Apple wants iPhone and iPad users to be able to format external drives connected to their device without the need for a Mac, based on the latest discovery in the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 developer betas (via MacStories).
Writing in his ByteBits substack, Kaleb Cadle said he discovered new file format options while tinkering with the Files app:
Now in iPadOS 18’s Files app, when you right-click or long-press on an external drive and select Erase, new options appear to reformat the drive. Currently, the format options here are APFS (with options for case-sensitive or encrypted), ExFAT, and MS-DOS (FAT), the same format options available in Disc Utility (except for macOS extension formats, which wouldn’t make much sense for this iPadOS feature). This is a big improvement for advanced iPad users, and it will be interesting to keep an eye out for new improvements to this functionality and others in the Files app during the iPadOS 18 beta cycle. some of the functionality of the Preview app in the Files app via Quick Look, but now with functionality from Disc Utility.
File format options in the Files app on iPadOS 18 (Image: Kaleb Cadle).
iPadOS 18 and iOS 18 are currently in beta. Apple plans to release the second developer beta on Monday.
Update: Added iOS 18 beta references after confirming that formatting options are present on both iPhone and iPad.
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