Privacy & safety · App trust, updates and security
Should I encrypt my external drive to protect the files I move there?
Short answer: Yes, if it holds anything personal. Relocated folders are stored as ordinary files, so an unencrypted drive can be read by anyone who plugs it in. Encrypt it with macOS — Disk Utility or Finder's Encrypt option.
It's a good idea if the drive holds anything personal. Storage Studio moves your files to the drive as ordinary files — it doesn't encrypt relocated folders itself — so anyone who plugs the drive in could read them unless the drive is encrypted.
macOS can do it for you: format the drive as an encrypted APFS volume in Disk Utility, or right-click it in Finder and choose Encrypt. You'll then type its password when you connect it (or let your Mac remember it in your keychain).
Data Backup to a local drive is encrypted automatically regardless.