So what’s the catch? Reverse compatibility. We’re just skimming the surface, so check out our article about everything you need to know about APFS for more information about the benefits of APFS. There are also a number of reliability improvements, making things like corrupted files a lot less common. And improvements to metadata mean it’s very quick to do things like determine how much space a folder is taking up on your drive. RELATED: APFS Explained: What You Need to Know About Apple's New File Systemįor one thing, APFS is faster: copying and pasting a folder is basically instantaneous, because the file system basically points to the same data twice. First released in 2016, it offers all sorts of benefits over Mac OS Extended, the previous default. Let’s dive into a bit more details about the top three choices below, and then explain a few of the sub-options.ĪPFS: Best for Solid State and Flash DrivesĪPFS, or Apple File System, is the default file system for solid state drives and flash memory in 2017’s macOS High Sierra. The other factors, like encryption and case sensitivity, aren’t something you should get too hung up on. Use this for an external drive that will plug into both kinds of computers.Ĭhoosing a file system is basically choosing between these three options.

ExFAT is the best cross platform option, designed to work on Windows and macOS systems.

On macOS High Sierra, it’s used on all mechanical and hybrid drives, and older versions of macOS used it by default for all drives.

Mac OS Extended, also known as HFS Plus or HFS+, is the file system used on all Macs from 1998 until now.

It’s optimized for solid state drives (SSDs) and other all-flash storage devices, though it will also work on mechanical and hybrid drives.

APFS, or “Apple File System,” is one of the new features in macOS High Sierra.

RELATED: What's New in macOS 10.13 High Sierra, Available Now

What does all this mean, and which should you choose? Basically there are three main options:

The list is longer than you’d think, with terms like “APFS (Case-sensitive)” and “Mac OS Extended (Journaled, Encrypted)” to choose from. So you’re using Disk Utility to partition your new hard drive when you’re presented with a choice of potential file systems.

Mac os high sierra flash drive