iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 Include Support for Formatting External Drives

[MacRumors]

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 find in the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 developer betas (via MacStories).

Writing in his ByteBits substack, Kaleb Cadle said he made the discovery of new file format options while tinkering with the Files app:

Now in the Files app on iPadOS 18, when we right click or hold press on an external drive and select "Erase", new options appear for reformatting 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 (with the exception of macOS extension formats which wouldn't make much sense for this feature on iPadOS). This is a major improvement for iPad power users and it will be interesting to keep an eye out for new improvements to this functionality and others within the Files app over the course of the iPadOS 18 beta cycle. It seems Apple may be taking a similar tact to the way they incorporated much of the functionality of the Preview app into 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 betas to developers on Monday.

Update: Added iOS 18 beta references after confirmation that the formatting options are present on iPhones as well as iPads.

Article Link: iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 Include Support for Formatting External Drives

 

[cicalinarrot]

Gee, I never realised iPads couldn't autonomously perform basic OS tasks like this.

 

[winxmac]

macOS features and capabilities slowly becoming available in iPadOS...

Maybe just add touch functionality to macOS and install it on the iPad...

Yes, iOS was a derivative of macOS and iPadOS was a derivative of iOS so why not go straight to the source?

 

[deargline]

It also works on the iPhone.

 

[arkitect]

On the one hand, "Great! A definite improvement."

On the other… "What could possibly go wrong…"

 

[yabeweb]

How do you right click on a touch based device ....

 

[Carrotstick]

Wow, this should have added when the files app was introduced.

 

[W£S]

The iPad was a life saver when Mac refuses to mount the encrypted drive.

So many reports of this and Apple has yet to resolved it. Luckily, iPad or iPhone can still read and transfer the files out.

 

[gluckett]

How do you right click on a touch based device ....

Two finger tap?

 

[mystery hill]

There is now a ‘keep downloaded’ option for folders and files stored in iCloud Drive. This can be applied to multiple folders and files at once.

Unlike the Photos app, there isn’t an option to keep all files downloaded.

 

[mystery hill]

The Files app still doesn’t have PiP for video and background play for audio files.

 

[adrianjagielak]

I just tested it on iOS using a Lightning to USB-A adapter and it also works there

 

[Kylo83]

but you can’t eject a drive

 

[madgibbon]

Two finger tap?

No, tap and hold.

 

[Alfred.Woodden]

Fantastic and FINALLY!

 

[W£S]

but you can’t eject a drive

Still can’t? Maybe Apple is confident it will not corrupt the data

 

[Jay Tee]

If only we could take our iphone to any desktop Mac or PC, and it'll boot a full desktop OS. Live macOS running from the iPhone.

 

[DaniTheFox]

but you can’t eject a drive

This eject is a thing from the past. On iOS and iPadOS you never had to do it.

 

[DaniTheFox]

Oh, I missed it. Just a few days before iOS/iPadOS 18 came out, I had to dust off my 12" MacBook to do it.

 

[Apple_Robert]

.

edited: posted incorrect information.

 

[nuff_said]

No, tap and hold.

Tap and hold would take you into jiggle mode. If anything it should be “press and hold” a la 3D Touch.

 

[Xade]

iOS still can't open an encrypted sparsebundle drive on an external drive though. I wish they would fix this!

 

[Dephibio]

How do you right click on a touch based device ....

When you’re connected to the iPad with a bluetooth mouse, you can right click anything. I do it all the time.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

Gee, I never realised iPads couldn't autonomously perform basic OS tasks like this.

They can now, but only if you purchase a Disk Formatter Pro subscription.

 

[falkon-engine]

Finally. iPadOS should’ve had this feature from years ago especially when they introduced m1 (thunderbolt) to iPad.