Apple File System: Difference between revisions

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| date_resolution = 1 [[nanosecond]]<ref name="appleVolumeComparision"/>

| max_filename_size =

| filename_character_set = [[Unicode|Unicode 9.0]] encoded in [[UTF-8]]<ref name="appleApfsFaq2018"/>{{ref label|disputed|A|none}}

| dates_recorded = access, attributes modified, contents modified, created

| file_system_permissions = Unix permissions, [[NFSv4]] [[Access control list|ACL]]s

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| encryption = Yes<ref name="appleFileSystemGuide"/>

| copy_on_write = Yes<ref name="appleApfsFaq2018"/><ref name="appleFileSystemGuide"/>

| OS = [[macOS]], [[iPadOS]], [[iOS]], [[tvOS]], [[watchOS]], [[visionOS]]

| website = <!-- {{URL|https://developers.apple.com/}} -->

}}

'''Apple File System''' ('''APFS''') is a [[Proprietary software|proprietary]] [[file system]] developed and deployed by [[Apple Inc.]] for [[macOS]] [[macOS Sierra| Sierra (10.12.4)]]<ref name="TechRepublic 2017.04.13">{{cite news |last1=Vigo |first1=Jesus |title=How to set up and use Apple's APFS file system on macOS Sierra |url=https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-set-up-and-use-apples-apfs-file-system-on-macos-sierra/ |publisher=TechRepublic |date=13 Apr 2017}}</ref> and later, [[iOS]] [[iOS 10 |10.3]], [[tvOS]] 10.2,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://developer.apple.com/library/content/releasenotes/General/WhatsNewinTVOS/Articles/tvOS10_2.html|title=tvOS 10.2|work=What's New in tvOS|publisher=Apple Inc.}}</ref> [[watchOS]] 3.2,<ref name="The Verge update today"/> and all versions of [[iPadOS]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/06/13/apple-file-system-will-scale-from-apple-watch-to-macs-replace-hfs|title='Apple File System' will scale from Apple Watch to Macs, replace HFS+|author=Roger Fingas|date=June 13, 2016|publisher=[[Apple Insider]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160723030751/http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/06/13/apple-file-system-will-scale-from-apple-watch-to-macs-replace-hfs|archive-date=July 23, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="digging-into-apfs">{{Cite web |urllast=Hutchinson http|first=Lee |date=June 13, 2016 |title=Digging into the dev documentation for APFS, Apple's new file system |url=https://arstechnica.co.ukcom/applegadgets/2016/06/digging-into-the-dev-documentation-for-apfs-appleapples-new-file-system-dev-details/ |titleurl-status=Digginglive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250126231610/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/06/digging-into APFS, Apple's -the-dev-documentation-for-apfs-apples-new -file -system/ |lastarchive-date=HutchinsonJan |first=Lee26, 2025 |access-date=Feb June 1325, 20162025 |website=[[Ars Technica|Ars Technica UK]]|access-date=June 15, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref> It aims to fix [[HFS Plus#Criticisms|core problems]] of [[HFS Plus|HFS+]] (also called Mac OS Extended), APFS's predecessor which had been in use since 1998. APFS is optimized for [[solid-state drive]] storage and supports [[encryption]], [[Snapshot_(computer_storage) |snapshots]], and improved handling of [[file system#metadata|metadata]] integrity.<ref name="9to5Mac APFS announced" /><ref name="Ars APFS spotted" />

== History ==

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Clones allow the operating system to make efficient file copies on the same volume without occupying additional storage space. Changes to a cloned file are saved as [[Delta encoding|delta extents]], reducing storage space required for document revisions and copies.<ref name="digging-into-apfs"/> There is, however, no interface to mark two copies of the same file as clones of the other, or for other types of [[data deduplication]].

The feature is automatically available when youa copyuser copies any files using the [[Finder (software)|Finder]] application, which is [[macOS]]'s default [[file manager]], but not when using the <code>[[cp (Unix)|cp]]</code> command.<ref>{{cite web|title=A ZFS developer’sdeveloper's analysis of the good and bad in Apple’sApple's new APFS file system|website=Ars Technica|date=2016-06-26|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/06/a-zfs-developers-analysis-of-the-good-and-bad-in-apples-new-apfs-file-system/|ref={{sfnref|Ars Technica|2016}}|access-date=2025-02-17|quote="Side note: Finder copy creates space-efficient clones, but cp from the command line does not."}}</ref> To do that on the [[command-line]], the <code>cp</code> utility on macOS has a <code>-c</code> parameter that allows it to use the <code>clonefile</code> [[system call]].<ref>{{cite web|title=[dedup] Use APFS clone (CoW) on macOS · Issue #219 · pkolaczk/fclones|website=GitHub|date=2023-08-10|url=https://github.com/pkolaczk/fclones/issues/219|access-date=2025-02-17}}</ref>

=== Snapshots ===

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=== Third-party utilities ===

{{Update-section|reason=Software companies have had a long time to update their software to support APFS. The article should reflect recent developments.|date=August 2025}}

Despite the ubiquity of APFS volumes in today's Macs and the format's 2016 introduction, third-party repair utilities continue to have notable limitations in supporting APFS volumes, due to Apple's delayed release of complete documentation. According to Alsoft, the maker of DiskWarrior, Apple's 2018 release of partial APFS format documentation has delayed the creation of a version of DiskWarrior that can safely rebuild APFS disks.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.alsoft.com/diskwarrior5apfs | title=DiskWarrior 5.2 & Apple File System (APFS) | access-date=2020-06-28}}</ref> Competing products, including MicroMat's TechTool and Prosoft's Drive Genius, are expected to increase APFS support as well.

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== See also ==

*[[Comparison of file systems]]

==Notes==

:A.{{note label|disputed|A|none}}Disputed <ref>{{Cite web |title=libfsapfs/documentation/Apple File System (APFS).asciidoc at main · libyal/libfsapfs |url=https://github.com/libyal/libfsapfs/blob/main/documentation/Apple%20File%20System%20(APFS).asciidoc |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=GitHub |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==