Apple File System

Apple File System (APFS)

Apple File System (APFS) is a proprietary file system developed by Apple Inc. for use in its operating systems, including macOS, iOS, tvOS, and watchOS. APFS was introduced to replace the older HFS+ file system, providing improved performance, reliability, and security features.

History

APFS was first announced at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2016. It was designed to address the limitations of HFS+, which was originally developed in the late 1990s. APFS was officially released with macOS High Sierra in September 2017.

Features

APFS includes several key features that enhance the performance and security of Apple devices:

Space Sharing

APFS allows multiple file systems to share the same underlying free space on a physical volume. This means that the space is dynamically allocated as needed, which can lead to more efficient use of storage.

Snapshots

APFS supports the creation of snapshots, which are read-only instances of the file system at a particular point in time. Snapshots can be used for backups and to restore a system to a previous state.

Clones

APFS allows for the creation of file clones, which are copies of files that do not take up additional space on the disk until they are modified. This is useful for saving space and improving performance when duplicating files.

Encryption

APFS supports full-disk encryption, with options for single-key and multi-key encryption. This provides enhanced security for sensitive data stored on Apple devices.

Crash Protection

APFS uses a copy-on-write metadata scheme to ensure that the file system remains consistent in the event of a crash or power failure. This helps prevent data corruption and loss.

Compatibility

APFS is designed to be compatible with all Apple devices running macOS 10.13 or later, iOS 10.3 or later, tvOS 10.2 or later, and watchOS 3.2 or later. However, it is not natively supported on non-Apple operating systems.

Adoption

Since its introduction, APFS has been adopted across all Apple devices, providing a unified file system experience. It is the default file system for new installations of macOS, iOS, and other Apple operating systems.

See Also

• File system
• HFS+
• macOS
• iOS

References

• Apple File System Guide
• About the Apple File System