Apple drops support for encrypted drives in HFS+ file system
Are you a Mac user with old hard drives lying around? Then you might need to decrypt or reformat them.
macOS 28 will no longer support encrypted hard drives in the "Mac OS Extended" (HFS+) format. This is according to a new support document. Affected external hard drives, USB drives, or archive media must be decrypted or reformatted before the update if you want to continue using them with macOS.
The change only affects encrypted HFS+ volumes. According to Apple, unencrypted ones can still be mounted under macOS 28 and later versions. HFS+ was the standard file system for Mac for a long time starting in 1998. In 2017, it was gradually replaced by the more modern Apple File System (APFS) with macOS High Sierra, which natively supports encryption.
Decrypt or Reformat by 2027
Apple does not explain the step in detail. Since macOS 26, the system has sometimes displayed warnings when an encrypted HFS+ drive is connected. These indicate that the standard will no longer be supported in future operating systems. In Disk Utility, you can identify affected volumes by the format specification "Mac OS Extended" in combination with "Encrypted" or "verschlüsselt" (encrypted).
Apple recommends two migration paths: Either you decrypt the volume and continue to use it unprotected. Or you make a backup, reformat the data carrier with APFS or APFS (encrypted). Alternatively, a previously decrypted HFS+ volume can be converted to APFS without data loss and then re-encrypted. However, this more convenient option does not work for Time Machine backups.
For many Mac users, the change is likely to have no consequences, as new systems and media have been working with APFS by default for years. However, if you still have rarely used archives lying around, you should check them – otherwise, with macOS 28, you risk losing direct access. The next-but-one version of Apple's operating system is expected in autumn 2027. So you still have over a year.
My fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.
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