#Mac format external disk mac os#
#Mac format external disk portable#

You can format a drive with HFS+ using the macOS Disk Utility app, which you can launch from the Launchpad ( Other > Disk Utility). With that in mind, and for cross-compatibility, you may decide to use HFS+ over APFS. If youвЂ™re using an older, mechanical drive with a disk platter, those enhancements may seem largely minimal or non-existent.

#Mac format external disk portable#

Many of the speed and performance enhancements that APFS brings rely on using a high-speed SSD or portable flash memory drive. Other than functionality, however, there are still a few legitimate reasons why youвЂ™d choose HFS+ over APFS-the biggest reason depends on the type of drive you use.

#Mac format external disk mac os#

YouвЂ™ll also need to consider Mac OS Extended if youвЂ™re using older and newer Macs together, as older versions of macOS wonвЂ™t support APFS. YouвЂ™ll need to use HFS+ if you plan on formatting a second hard drive or portable flash drive for use as a Time Machine backup-APFS drives wonвЂ™t work. While Mac OS Extended (HFS+) is no longer the default file system for macOS installations, it hasnвЂ™t been completely abandoned by Apple, and itвЂ™s still a useful option for macOS users under certain conditions.ДЄs weвЂ™ve mentioned, HFS+ is the default file system of choice for macOS Time Machine backup drives. Choosing Mac OS Extended (HFS+) for Hard Drives However, for most users, APFS is the only file system theyвЂ™ll need or want to use вЂ“ but only if theyвЂ™re (only) using modern Mac devices. If you attempt to use an APFS-formatted drive, macOS will want to format it to HFS+ before you can proceed.ДЄlong with APFS and Mac OS Extended (also called HFS+), you also have other file systems that can be used for external drives, including cross-platform options like ExFAT. macOS continues to use the HFS+ file system for Time Machine drives for the time being. If you back up your Mac using Time Machine, you wonвЂ™t be able to use APFS, either. If you have an older Mac, youвЂ™ll need to keep using Mac OS Extended or use an alternative like ExFAT instead. The biggest downside to using APFS is that Macs with older macOS versions (macOS 10.12.6 Sierra and older) canвЂ™t read, write, or otherwise access drives that use it.