What Is NTFS for Mac? Necessity & Use

Using an external hard drive is not a big deal. Many laptop users make it a solution to enjoy more storage space without being limited by the built-in one. But when things comes to MacOS devices, this usual approach lost its seamlessness. Especially if you use an NTFS drive, which is primary for Windows, you may find that your lovely device can only read the files and is incapable of writing and editing the drive.

Your Mac laptop is not malfunctioned surely. It’s just the compatibility. In this article, a guide to NTFS for Mac is attached. Get the answers for its meaning and whether you need an NTFS for Mac software. Please read on.

What Is NTFS for Mac?

NTFS for Mac refer to the software that used to read and write a external NTFS drive on the macOS devices.

As you install the application, you can directly open, copy, paste, and edit the NTFD-formatted files within the drive.

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NTFS stands for New Technology File System, a Microsoft-developed file system to organize files on storage devices. NTFS is commonly used in system drives on Windows PCs, SSDs, USB, external hard drives, and SD cards.

NTFS is not for Mac from day one since it’s developed. But Apple has brought the implementation of NTFS for Mac OS X 10.6.

Sadly, due to the operating system's kernel issue, drives formatted with NTFS can only achieve readability on Mac even to this day.

Is NTFS Software Necessary for Mac?

NTFS is not for Mac from day one since it’s developed. So, regarding its necessity, it depends on how you want to handle NTFS-formatted files on your Mac.

By default, when you insert an NTFS hard drive into a Mac, you can only read the file name and content. This is similar to the effect of previewing files.

But, if you want to take a step further, such as copying, moving, editing, deleting, or creating a file, you're unable to complete it for the NTFS drive.

At this moment, you need to install a NTFS for Mac software to help you.

How to Fully Read and Write NTFS on Mac?

As you install the NTFS for Mac software, it will automatically detect the NTFS drive when inserted.

Step 1.Open the NTFS for Mac software.

Step 2. Select the drive on the left menu bar.

Step 3.Click Open.

The drive will be automatically mounted after you open it.

Step 4.Login to your account and grant full access.

The writable feature for NTFS will be activated at once.

Step 5.Now you can Delete, Copy, Paste, Edit, and View. the NTFS files

3 Benefits of using NTFS for Mac software

1. Able to use NTFS drive on Mac and Windows devices simultaneously and frequently.

2. Recover data on Mac for an NTFS-formatted drive.

3. Transfer extremely large files or bulk files on a Mac

3 Best NTFS for Mac Software

1Kingshiper NTFS for Mac

2Paragon NTFS for Mac

3Tuxera's NTFS for Mac

FAQs

Is NTFS Drive Usable on Mac without Installing NTFS Support?

No, an NTFS drive is not fully usable on a MacOS device. By default, Mac supports read-only.

Can I Read and Write NTFS on a Mac without Third-Party Software?

Yes. There are several to do that. For example, you can reformat the NTFS drive to the exFAT or FAT32 file system but with an empty disk. Or, you can enable NTFS write support via Terminal.

What’s the Most Compatible Format for an External Hard Drive to Use with Both Mac and Windows?

exFAT will be the best format. It does not require additional software installation to read and write on the device. And exFAT supports files up to 16 EB (recommend 512 TB) which is sufficient for most cases.

Is It Safe to Use NTFS for Mac?

Yes. Apple uses Gatekeeper, notarization, and developer ID certificates to verify software safety. You'll also receive an alert before installation, outlining permissions and potential risks.