BEST NETWORK HARD DRIVE FOR MAC MAC OS

You won't get the security and efficiency of APFS, but you will get the convenience of being able to transfer files back and forth between Windows and macOS simply by plugging in and unplugging your drive. If you plan to use your external drive with computers that run both operating systems, you should consider formatting your drive with the exFAT file system. Neither Apple File System nor HFS+ works with Windows, however. Any drive formatted with HFS+ will work just fine with a Mac that's running macOS High Sierra or later. There are many benefits to switching from HFS+ to APFS, including better security thanks to native encryption, but the most important thing to note for external-drive shoppers is backward-compatibility. It's simply called the Apple File System (APFS), and it's the first format to be used across both Macs and iOS devices.

BEST NETWORK HARD DRIVE FOR MAC MAC OS

With the release of the macOS High Sierra operating system, Cupertino ditched its venerable Mac OS Extended file system, commonly abbreviated as HFS+, and switched to an entirely new file system. Before we get to Thunderbolt 3, we need to address a basic building block of hard drives that has always affected compatibility, and probably always will: the file system.Īn external drive's file system is the most important factor that determines whether or not it's readable by Macs, PCs, or both.

Best network hard drive for mac