MacBook Air Q&A
Update Published August 11, 2019
All Mac Q&As >>MacBook Air Q&A (Home) | Also See: All MacBook Air Specs
MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018 - 2019). G-Technology 1TB G-DRIVE mobile SSD R-Series Storage - Previous Gallery Image. Find an Apple Store or other retailer. MacBook Air packs heavy-duty performance into just 2.8 pounds. The available quad-core Intel Core i7 processor delivers up to 2x faster CPU performance 1 and up to 80 percent faster graphics performance, 4 to help you power through everything from browsing the web to playing games to editing video.
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Which SD Card Slot storage solution is best for the MacBook Air? Which models are compatible? Is this kind of storage safe?
If you ever found yourself transferring photos from an SD card to your MacBook Air and wondered if you could just store files from your computer on an SD card for a bit of extra space, you're not alone.
Most users should consider upgrading the internal SSD in their Late 2010, Mid-2011, Mid-2012, Mid-2013, Early 2014, Early 2015, or Mid-2017 MacBook Air for more storage.
However, as the capacity of microSD cards has increased, companies have released storage solutions specifically designed to slide into the SD Card Slot on all 13' MacBook Air models with SD Card slots. These solutions are not as protected as an internal SSD and should not be thought of as permanent storage, but they are quite convenient and still can be useful.
Identification Help (Skip)
As SD Card Slot storage solutions are compatible with each 13' MacBook Air model with an SD Card slot (and 11' MacBook Air and later 13' MacBook Air models do not have an SD Card slot at all), identification assistance practically is unnecessary for this particular upgrade.
However, just for confirmation, compatible MacBook Air models have Model NumbersA1369 or A1466.
These models also can be readily identified in software by Model Identifier:
MacBook Air | Subfamily | Model ID |
Late 2010 | ||
Late 2010 | ||
Mid-2011 | ||
Mid-2011 | ||
Mid-2011 | ||
Mid-2012 | ||
Mid-2012 | ||
Mid-2012 | ||
Mid-2013 | ||
Mid-2013 | ||
Early 2014 | ||
Early 2014 | ||
Early 2015 | ||
Early 2015 | ||
Mid-2017 | ||
Mid-2017 |
Subsequent 13' MacBook Air models do not have an SD Card slot and cannot use this upgrade method accordingly.
EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Lookup feature -- as well as the EveryMac app -- also can uniquely identify these models by their Serial Number, which is listed on the underside near the model number and within the operating system alongside the model identifier. More details about specific identifiers are provided in EveryMac.com's extensive Mac Identification section.
Best MacBook Air SD Card Storage Solutions
Some SD Card storage options on the market are low quality knockoffs or from inexperienced startup companies with products burdened by questionable software, but two products worth considering are the Transcend JetDrive Lite 130 and the Nifty MiniDrive Air.
As SD Card storage products for different Apple notebooks are different physical sizes be sure that these particular ones are the one you buy for a MacBook Air.
Photo Credit: Transcend Information Inc. (Left), Nifty Drives (Right)
Although the two products look similar, they actually are quite different.
Established in 1988, Transcend is a well respected manufacturer of RAM and trusted for quality products. The JetDrive Lite 130 is created as single piece and designed to fit snuggly into the MacBook Air with the end sticking out just enough to be able to remove it conveniently. It is sold with either 64 GB, 128 GB, or 256 GB of integrated flash storage.
The Nifty MiniDrive Air, on the other hand, is a simple aluminum and plastic adapter designed to hold an existing microSD from another company of your choosing. It fits flush with the MacBook Air and ships with a small 'hook' tool to remove it. It is no longer available for sale new, but it remains available on the used market.
This brief commercial from Transcend shows their product in action:
Effectively, these products function like a compact high capacity USB stick or a tiny version of an 'old school' floppy disk. Stick it in the SD Card slot and it pops up on the desktop like any other removable storage. Easy.
Using SD Card Storage Solutions Safely
Although all media can fail, whether it is a hard drive, an SSD, or a SD Card -- and it is important to backup your data regularly -- using a quality SD Card solution from Transcend should be safe. The Transcend JetDrive Lite 130 is rated to last for 10,000 insertion/removal cycles. Likewise, the Nifty MiniDrive MK5 Air with an installed high quality microSD card from a trusted manufacturer should be safe, as well.
There is at least one product from an unproven startup that uses flash memory of unknown quality as well as proprietary software of unknown quality to 'pair' the storage from your internal SSD and the SD card together on a 'permanent' basis and any solution of this type should be avoided to reduce the risk of data loss. This 'pairing' method has been shown to cause data loss and compatibility problems with macOS updates, as well. At least one unproven product of this type costs twice as much as the proven Transcend solution, as well.
Ultimately, keep in mind that (1) an SD Card is a removable card and should be thought of as removable storage rather than permanent storage, (2) only use an SD Card from a quality, known manufacturer, and (3) backup your data regularly regardless of the type of media you use. If you follow these three steps, your data should be as safe as it can be.
MacBook Air SD Card Storage Purchase Options
In the US, Amazon sells the Transcend JetDrive Lite 130.
In the UK and Ireland, site sponsor Flexx sells the full range of Transcend JetDrive Lite models for the MacBook Air series with free shipping. The company provides flat rate shipping to France, Germany, and Switzerland and inexpensive shipping for all of Europe, too.
Also see:
- How do you replace or upgrade the SSD storage in the 'Late 2010' and 'Mid-2011' MacBook Air models? Is it even possible?
- How do you replace or upgrade the SSD storage in the 'Mid-2012' MacBook Air models? Is it even possible?
