macOS 27 has yet to reach general release. Nevertheless, Apple has already published its file system compatibility guidance for macOS 28.
The substance is straightforward. Apple will withdraw support for encrypted Mac OS Extended volumes next year, whether those volumes reside on internal disks or external storage. Users should therefore decrypt any HFS+ drive, or convert it to APFS, before upgrading.
A Simpler Path Arrives
Apple’s earlier migration guidance was more laborious. Anyone wishing to keep using a portable drive had to remove password protection from the encrypted HFS+ volume first.
The alternative was equally tedious. Back up the entire disk, reformat it as APFS, apply encryption afresh, then migrate the data back. Either route guaranteed the drive would keep working under macOS 28.
Apple has now revised its migration guidance with a further option. Users may convert an encrypted HFS+ volume directly into an encrypted APFS volume, with no prior decryption or reformatting required.
The procedure is considerably gentler as a result. Apple has also removed the earlier instructions that prescribed decrypting, formatting, and re-encrypting in sequence.
The New Conversion Procedure
Begin by connecting the external disk or storage device. Then open Disk Utility.
Click the View menu in the menu bar and choose Show Only Volumes. Select the volume by name in the Disk Utility sidebar.
Next, open the Edit menu and choose Convert to APFS, confirming when prompted. Quit Disk Utility once the conversion finishes.
Caveats Worth Observing
The feature does not extend to encrypted Time Machine backup disks. Those follow rules of their own.
Converting a file system also carries inherent risk. Back up all data before proceeding, so that any mishap during migration can be undone from that copy.
A Note on Mechanical Drives
One consideration deserves particular emphasis. APFS treats mechanical hard drives poorly, since the format was designed around solid-state storage.
If your external volume spins platters, remaining on HFS+ may serve you better. The price, however, is losing file encryption on that drive altogether.
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