What format is best for Time Machine backup?

If you plan to use your drive for Time Machine backups on a Mac, and you use only macOS, use HFS+ (Hierarchical File System Plus, or macOS Extended).

What format should I use for Mac external hard drive?

Choose a name, format, and scheme for your drive.

• Mac OS Extended (Journaled) is the best option for most Mac users since it is compatible with all Macs.
• APFS (Apple File System) is only for newer Macs running macOS 10.13 or later.
• exFAT is compatible with both PC and Mac.

Will exFAT work with Time Machine?

HFS+ is the only format compatible with Time Machine. Use exFAT if: …you need to allow both Mac and Windows computers to read and write to the disk.

Is NTFS good for Mac?

macOS can read NTFS formatted files but it cannot write on them. However, with the help of a reliable app, you can be able to read and write on NTFS drives as you wish. There are many applications that claim to be the best Mac NTFS. With these, Mac users are able to add, delete, modify and alter files on NTFS drives.

Can exFAT be used for Time Machine?

How do I format a backup drive for Mac?

Formatting an External Drive

1. Connect the hard drive to your Mac.
2. Open Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
3. Find your external hard drive in the list of drives.
4. Click “Erase” from the Disk Utility options.
5. A Format pop-up window will give you the opportunity to choose one of the following:
6. Rename the new drive.

How do I format a Time Machine hard drive for Windows?

The easiest way to do that is hit CMD and the spacebar at the same time and type in “Disk Utility” to find the program.

1. Select the drive you want to format.
2. Enter the amount of space you want to set aside for Time Machine.
3. Select the new untitled partition so we can format it as exFAT for use with both Mac and Windows.