- How do you replace or upgrade the SSD storage in the 'Mid-2013' and subsequent MacBook Air models? Is it even possible?
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MacBook Air Q&A
Update Published January 27, 2021
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How do you upgrade or replace the storage in the 'Mid-2013,' 'Early 2014' and 'Early 2015' and '2017' MacBook Air models? Is it even possible?
Note that EveryMac.com provides storage upgrade instructions for earlier MacBook Air models -- the original, 'Late 2008,' and 'Mid-2009,'Late 2010 and 'Mid-2011,' and 'Mid-2012' lines, too.
By default, the 'Mid-2013,' 'Early 2014,' and 'Early 2015' and '2017' MacBook Air models all shipped with 128 GB or 256 GB of SSD storage. Some configurations could be upgraded to 512 GB of SSD storage at the time of purchase for an extra US$300, but Apple does not intend for one to upgrade the SSD module after purchase.
Nevertheless, the SSD is a removable module and it is quite possible for a technical user to upgrade the SSD himself or herself.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Left - 11' MacBook Air, Right - 13' MacBook Air)
Identification Help
As these MacBook Air models share Model Numbers with other lines, so this identifier is not suitable for the purpose of upgrading the SSD.
However, these models can be readily identified externally via EMC Number and in software by Model Identifier.
To locate the model identifier in software, select 'About This Mac' under the Apple Menu on your computer and click the 'More Info..' button. If the iMac is running OS X 10.7 'Lion' or later, you will need to click the 'System Report' button after clicking 'More Info..' as well. As always, EveryMac.com has carefully hand documented each EMC number and model identifier for your convenience.
The identifiers for each of these MacBook Air models follow:
MacBook Air | Subfamily | Model ID | EMC |
Mid-2013 | |||
Mid-2013 | |||
Mid-2013 | |||
Mid-2013 | |||
Early 2014 | |||
Early 2014 | |||
Voice changing software windows. Early 2014 | |||
Early 2014 | |||
Early 2015 | |||
Early 2015 | |||
Macbook pro how to use usb. Early 2015 | |||
Early 2015 | |||
Early 2015 | |||
2017 | |||
2017 |
EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Lookup feature -- as well as the EveryMac app -- also can uniquely identify these models by their Serial Number, which is listed on the underside near the EMC number and within the operating system alongside the model identifier. More details about specific identifiers are provided in EveryMac.com's extensive Mac Identification section.
SSD Storage Details
As first reported by AnandTech, the 'Mid-2013' MacBook Air models all use a PCIe-based SSD rather than a SATA-connected one like earlier SSD-equipped MacBook Air models. The 'Early 2014' MacBook Air models are practically identical to their predecessors and use the exact same internal storage.
More specifically, AnandTech shared that the SSD in these lines use a custom Apple design with a 'PCIe 2.0 x2 interface, capable of a theoretical maximum of 1 GB/s in each direction.'
The 11-Inch 'Early 2015' MacBook Air models (MacBookAir7,1) also use the same PCIe 2.0 x2 interface, but as documented by site sponsor OWC, the 13-Inch 'Early 2015' and '2017' models (MacBookAir7,2), on the other hand, have a faster PCIe 2.0 x4 interface and provide significantly faster drive speeds as a result.
Storage Installation Instructions
Apple has used less common 'Pentalobe' or 'Five Point Torx' screws to make access more difficult, but with the correct screwdriver, upgrading the SSD is a straightforward procedure.
Site sponsor Other World Computing has helpful videos that covers upgrading the storage in these models, too:
11-Inch MacBook Air (Mid-2013 - Early 2015)
13-Inch MacBook Air (Mid-2013 - 2017)
This video covers how to install the original PCIe SSD from your MacBook Air in OWC's convenient 'Envoy Pro' external case to repurpose it as an external drive:
By watching the videos for the MacBook Air above, you should be able to determine if you feel comfortable performing this upgrade yourself or if you would instead prefer to hire a professional.
SSD Purchase Options
In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells compatible SSDs as well as other upgrades for MacBook Air models.
In the UK and Ireland, site sponsor Flexx sells MacBook Air compatible SSDs with free shipping. The company provides flat rate shipping to France, Germany, and Switzerland and inexpensive shipping for all of Europe, too.
In Canada, site sponsor CanadaRAM sells MacBook Air SSDs with guaranteed compatibility, fast shipping, and no customs duties to worry about.
In Australia, site sponsors Macfixit and Upgradeable sell MacBook Air compatible SSDs with fast shipping, a money-back guarantee and more.
In New Zealand, site sponsor Upgradeable New Zealand sells MacBook Air SSDs with fast delivery to all corners of the country, precise compatibility, a lifetime warranty, and a money-back guarantee.
What Is Other On Macbook Air Storage
Also see:
- How do you replace or upgrade the hard drive in the original, 'Late 2008' and 'Mid-2009' MacBook Air models? Can you swap the hard drive for an SSD?
- How do you replace or upgrade the storage in the 'Late 2010' and 'Mid-2011' MacBook Air models? Is it even possible?
- How do you replace or upgrade the storage in the 'Mid-2012' MacBook Air models? Is it even possible?
- Which SD Card Slot storage solution is best for the MacBook Air? Which models are compatible? Is this kind of storage safe?
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Macbook Air Storage Upgrade
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Macbook Air Storage Issues
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EveryMac.com is provided 'as is' without warranty of any kind whatsoever. EveryMac.com, and the author thereof, shall not be held responsible or liable, under any circumstances, for any damages resulting from the use or inability to use the information within. For complete disclaimer and copyright information please read and understand the Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy before using EveryMac.com. Use of any content or images without expressed permission is not allowed, although links to any page are welcomed and appreciated.