External drives · Using drives with PCs, iPads and other Macs
Can an older Mac read my APFS external drive?
Short answer: Only Macs running macOS High Sierra or later read APFS. For a drive that must work on an older Mac, format it as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or exFAT. Newer Macs — Apple silicon or Intel — share APFS drives freely.
Only if it runs macOS High Sierra or later — earlier versions can't read APFS. For a drive you need to plug into a Mac that old, use Mac OS Extended (Journaled), which every Mac can read, or exFAT.
Between Macs that are new enough, an APFS drive moves back and forth freely, including between Apple silicon and Intel Macs. If files show odd owners on the other Mac, see Ignore ownership on this volume.