This simple guide will teach you How to Format a Flash Drive on Mac. Not only this, we will help you pick the best file system for your usb flash drive that you are planning to use on a Mac.

• Format Flash Drive-in Mac
• Format Flash Drive In Terminal Mac

Majority of 49.4% of desktop and laptop computer users in the world use Windows operating system. In contrast, only 27.4% of users use MacOS, obviously for their apple computer. That’s the reason why most of the flash drives in the market are available in Fat32 or NTFS formats which are the most preferred format for windows.

Although the first one, Fat32 is completely compatible with both MacOS as well as Windows, it has some limitations. Fat32 can store files only up to 4 GB of size. The latter one, NTFS is mostly used on the Windows operating system and not an optimal option for MacOS. Extra work is needed to use NTFS on MacOS. If you want to use your flash drive solely for MacOS, it is highly recommended to format your flash drive.

Formatting Flash Drive on Mac There are several applications available online for formatting USB drives such as 321Soft USB Flash Recovery for Mac, Data Recovery for Mac, and Disk Drill. These third party tools allow to format flash drive on your mac. But if want to format a flash drive without using third party tools then. Meanwhile, as I don’t know whether you’re on PC or Mac to format a flash drive for Mac and PC compatibility, I’ve decided to show you both ways. So, here’s the process for Formatting Flash Drive for Mac and PC. Formatting Flash Drive On Mac. Open Disk Utility. You can either launch it from Dock or search Disk Utility on.

Here, pop-ups the question: How to format a flash drive on a mac?

Contents

• 1 Before you format a flash drive
  • 1.1 Check flash Drive’s File System
• 2 How to format a flash drive on Mac?

Before you format a flash drive

MacOS supports HFS plus file system. HFS stands for Hierarchical File System.

Apple introduced this file system in 1985 to replace the existing Macintosh File System or MFS. HFS filesystem is modified into HFS plus (Modernly called as MacOS Extended). Before you format a flash drive it is suggested to know what file system your flash drive is in.

Check flash Drive’s File System

You don’t need to do anything special to know your flash drive’s file system. There are 2 ways you can do this.

Method 1: Using Finder

Plug in your flash drive. Now open the Finder and look for your USB device. Then right-click on the drive’s name. Select “Get Info” from the list of options opened.

A new window will open. Just to the right of “Format” is your drive’s file system.

Method 2: Using Disk utility app

Open the Disk Utility app from the utility folder available in the application. Your drive will be on the left column of the window. Click on the partition. Here you can check the current format of your flash drive.

If your flash drive’s file system is MS-DOS or ExFAT you can use it as it is without further formatting. But if it is NTFS, format your flash drive to make it completely compatible with MacOS.

How to format a flash drive on Mac?

Disk Utility application in MacOS is the best option to format a flash drive on MacOS. You can launch this app in two ways.

Step 1: Press Space while holding your command button. A search box will open. Type Disk Utility in the search box and press enter. Alternatively, Open the Finder window and select applications on the left sidebar. Navigate to Utilities and then Disk Utilities.

Step 2: Search for your flash drive on the sidebar of the Disk Utility app and select it by clicking on its name.

Step 3: Now Click the “Erase” button which is located just below the title bar of the window which says “Disk Utility”. This will erase your whole drive and make it a single partition.

Here you can change the name of your USB drive if you wish. This name will be visible on other devices as well if you plug your flash drive into them. Just below the Name section, you can see a section called “Format”.

You will need to choose a format option to change your flash drive’s file system. But which format to choose is the big question now! No need to worry. Read the description of each format given below and choose the format of your choice.

Types of filesystems

Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

This format is considered as default file system format of the Mac OS X drives. It also supports OS X Lion, like Versions. This format will allow you to use your flash drive on Mac without any limitations.

With Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format, you can setup OS X startup drive. Make sure you have right files and know how to do it. If you have any issues with a built-in drive you can boot from the external disk. This file system format is highly recommended for MacOS. But you cannot write this flash drive from windows PC once you have formatted it as Mac OS Extended (Journaled). You can read files though.

