What is Apple File System (APFS)?
Apple File System (APFS) is a proprietary file system developed by Apple Inc. for use on its Macintosh and iOS operating systems. It was introduced in 2017 as a replacement for the older HFS+ file system and is designed to support modern features such as high capacity drives, strong encryption, and efficient storage of large files. APFS is a journaling file system, which means that it keeps track of changes to the file system in a log, allowing it to recover from errors or corruption more quickly.
How does APFS work?
APFS uses a B-tree data structure to organize files and directories on a disk, allowing it to support fast file access and efficient storage of large files. It also includes features such as snapshotting, which allows users to create copies of the file system at a specific point in time, and cloning, which allows files to be shared among multiple locations without consuming additional disk space. APFS also supports strong encryption and space sharing, which allows multiple volumes to share the same physical storage space.
Advantages of APFS
There are several advantages to using APFS as a file system:
- APFS is designed to support high capacity drives and efficient storage of large files.
- APFS includes features such as snapshotting and cloning, which can be useful for backing up data and sharing files.
- APFS supports strong encryption, which can be important for protecting sensitive data.
- APFS is optimized for use on solid-state drives (SSDs), which can improve the performance of the operating system.
Uses of APFS
APFS is used as the default file system on all Macintosh computers and iOS devices. It is also available as an option for users of older versions of macOS who wish to upgrade their file system.