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Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The primary betas of iOS and iPadOS 18 embrace a brand new choice within the Information app that enables customers to reformat exterior drives when erasing them.
- Beta testers can at the moment choose between the APFS, ExFAT, and MS-DOS (FAT) codecs, which serve totally different functions.
- Selecting the APFS format permits customers to encrypt the exterior drive utilizing a password of their selection and go for case sensitivity.
Apple has been steadily boosting its newest iPhones and iPads by introducing contemporary power-user options with each annual OS replace, and this 12 months isn’t any totally different. The primary betas of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 pack a brand new performance that enables testers to reformat exterior drives when erasing them.
The power to erase linked exterior drives utilizing the Information app on iPhones and iPads has existed for some time. As Kaleb Cadle found, although, iOS and iPadOS 18 improve this characteristic by permitting customers to select between three codecs as a substitute of being restricted to a default one.
So, when customers try to erase an exterior drive utilizing the Information app on iOS and iPadOS 18, they’ll be prompted to select between the APFS, ExFAT, and MS-DOS (FAT) codecs. Notably, choosing Apple File System (APFS) permits you to toggle case sensitivity and set a password to encrypt the drive.
In the meantime, ExFAT and MS-DOS (FAT) miss out on the aforementioned perks however provide a wider compatibility. This extends the drive’s help past iOS, iPadOS, and macOS to incorporate Home windows PCs, cameras, and different non-Apple units.
On condition that Apple seemingly hasn’t referenced the brand new reformatting characteristic on its web site, there’s a slim probability it’ll be eliminated in a future beta. In spite of everything, we’re at the moment testing the primary betas of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, and we’re anticipating round seven extra pre-release builds earlier than the secure launch. So, loads may change by then. Finally, we hope this characteristic makes it to the general public launch, because it’ll spare iPhone and iPad customers the necessity to depend on their Macs at any time when they wish to reformat a drive.
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