OS X Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled)

Go for this type of filesystem if you really need it for some reason. For OS X Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled), the word “File” is different than “file”. It means it’s case sensitive as the name suggests.

OS X Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled, Encrypted)

Same as filesystem just mentioned above but of course with encryption.

OS X Extended (Journaled, Encrypted)

To use a flash drive with this filesystem you will have to set up a password & enter it whenever you plug in your drive into any device.

MS-DOS (FAT)

This is just a name for the FAT32 filesystem in Disk Utility application. FAT32 supports to almost all of the operating systems in the world. This allows you to transfer files from one operating system to other. The best thing about this filesystem is its support to video game systems which include Xbox 360 and PlayStation. This filesystem can be called a universal system. The limitation about FAT32 filesystem is it doesn’t allow files which are bigger than 4 GB in size and also you cannot create a startup drive unlike Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

ExFAT

This is a new type of filesystem and it supports MacOS X 10.6.5 and later. It is same as FAT32 but it supports files larger than 4 GB. As this filesystem is relatively new, it does not on relatively older versions of Mac OS X. If you don’t use any older version of the operating system, you can use this type of filesystem.

Use ExFAT for this tutorial if you wish to use your flash drive on windows as well on MacOS.

Step 4: For this tutorial, you can ignore the Scheme option which we use if you wish to boot from your flash drive. Click on erase button to format your flash drive.

Voila! You have formatted your flash drive now. You can eject drive by right-clicking on its name in the left sidebar and click on “Eject”.

Suggested article: How to Reset SMC on Mac?

I hope this article has helped. If you are still facing problems or have doubts on how to format USB drive on Mac, then simply comment below.

/File Shredder /How to Format A Flash Drive on Mac

I just bought a flash drive, and it seems to be working really slowly on my Mac. What should I do?

You need to format your flash drive on Mac to make it compatible with your Mac. We’ll teach you how in this article. Read away!

Here are the tactics you’ll learn about in this post.

Article GuidePart 1. Why Format Your Flash Drive?Part 2. How to Format a Flash Drive on MacPart 3. Use PowerMyMac File Shredder to Delete Files on Your Flash DrivePart 4. Conclusion

Part 1. Why Format Your Flash Drive?

There are various reasons why you have to format your flash drive on Mac. Here are the three common ones:

Ensure the flash drive’s full compatibility with Mac. Most flash drives are pre-formatted for use with Windows.

The difference between macOS and Windows is that they make use of different file systems. Mac uses either Mac OS Extended or AFPS as the file system, while Windows usually uses FAT32.

Drives that are formatted as FAT32 can still be used with macOS, but there is a bigger chance that you’ll encounter issues along the way.

Aside from that, Time Machine doesn’t work with drives that are not fully compatible with Mac. Time Machine is a built-in feature of Mac that backs up your files to an external storage device such as your flash drive.

Free up space in your flash drive. USB drives have limited memory space. Sometimes, deleting unnecessary files or transferring a few of them to your PC is enough.

Sometimes, it isn’t. That is when formatting your USB drive becomes the best solution.

Get rid of viruses and other issues. Flash drives are popular for their portability, but they can also carry viruses that can spread to other computers.

Formatting a flash drive on Mac is an easy yet effective way to remove them. Although macOS is generally much safer and more secure than Windows, this doesn’t mean that your Mac can’t be affected by viruses.

Format Flash Drive-in Mac

Part 2. How to Format a Flash Drive on Mac

Before you proceed with formatting your flash drive, you should first consider which format you are going to use. Selecting the correct format is crucial as it will have an impact on its compatibility with your Mac.

Certain formats work better on specific versions of macOS. The format that you set is something you’ll have to stick with for a long time, so it’s best if you make the right decision from the very start.

Below are the available formats and when best to use them.

APFS. Short for Apple File System, APFS only works with Mac running on High Sierra or later.

It is optimized for solid state drives (SSD) like flash drives, and this guarantees a faster performance than Mac OS Extended.

If you intend to use your USB drive only with a new Mac, APFS is highly recommended. The downside to it is that it isn’t Time Machine-compatible.

