum.org>" [unknown]
gpg: WARNING: This key is not certified with a trusted signature!
gpg: There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner.
Primary key fingerprint: A490 D0F4 D311 A415 3E2B B7CA DBB8 02B2 58AC D84F
Subkey fingerprint: CD4D 4351 AFA6 933F 574A 9AFB 90B2 B4BD 7AED 235F
```
Good signature
👍
### Step 9: copy Tails to USB flash drive or SD card
> WARNING: DO NOT RUN THE FOLLOWING COMMANDS AS-IS.
Run `diskutil list` to find disk ID of USB flash drive or SD card to overwrite with Tails (`disk2` in the following example).
Replace `diskn` and `rdiskn` with disk ID of USB flash drive or SD card (`disk2` and `rdisk2` in the following example) and `tails-amd64-4.18.img` with current image.
```console
$ diskutil list
/dev/disk0 (internal, physical):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *500.3 GB disk0
1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1
2: Apple_APFS Container disk1 500.1 GB disk0s2
/dev/disk1 (synthesized):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: APFS Container Scheme - +500.1 GB disk1
Physical Store disk0s2
1: APFS Volume Macintosh HD - Data 340.9 GB disk1s1
2: APFS Volume Preboot 85.9 MB disk1s2
3: APFS Volume Recovery 529.0 MB disk1s3
4: APFS Volume VM 3.2 GB disk1s4
5: APFS Volume Macintosh HD 11.3 GB disk1s5
/dev/disk2 (internal, physical):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: FDisk_partition_scheme *15.9 GB disk2
1: Windows_FAT_32 boot 268.4 MB disk2s1
2: Linux 15.7 GB disk2s2
$ sudo diskutil unmount /dev/diskn
disk2 was already unmounted or it has a partitioning scheme so use "diskutil unmountDisk" instead
$ sudo diskutil unmountDisk /dev/diskn (if previous step fails)
Unmount of all volumes on disk2 was successful
$ sudo dd bs=1m if=$HOME/Downloads/tails-amd64-4.18.img of=/dev/rdiskn
1131+0 records in
1131+0 records out
1185939456 bytes transferred in 44.708618 secs (26525970 bytes/sec)
$ sudo diskutil unmountDisk /dev/diskn
Unmount of all volumes on disk2 was successful
```
👍