This file format was developed by Microsoft to offer simple compatibility with FAT32.

Though, HFS+ and APFS both can't be formatted to Windows without third-party apps. But it is still one of the best formats for external hard drives on Mac Catalina.įor older Macs (before 2016), HFS+ is the perfect file format to access external hard drives. Hierarchical File System Plus, also known as Mac OS Extended, has been the main Mac storage system since 1998.

But unfortunately, on Mac Catalina, Time Machine won't recognize the APFS external disk. On macOS Big Sur or higher, Apple allows users to choose APFS for Time Machine. If comfort and speed are your top attributes, APFS formatted external hard drives are perfect for you. It is a high-quality file system that includes copy-on-write metadata, increased encryption, improved data safety, and many other features. Depending upon the requirements, one can format a Mac external hard drive to the following file formats: Apple File System (APFS)ĪPFS is Apple's native file system that was introduced around 2017. Mac Catalina supports plenty of different file formats. Let's get started! The Best File Formats for a Mac External Hard Drive Also, the post will throw light on how to format external hard drives into Mac compatible file systems. This guide is compiled to help Mac Catalina users to find the best external hard drive file formats. If the external drive isn't formatted in Mac-compatible formats, it can create several errors like read-only, unable to mount USB drive properly, and so on. If you have also updated your computer to Mac Catalina operating software and want to connect external hard drives with it, first get to know all the file formats supported by Mac Catalina.Īpple has allowed macOS to work with only certain file formats. And, after the MacOS Catalina introduction, they have become even more rigorous. Macintosh computers have always been fast and powerful. PAGE CONTENT: The Best File Formats for a Mac External Hard Drive How to Format External Hard Drive with Disk Utility Additional Trick: EaseUS NTFS For Mac

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