This means you cannot set the flash drive as the destination of your backup.

Mac OS Extended. If your Mac is running on macOS Sierra or below, this format is the way to go. Nevertheless, Mac OS Extended works with High Sierra and up as well.

This would work well if you think you would need to use your drive in an old Mac. It has some catching up to do in terms of speed, though.

On the bright side, you can use your flash drive to create backups via Time Machine.

FAT32. The most versatile in the list, FAT32 will allow you to use your USB drive on Windows as well as a Mac. In fact, it is the most widely compatible file system.

It works on most video game consoles, media players, and other devices. However, it can only support individual files up to 4GB in size.

We don’t suggest using this format if you plan to store large files like videos.

exFAT. This is closely similar to FAT32 in terms of compatibility. It works on both Windows and macOS too.

However, it is not supported by as many consoles and devices as FAT32. The great thing here is that it doesn’t have a file size limit.

If you want full compatibility with Mac, choose between APFS and Mac OS Extended. If you expect to transfer files between a Windows computer and a Mac, you should decide on either FAT32 or exFAT.

If you are merely freeing up space or getting rid of viruses in your flash drive, simply select the previous format.

Now, have you decided which format would best suit you and your Mac? If you have, refer to our step-by-step guide on how to format a flash drive on Mac.

Step 1: Plug the flash drive into the USB port.

Newer models of MacBook and MacBook Pro only come with USB-C ports. You will need to connect a USB-C adaptor on the port before you can connect your flash drive.

Step 2: Launch a Finder window.

Open a Finder window. You should see your flash drive listed below the Devices section.

Click on it. If you have files in your drive, make sure to transfer them to your Mac or another external storage device. Formatting your flash drive will wipe off all files in it.

Step 3: Run Disk Utility.

Now, go to Applications and select Utilities. Click Disk Utility to open it and press on your flash drive’s name from the sidebar. Click on the Erase tab at the top of the window.

Step 4. Choose a format for your flash drive.

From the drop-down list next to Format, select the format that you want to use for the flash drive. You may also set a name for your drive. Simply enter it in the field beside Name.

Step 5. Format your flash drive.

Click Erase. A dialog box will appear. Hit Erase to confirm and wait for your Mac to complete the formatting.

Part 3. Use PowerMyMac File Shredder to Delete Files on Your Flash Drive

Every time you want to permanently delete files on your USB drive, you don’t have to format it again. You can just use a reliable file shredder to conveniently erase files in a secure way.

PowerMyMac File Shredder does just that. You can use it to delete confidential files on your Mac, external hard drives, and SD cards as well. It comes with a 30-day free trial, so grab the opportunity while it lasts!

Step 1. Download, Launch iMyMac PowerMyMac and Choose File Shredder Option

Download and install the software on your Mac. Launch it once installation is complete. Connect your flash drive to the USB port.

From the left tab of the software, click Toolkit module and select Shredder. Hit Select Files.

Step 2. Choose File to Destroy

A Finder window will appear. On the sidebar, you will see a list of folders and your connected USB drive. Look for your flash drive below the Devices section and click on it.

Select the files that you want to delete and press Open. If you want to add more files for deletion, simply click on the Add Files button on the upper-left corner of the window.

Step 3. Permanently Shred Private Files

Before you continue, make sure that you’re certain that you wish to delete your files.

Once you have selected all files that you wish to delete, hit Clean.

People Also Read:How to Securely Delete Files on MacThe Best Mac File Shredder in 2021

Part 4. Conclusion

Formatting is useful for making the most out of your flash drive. Choosing the format that matches the Mac you’re using as well as your data storage needs are very important.

So is deleting unwanted and confidential files as safely and securely as possible. This is made possible with iMyMac PowerMyMac File Shredder.

You should use it with caution, though. Once files are wiped off by iMyMac PowerMyMac File Shredder, you will no longer be able to recover them!

ExcellentThanks for your rating.

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (based on 66 ratings)

People Also Read:

PowerMyMac

A powerful all-in-one App for Mac

Free Download

Format Flash Drive In Terminal Mac

Clean up and speed up your Mac with ease

Free Download