External drives · Using drives with PCs, iPads and other Macs
Can my Mac read a drive formatted for Linux?
Short answer: Not without extra software — macOS can't read Linux file systems like ext4, so the drive appears unreadable. Copy the files to an exFAT drive on a Linux computer, or use a third-party tool. Don't initialize it unless you mean to erase it.
Not on its own. macOS doesn't read Linux file systems such as ext4, so the drive shows as not readable. Third-party tools can add access, or you can copy the files off on a Linux computer onto an exFAT drive, which both systems understand.
Don't click Initialize when macOS offers it unless you want to erase the drive — see the "not readable" message.