Why convert ISO to DMG?
DMG is the native disk-image format on macOS, handled natively by Finder and Disk Utility. Converting an ISO to DMG allows working with the disc contents using standard macOS tools without third-party software. The conversion is far more common in the opposite direction - DMG to ISO for use on Windows or Linux.
How to convert ISO to DMG
hdiutil FREE
Run hdiutil convert input.iso -format UDTO -o output in Terminal, then rename output.cdr to output.dmg. Mount with hdiutil attach output.dmg to verify.
AnyToISO APP
Open AnyToISO, choose 'Convert image to ISO/DMG', load the .iso, select DMG as output format, and click Convert.
Programs that convert ISO
About these formats
.ISO
ISO disc image (ISO 9660 / UDF)
An ISO file is a sector-by-sector copy of an optical disc (CD, DVD, or Blu-ray) stored as a single file. On Windows 8 and later, right-click it and choose Mount - no software needed. To…
Open .ISO details →
.DMG
Apple Disk Image
A DMG file is an Apple disk image - the standard container for distributing Mac applications. On a Mac, double-click it to mount the image, then drag the app to your Applications folder. On…
Open .DMG details →Quality & what to watch
- If the ISO is a bootable Windows or Linux installer, the boot record and El Torito catalog do not carry over; the resulting DMG will contain the files but will not boot on a Mac.
- The
hdiutil UDTOformat produces a CD/DVD-R master with a.cdrextension by default; renaming to.dmgworks for mounting but the internal format differs from a native HFS+/APFS DMG. - File names, folder structure, and file data survive the conversion intact; macOS extended attributes and resource forks are absent in the source ISO so nothing extra is lost.
Frequently asked questions
Why does hdiutil produce a .cdr file instead of .dmg?
UDTO format hdiutil writes is a CD/DVD-R master and defaults to the .cdr extension; renaming it to .dmg is required for Finder and Disk Utility to treat it as a standard disk image.
