WCH CH34x USB Serial Driver
Nanjing Qinheng Microelectronics (WCH) · Enable compatible WCH USB-to-serial adapters as macOS virtual serial ports for electronics and console workflows.
WCH CH34x USB Serial Driver is Drivers & Hardware software for Mac.
About
WCH CH34x USB Serial Driver enables macOS to expose virtual serial ports for compatible WCH USB-to-serial chips. It is useful for electronics developers, serial consoles and boards or adapters that use the supported controllers. It is a hardware driver, not a terminal emulator or firmware-flashing utility, and it is not the correct driver for every USB serial adapter.
Exact download and supported devices
The official 2.1 ZIP is 6,454,866 bytes, measured from a complete official download after the endpoint did not report a usable length. It contains both CH34xVCPDriver.pkg and CH34xVCPDriver.dmg plus the version 2.1 installation guide. The guide lists OS X 10.9–10.15 and macOS 11 or later. It lists CH340/CH341/CH343/CH339/CH9101/CH9102/CH9143/CH9149/CH9433 single-port chips and CH342/CH344/CH346/CH347/CH9103/CH9104/CH9105/CH9111/CH9114 multi-port chips. Confirm the actual chip and a data-capable USB connection; this list does not guarantee every board's wiring or firmware works.
Installation path and dependencies
Use the official package instructions or brew install --cask wch-ch34x-usb-serial-driver. The guide defaults to the PKG route, but says macOS 11+ hosts without Rosetta support should use the DMG application route. On macOS 11+, open CH34xVCPDriver after installing and use its Install control. Older OS releases use the package/restart procedure. No fixed RAM requirement is stated, and exact CPU coverage should be checked against that Rosetta/installer distinction rather than assumed identical for both routes.
Driver approval and verification
Installation and driver approval can require administrator access. The guide discusses third-party driver/extension approval and says authorization differs with the macOS version. Follow the current macOS prompts and the publisher's applicable procedure; do not broadly weaken security protections for an unidentified adapter. After connecting the device, check System Information USB details and the expected tty.wchusbserial device node. A serial application still needs the correct baud rate, parity and flow-control settings, and a matching port.
Accounts, license and practical risks
The driver package does not require a WCH cloud account for local serial communication. Downloading updates needs networking; connected board tools have their own services or accounts. The checked bundle and download material did not establish a redistribution license or open-source grant, so do not treat a free download as permission to redistribute it. Driver installation changes system-level device access and may need a restart; conflicting drivers or a mistaken port selection can interrupt device workflows. Back up device data before any separate flashing tool changes firmware. Do not copy broad deletion commands from an old guide into a newer system without confirming scope.
Release and media limitations
The catalog contains 2.1, 2.0 and 1.9. The official 2.1 manual establishes supported installation behavior but is not a change log; no exact changes for these three releases were verified. No standalone official app-icon or PNG/JPEG/WebP interface image URL was verified for publication; the genuine installer UI remains visible in the retained official PDF.
Sources: Official driver download, Exact official package and bundled 2.1 manual.
New What’s new in 2.1 OpenNavo editorial
- ChangesNo verified list of changes is available from the official source.
Install and uninstall
Homebrew runs the CH341SER_MAC/CH34xVCPDriver.pkg installer, which asks for an administrator password.
Install without Homebrew
Download the same file Homebrew uses: file.wch.cn/download/file?id=369
$ brew uninstall --cask \wch-ch34x-usb-serial-driverA regular uninstall removes the app and keeps its settings and caches.
$ brew uninstall --zap --cask \wch-ch34x-usb-serial-driver--zap also deletes the settings, caches and other files listed in the Homebrew definition. They can include data shared with other apps and cannot be restored, and it does not guarantee that nothing is left.See which files are removed
Facts and sources
- Version 2.1
- Recorded by Homebrew on Sep 3
Questions
Is WCH CH34x USB Serial Driver safe?
WCH CH34x USB Serial Driver is in Homebrew’s official catalog and has not been disabled. Since September 2026, Homebrew disables apps that fail macOS Gatekeeper checks. The download comes from file.wch.cn; Homebrew does not verify a checksum for it. It was installed 359 times through Homebrew in the last 30 days.
How do I completely uninstall WCH CH34x USB Serial Driver on a Mac?
Run brew uninstall --cask wch-ch34x-usb-serial-driver. It quits the app, forgets 1 installer receipt, and unloads 2 kernel extensions. To delete its settings and caches as well, run brew uninstall --zap --cask wch-ch34x-usb-serial-driver. That also deletes 2 files and folders, including ~/.
Does WCH CH34x USB Serial Driver run on Apple silicon (M1 and later) Macs?
It installs, but on Apple silicon Macs it runs through Rosetta 2.
Where does WCH CH34x USB Serial Driver store its settings and data?
Its data is in ~/. These locations come from Homebrew’s clean-up list.
What is the latest version of WCH CH34x USB Serial Driver?
The latest version is 2.1, added to Homebrew on Sep 3. Run brew upgrade --cask wch-ch34x-usb-serial-driver to update it.
What else does installing WCH CH34x USB Serial Driver add?
It installs through a .pkg installer, which asks for an administrator password.
Caveats
wch-ch34x-usb-serial-driver requires a kernel extension to work. If the installation fails, retry after you enable it in: System Settings → Privacy & Security For more information, refer to vendor documentation or this Apple Technical Note: https:// You must reboot for the installation of wch-ch34x-usb-serial-driver to take effect.developer. apple. com/ library/ content/ technotes/ tn2459/ _index. html