You connected your SpikerBox into your Mac, but when you go into Spike Recorder there is NO USB symbol right next to an FFT and when you click on Select port, there is nothing offered to connect to.
First what you can do is to turn your Bluetooth OFF. The reason behind this is due to the occasions when Spike Recorder connects to the Bluetooth module and gets jams trying to recognize the device, instead of connecting to your actual SpikerBox.
Next is to check if your Mac has recognized the USB connection of your SpikerBox. A detailed guide on how to know if your USB connection is displayed in the USB section, please follow our article below:
https://help.backyardbrains.com/support/solutions/articles/43000617693-my-muscle-spikebox-pro-isn-t-recognized-using-micro-to-usb-c-cable-by-my-mac-
If the Spike Recorder is displayed in the USB tree then it's probably a Muscle SpikerBox Pro or a Neuron SpikerBox Pro.
If the FT231X USB UART is displayed instead, then it's probably a Heart & Brain SpikerBox and every other Arduino-based SpikerBox, like Muscle SpikerShield.
If the Arduino Leonardo is displayed, then you have a Plant SpikerBox attached to your Mac.
Having those names displayed under the USB section means that your Mac has perfectly well recognized the connection from your SpikerBox.
That leaves us to the following troubleshooting step, which is to figure out what is going on inside the Spike Recorder and why it can't read your SpikerBox.
In order to do that we must create a log file. The log file will perfectly tell us how does Spike Recorder communicates and what might be the issue.
How to create a log file please read our how-to article below:
https://help.backyardbrains.com/support/solutions/articles/43000615583-how-to-create-find-spike-recorder-s-log-file-mac
Once you've created a log file, try searching for the following line in the log file.
error 12:01:09.110094-0400 SpikeRecorder 0x1000f1083: TCC deny IOHIDDeviceOpen
Note that the time might be different but what you want to look for is the TCC deny IOHIDDeviceOpen.
What that tells you is that you're having a permission issue with your Mac. Or in other words, Mac isn't allowing Spike Recorder to communicate with other devices. Or that the permission to communicate with other devices has to be restored.
How to fix that issue, please follow the steps described below:
1.) Go to Apple menu > System Preferences.
2.) Select Security & Privacy.
3.) Choose Input Monitoring from the list.
4.) Unlock settings in the bottom left-hand side of the window.
5.) Unselect Spike Recorder and delete Spike Recorder from the list, by clicking on the minus sign.
6.) Close Security & Privacy settings.
7.) Open Spike Recorder.
8.) System will ask for Keystroke Permissions. Accept it by clicking on "Open System Preference". The system will open Security & Privacy settings again. Unlock settings again and select the checkbox for Spike Recorder
8.) System will ask to close Spike Recorder if it is open. Accept it.
9.) Open Spike Recorder again and connect your SpikerBox to the USB port.
10.) After 10 seconds a USB symbol should appear right next to an FFT and you should see a signal from the first channel of your SpikerBox.