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I am seeking a low-profile USB flash drive (in either 2.0 or 3.0) that would sit nearly flush with the side of the MacBook.

This way I can leave it in through reboot cycles, and hopefully find that macOS will mount it without needing to insert anew after every reboot.

The SanDisk "Ultra Fit" looked promising in Amazon's pictures, until I found that it protrudes quite a bit. It means that if I pull the MacBook from its bag and inadvertendly knock the flash drive, I will risk also knocking the logic board—possibly a very nasty event.

sandisk usb flash drive inserted in macbook

Does there exist a solution that sits nearly flush with the side of a MacBook? Ideally it would protrude just enough so I can grab it when necessary, but even if I need a special tool (such as two tiny screwdrivers) to pull it out, that is also good.

Another option is from Elago

elago usb flash drive adapter

Do you have any experience with this product? Does it nearly vanish inside a MacBook?

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    The Ultra fit gets pretty close. How much more "almost flush" can you get before you're unable to pull the thing out?
    – Wowfunhappy
    Commented Oct 5, 2018 at 19:13

2 Answers 2

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I'm not aware of any such products with a USB connection, but there are several options for using an SD card slot in this way, if your model of MacBook has such a slot. Some of these are storage devices, while others are microSD card readers, but both types have the same functionality. Note that different models of MacBook have different depths of SD card slot, so make sure you get a product designed to work with your computer.

Here are a few examples:

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  • If I had an SD card slot, the SD card would disappear inside and it would be perfect. Unfortunately I only have an ExpressCard/34, and no one seems to be making (or ever made, for that matter) SD adapters–nor even USB 3.0 adapters. Only adapters for the thinner ExpressCards commonly available for PCs are on the market.
    – Calaf
    Commented Oct 7, 2017 at 21:45
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    It would help if you gave the model and year if your macbook as the options would become clearer...
    – Solar Mike
    Commented Oct 7, 2017 at 21:54
  • @SolarMike Is it known that Apple has been making USB ports on MacBooks that make the flash memory inserted protrude more or less depending on the model?
    – Calaf
    Commented Oct 8, 2017 at 0:28
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    @Calaf by providing the model, it would save people wasting their time suggesting things that won't work on your machine as the option is not there - exactly the case with the SD card slot.
    – Solar Mike
    Commented Oct 8, 2017 at 3:44
  • @Calaf your questionis unclear : Apple making the usb ports protrude more or less - ports have been "flush" and the malepart of the usb enters into the port - same as most usb ports one finds...
    – Solar Mike
    Commented Oct 8, 2017 at 3:48
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Try the SANDISK ULTRA FIT USB 3.0 FLASH DRIVE

It only goes up to 128GB though ($37.99)

https://www.sandisk.com/home/usb-flash/ultra-fit-usb

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    That's the first picture I have in the question. The SanDisk Ultra Fit looks initially to have a nice curve that will make it slide rather than catch as you're pulling it out of a bag. But it actually protrudes quite a bit, as the picture shows.
    – Calaf
    Commented Oct 8, 2017 at 0:26
  • Have you thought of using a portable hard drive? They even have 1TB wireless drives that you can carry in your bag, and then press a button to turn it on and turn on wifi for wireless access to the storage space.
    – Melvin Jefferson
    Commented Oct 8, 2017 at 0:28
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    I'm not after 1TB of storage. Quite the opposite. I'm after always-available-without-constantly-plugging-and-unplugging-storage. A few GB will suffice.
    – Calaf
    Commented Oct 8, 2017 at 0:46

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