Apple has been promoting its iPads as possible MacBook substitutes for professionals for years. However, the constraints of iPadOS, particularly in handling external drives, have been a major disadvantage. Luckily, Apple has made a significant move towards addressing this issue by enabling users to erase external hard drives on both iPadOS and iOS 18. Here is all you need to know about this new capability.
How does the feature work?
Before this update, the only method to erase a hard drive was through the Disk Utility app on macOS. This left iPad users without a practical solution. First discovered by developer Kaleb Cadle, the new “Erase” feature on iOS 18, which extends the Disk Utility app, resolves this issue by offering three different disk wiping options: APFS, MS-DOS (FAT), and ExFAT. Additionally, it’s important to note that the APFS format includes options for case-sensitive and encrypted files.
If you haven’t wiped a drive before, you might be unsure which option to select. Simply put, APFS is Apple’s latest file format, used by macOS 10.13 or later. In contrast, MS-DOS (FAT) and ExFAT are file formats compatible with Windows.
Read Also: Download the iOS 18 Wallpapers for Your iPhone Now
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s dive into how you can erase hard disks yourself. To do this:
- Connect your hard disk to the iPad or iPhone.
- Open the Files app.
- Right-click or long-press on the hard drive icon.
- Select the “Erase” option.
- Choose your desired format.
- Click on the “Erase” button.
With Apple’s recent introduction of new file options, we are cautiously hopeful that the company will expand on this by introducing additional Disk Utility features like “First Aid” and “Restore,” ultimately enhancing the iPad’s potential as a viable laptop alternative.
