Upgrade Flash Storage Macbook Pro
All of the most recent MacBook models include flash storage, or solid-state drives, that cannot be updated. All of the most recent MacBook models include flash storage, or solid-state drives, that cannot be updated. If you purchase a retina, air, or the new MacBook, the storage is often hard wired on a Mac.
It is frustrating that upgrading and customizing is not an option with the latest MacBook Pro 13, but assuming you do end up with as much storage as you want, at least you do have options in terms of storage. All of the ways of upgrading the storage discussed thus far only work with older Macs, but there is one option that works across models. Some of those options are available for specific model years, and the newest MacBook models cannot really add internal storage.
Another thing to keep in mind is that not every model MacBook can have storage added to it internally. Although, it is possible to upgrade MacBooks storage with higher-capacity SSDs, and it is possible to use the original one as a secondary storage device. The more drastic option for expanding your MacBooks storage is upgrading its SSD. Another way to expand MacBooks storage is by using its SD card slot (assuming you are using a model with one).
If you get an older MacBook that has a card reader, you can also use SD cards or microSD cards to increase the overall storage capacity of your Mac. On older MacBook models, you can use an SD card or a flash drive to gain additional memory. If your MacBook has USB Type-A (old USB standard, not new, reverse-swivel) plugs, then you can use a USB stick with low-profile storage.
A low profile USB drive is not as fast as high-speed storage as an original MacBook Flash Drive, but it is nice enough for storing documents and media. An external hard drive that plugs right into your MacBook Pro using either a docking station or USB-C hub, will provide as much additional storage space as you need or need. An external hard drive is useful for backing up your MacBook using Time Machine, but you can also split up the drive to be used as your normal drive. While you could always put that data onto something like an external hard drive, running out of storage space on the MacBook Pro can be painful.
If you want to save all your Macs files when upgrading to a new SSD, you will need to make a Time Machine backup first. If you want to retain your files, it is essential that you make a backup of your Macs Time Machine to a separate device before upgrading.
If you decide to upgrade the storage of your Mac through an SSD, it is best to have a professional do this for you. To do an upgrade, you will need the new SSD, a set of screws matching your laptop, and an extra external disk or case for the old disk, so that you can make a clone of it. If you choose the kit, you will receive an SSD upgrade, the necessary tools, and an enclosure in which to put your old drive for data transfers. In many cases, you can purchase upgrade kits that contain everything needed for upgrading the laptops storage.
With older Macs, if users do not want to pay up front for more RAM or more storage, there are options for various models that allow you to upgrade these components later. Over the years, this has become less of an option, and with the M1 Macs, this was considered to be impossible, since RAM and SSDs are soldered directly onto the M1 chip. Upgrades are supposed to be possible for other Macs using the PCIe NVMe M.2 ports for their storage.
You do not have to necessarily replace the SSD in order to add more storage on a Mac; using external storage is an easy alternative. There are a lot of SSD drives out there, but you will need a special one for MacBooks, since Macs have a different type of connectors compared to PC notebooks. Most pre-mid 2012 MacBook models had standard spinning HDDs, whereas most of post-mid 2012 models, particularly Retina models, had solid state drives (SSDs).
If you are using a previous MacBook Pro model from before 2012, then the answer is YES, you can upgrade your storage by swapping out your hard drives for faster SSDs. As a MacBook user, you may even have considered replacing your stock hard drive with an SSD at one time, just not for the storage, but for the speed, since solid-state drives are faster, but SSDs are expensive pieces of hardware. Since larger drives are probably more affordable now than when you bought the MacBook, more storage may be still worthwhile. If your machine is older and still has an optical drive (like the MacBook Pro from before 2012), you can probably upgrade the drive, adding a second or third one, as long as you swap out your optical drive for some extra room.
If your MacBook was built in 2012 or before, you have even more options to improve storage. If you are not willing to shell out that much up front, you can take advantage of any of the methods outlined above to get additional storage in your MacBook Pro. In addition to adding storage to your MacBook directly, you can also leverage some of the storage space that you already have in other parts of your house with this technique.
You could choose additional iCloud storage if you would like to use features such as iCloud Photos to save original images, while keeping only locally optimized versions on your MacBook. Buying additional storage space for your Mac through iCloud is usually both more convenient and cost-effective than getting an external drive. When it comes to storage, you can get by with a 256GB default, as long as you are willing to use external drives to augment that.
Thanks to a bespoke setup, some models also can, or can, be equipped with up to 768GB, or 1TB, SSD storage when purchased. Unlike with the 15-inch Retina Display MacBook Pro, SSDs in late 2012 and early 2013 models are mounted into a smaller drive tray, which holds either 5 or 7mm-high SSDs (or HDDs), instead of Apples smaller custom SSD modules. If a MacBooks system report shows Storage Media Type as SSD, it means the MacBook has a flash-based storage drive.
For MacBook Pros with Retina Displays (2012-2015), the storage is also upgradeable. If the thought of opening your laptop up and replacing the insides is scary to you, there is another option available which provides immediate storage upgrades with no tech skills required. It is a complicated, but relatively easy, installation process, provided that your MacBook supports upgrades, and rewards you with quick, frictionless storage that goes anywhere along with your MacBook.
Is Mac flash storage the same as SSD?
An SSD has flash storage within, but it has a unique form factor that, in most situations, makes it fit where a standard 2.5″ HDD would be. Flash is available in various formats, including small cards for phones and cameras and SSD, mSATA, and PCIe form factors for Macs.
Can I upgrade my MacBook Air flash storage?
OWC, luckily, has your back. An OWC SSD is the best upgrading option for MacBook Air. You may expand your flash storage up to 2.0TB, which is 16 times as large as the initial disk. The upgrade process is also simple and should only take a few minutes.