Due to this, it can also be used with the older systems with traditional hard disk drives (HDD) and external, direct-attached storage drives. APFS has many attractive features like snapshots, strong encryption, space sharing, fast directory sizing, and improved file system fundamentals.ĪPFS is optimized for Flash/SSD storage used in recent macOS. It was announced at Apple’s Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2016, meaning to replace HFS+ that was released in 1998. Apple File System (APFS)ĪPFS is the default file system for Mac computers that are running macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later.

Now, we will introduce these four Mac file systems and this information can help you find the best file system format for external hard drive on Mac. Thus, NTFS is not a recommended file system on Mac. Apple’s macOS can read NTFS drives, but it can’t write to them. Tip: There is another familiar file system: NTFS.

exFAT: the file system is compatible with both Mac and Windows.

MS-DOS ( FAT ): the file system is compatible with both Mac and Windows.

Mac OS Extended (HFS+): the file system is used by macOS 10.12 (Sierra) or earlier.

Apple File System (APFS): the file system is used by macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later.

Which Mac File System Is the Best for an External Drive?īefore choosing the best format for Mac external drive, you should know which file system formats are available in Disk Utility on Mac.ĭisk Utility supports the following file system formats: Well then, which is the best format for external hard drive Mac? You can get some useful information from the following part. No matter under which circumstance you need to use an external storage device on your Mac, you may want your Mac external drive to be formatted with the best file system to make it to be recognized on your Mac and maximize the best performance.

If you want to transfer your Mac data to another computer, you need to use an external hard drive.

If your Mac runs out of space, you can use an external hard drive to increase the storage.

If you want to back up your Mac data using Time Machine, you need to use an external hard drive to save the Time Machine backups.

In many cases, you need to use an external hard drive on your Mac computer. When Do You Need to Use an External Hard Drive on Mac?

Best Format for External Hard Drive Mac FAQ.

How to Recover Data from an External Hard Drive on Mac?.How to Format External Hard Drive on Mac?.Which Mac File System Is the Best for an External Drive?.When Do You Need to Use an External Hard Drive on Mac?.

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