Enabling TRIM for third-party SSDs is primarily done through the trimforce command in Terminal. Here’s a breakdown of the process and important considerations:

Understanding TRIM

• TRIM is a command that allows the operating system to tell an SSD which data blocks are no longer in use and can be erased. This helps maintain the SSD’s performance over time.

Enabling TRIM

• The trimforce command is the native way to enable TRIM in macOS High Sierra and later versions.
• Here’s how to use it:
  1. Open Terminal: Go to Applications > Utilities > Terminal.³
  2. Enter the command: Type sudo trimforce enable and press Enter.
  3. Enter your password: You’ll be prompted to enter your administrator password.
  4. Confirm: You’ll see a warning message. Carefully read it, and if you understand and wish to proceed, type “y” and press Enter.
  5. Confirm reboot: you will be asked to confirm a reboot, again type “y” and press enter.
  6. Reboot: Your Mac will restart.

Important Notes:

• Backup: Before enabling TRIM, it’s strongly recommended to back up your important data. There’s a small risk of data loss if something goes wrong during the process.
• Warnings: The trimforce command comes with warnings because enabling TRIM on some third-party SSDs might cause compatibility issues.
• Checking TRIM Status:
  • You can check if TRIM is enabled by going to:
    • Apple menu > About This Mac > System Report > SATA/SATA Express.
    • Look for “TRIM Support.” If it says “Yes,” TRIM is enabled.
  • Alternatively you can use the terminal command:
    • system_profiler SPSerialATADataType | grep 'TRIM'
• Apple SSDs: Macs that come with Apple’s own SSDs typically have TRIM enabled by default.