This is a good option if you’re formatting the drive for a Windows computer. A Mac computer can read files on an NTFS drive, but it can not write files to that drive.

NTFS: This is the Windows equivalent to APFS it’s Windows’s default drive format.

ExFAT: The same as MS-DOT (FAT) except that it supports files over 4GB in size.

And, since it’s a little older, it has no security features. However, MS-DOT (FAT) only allows files that are 4GB or less. It’s compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux, making it a great option if you need to move files between the three operating systems.

MS-DOT (FAT): This file format comes with a big benefit and a big drawback.

Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled): This is the same as Mac OS Extended (Journaled), with the exception that you can give your drive a case-sensitive name (“Flash Drive”) instead of an all-uppercase name (“FLASH DRIVE”).

You can’t move files to a drive using this format on Windows computers either, but you can view the files on it on a Windows computer, which is a small point for compatibility.

It’s more or less the same as APFS, just a bit older. Mac OS Extended (Journaled): This was the default Apple drive format before APFS.If none of these things affects you, choose this format. However, it’s not readable by a non-Apple machine (meaning you can’t plug the drive into a Windows or Linux computer) and Macs running software older than High Sierra won’t be able to read the drive. APFS (Apple File System): This is a relatively new drive format from Apple that is now macOS’s default.If you’re not sure which format to choose, here are some pointers: You’ll see the drive’s current format already selected, like so: Next, choose the format that you’re going to reformat the drive to. You can name it anything you like, or simply leave the name the same In the sidebar of Disk Utility, click the USB drive you want to format and then click Erase in the toolbar at the top of the window.Ī dropdown menu should appear asking you to rename your drive. Next, press command + spacebar to pull up Spotlight, type “Disk Utility”, and hit return.

Make sure that there are no files on the drive that you wish to keep because the formatting process will erase everything on the drive. Once your USB drive is plugged into your Mac, open Finder. Depending on which Mac you’re using, you may need to use a flash drive that has a USB C socket or an adapter from USB A to USB C. First, plug your USB drive into your Mac. The simplest way to format a USB on macOS is through the Disk Utility.

Usb format for pc and mac