iOS Storage Formats

[Black Hole]

While investigating problems I am having moving video files around, I came across the following information which might be common knowledge (not to me!) but useful nonetheless.

According to this Seagate info, the following applies to iPadOS 16 and later, i(Phone)OS 17 and later:

iPadOS and iOS support the following storage formats:

• HFS+
• APFS & Encrypted APFS
• exFAT
• FAT32
• NTFS (read only)

Note on exFAT format via Windows: When formatting a drive as exFAT on a Windows PC, set the allocation size between 128K to 1024K. Allocation sizes larger than 1024K can lead to detection and write issues on an iPad USB-C. This is only true when formatting on a Windows PC.

I'm not sure when NTFS read capability was added, information elsewhere suggests it was not available in iOS 13.

However, it seems that for storing files >4GB, exFAT is the least worst. It seems weird that Ext3/4 isn't on the list (but I might try it anyway... no, Ext4 didn't work).

 

[Black Hole]

exFAT doesn't seem to work in iOS 13, even though sources suggest it should. Apple don't say, I'm relying on third party info.

 

[EEPhil]

What is it you are trying to achieve? Move the video files from, say, a PC to IOS, or store them on a USB drive that can plugged into any device (PC, IOS, Humax maybe)? If the latter, finding a format that is common could be a right pita. Fortunately NTFS works for me (only Windows and various Humaxes), but the file protection problems when swapping between XP and Win 11 had me tearing what's left of my hair out!

 

[Black Hole]

In the particular instance, I was trying to get a 6GB file off an iOS 13 iPad onto a PC. In the end I AirDropped the file to my iOS 16 iPad, and from there to an exFAT card.