You Can Now Format External Drives Using Your IPad or IPhone
Your iPad isn’t a full-fledged replacement for your Mac, but every year the tablet gains more and more features that make it a full-fledged computer. Artist Caleb Cadle discovered the newest of these features—the ability to format external drives using an iPad running iPadOS 18 . Shortly after, MacStories contributor Nilean confirmed that the feature also works on iPhones running iOS 18 .
How to Format External Drives Using an iPhone or iPad
First, you need an iPhone or iPad running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18. Follow these instructions to update your device, but be careful if you’re using a primary device, as installing a beta version may make it unstable.
Then connect the external drive to the device. In some cases an adapter may be required. With the drive connected, open the Files app, long-press the external drive’s name in the sidebar, and tap the red Erase button.
You will now see new options that will allow you to choose the file system for your external drive. You have three options: APFS, ExFAT and FAT. Click here for details on each format. Select the option to format the external drive accordingly.
This feature works with hard drives, flash drives, and even SD cards if you have the right adapters.
Why format a drive on your iPad or iPhone?
Many people use their iPhone and iPad for professional purposes, such as taking photos and videos. Often these files need to be moved to external drives. Having formatting options built into the OS helps all those who want to use their iOS devices as productivity tools since they don’t have to go to their Mac or PC.
That said , your Mac’s Disk Utility is a much more powerful tool than what you’ll find in the Files app for iOS 18 or iPadOS 18. In addition to formatting, Disk Utility lets you partition drives, restore them with content from another drive, and also try to repair the drives that are causing you problems. Another thing to note is that Disk Utility allows you to select the Mac OS Enhanced File System, which is exclusive to Mac computers. You cannot select this option on your iPhone or iPad, but on the other hand, the APFS format is exclusive to iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 devices.
The ability to format drives is a positive development for iOS devices, but there’s a long way to go before your iPad can completely replace your Mac.