UnbitOpen a BitLocker SSD, HDD or USB stick on Mac
Unbit opens BitLocker-encrypted external drives of any kind – USB sticks, portable SSDs and external hard drives – read-only on your Mac. The steps are the same for all of them; this guide covers what differs and what isn’t supported. For the full walkthrough, see How to open a BitLocker drive on a Mac.
What counts as a supported drive
- An external drive encrypted with BitLocker or BitLocker To Go on Windows 7 or later.
- Encryption with AES-CBC (with or without the Elephant diffuser) or AES-XTS, with 128- or 256-bit keys.
- A file system of exFAT, FAT32 or NTFS inside the encrypted volume. Once the drive is unlocked, macOS reads the file system itself.
- A password – or, if the drive has one, its 48-digit recovery key.
Not sure whether a drive uses BitLocker? In Windows File Explorer an encrypted drive shows a padlock icon.
USB sticks
USB sticks are the most common BitLocker To Go case: a stick encrypted on a Windows PC and then handed to someone with a Mac. Plug it in, and Unbit lists it under Drives. Select it, enter the password and choose Open Drive.
If the stick isn’t recognized, try a port directly on the Mac instead of a hub.
Portable and external SSDs
A BitLocker-encrypted external SSD opens the same way. Unbit decrypts on demand, as macOS reads, so you don’t wait for a full copy of the drive before browsing. While you copy, Unbit shows live read activity and how much data has been read this session.
External hard drives (HDD)
Spinning hard drives work too. A few practical tips:
- Give the drive a moment to spin up before it appears in the list, and use the original cable.
- Bus-powered drives need enough power. Connect them directly to the Mac rather than through an unpowered hub.
- Don’t move the drive while it’s being read. If it stops responding or is unplugged, Unbit closes it automatically and tells you.
Drives with several partitions
If an external drive has more than one partition, Unbit lists them separately. Choose the one that is BitLocker-encrypted. If you pick a partition that isn’t encrypted, Unbit tells you so; an unencrypted partition opens in Finder without any extra software.
What doesn’t work
- Internal disks. Unbit supports external drives only.
- Drives that Windows is still encrypting or decrypting. Let Windows finish first.
- Encryption methods Unbit doesn’t support, and BitLocker versions older than Windows 7. Unbit tells you when that is the case; open such a drive on a Windows PC.
- Writing. Unbit is read-only, so you can’t add, change or delete files on the drive.
A drive taken out of a PC and put into a USB enclosure or dock normally shows up on a Mac as an external drive. See also Is BitLocker on Mac safe? for what read-only means.
Frequently asked questions
Does Unbit work with BitLocker To Go USB sticks?
Yes. BitLocker To Go is how Windows encrypts removable drives such as USB sticks, and Unbit opens them read-only on a Mac.
Does it matter which brand of SSD or hard drive I have?
Unbit works at the BitLocker level, so what matters is how the drive was encrypted and that it’s an external drive – not the brand.
Can I open the internal drive of another computer?
No. Internal disks aren’t supported. Drives connected as external drives – for example through a USB enclosure – are the use case Unbit is made for.
Which file systems work inside the encrypted drive?
exFAT, FAT32 and NTFS. After the drive is unlocked, macOS reads the file system itself. If it doesn’t recognize it, check the drive on a Windows PC.
Can I still use the drive on Windows afterwards?
Yes. Unbit only reads the drive and never changes it, so it stays exactly as Windows left it.