APFS option not appearing in DISK Utility

You need to erase the device, not the volume. The device needs a GUID partition map for APFS.

The issue likely lies in the view mode. By default, Disk Utility might only show partitions within a drive, not the physical disk itself. APFS formatting typically applies to the entire disk.

Here's how to fix it:

1. Open Disk Utility and head over to the "View" menu in the top left corner.
2. Instead of "Show Only Volumes," choose "Show All Devices." This will display all physical disks in the sidebar.
3. Select the specific disk you want to format with APFS from the sidebar list.
4. Click the "Erase" button at the top. Now you should see the "APFS" option available in the format dropdown menu. Give your disk a name and choose APFS.
5. Hit "Erase" again to confirm the formatting process.

Remember! Formatting erases everything, so back up any important data on the disk before proceeding. APFS is ideal for internal SSDs on modern Macs, but if you need the drive to work with older systems or Windows, consider exFAT for wider compatibility.

By switching the view mode to show all devices, you should be able to format your disk with APFS in Disk Utility on macOS Sonoma.

junirpilot wrote:

If I want APFS erase in Disk Utility, what to do if the partition map is "Master Boot Record?" This is on a newly purchased LaCie 2TB SSD External Rugged Mini.

Set the device to partition map GUID and then format as APFS (case insensitive).

Shailjasheetal -

Further ... just to be completely explicit ... the device is your "Samsung PSSD T7 Media" ... not the "T7" volume.

Thank you Matti Haveri. But there's a problem for me. When the device is chosen, The "Partition" icon in the top menu bar of the Disk Utility is greyed out and won't do anything. I know of no other way to change the partition map.

junirpilot wrote:

Thank you Matti Haveri. But there's a problem for me. When the device is chosen, The "Partition" icon in the top menu bar of the Disk Utility is greyed out and won't do anything. I know of no other way to change the partition map.

That's not required anymore. Click Erase with the device selected and you can change the partition map.

I struggled with a similar issue as I needed to convert to APFS for Catalina upgrade. Via Restart Cmd-R I was trying to use the older disk utility that was installed (I think the version was from 2016). It didn't have APFS as an option. What finally worked is I did Restart Cmd-Opt-R to get the "online" Disk Utility (2019 version). This allowed me to erase the drive using APFS. Catalina is currently being installed.

If I want APFS erase in Disk Utility, what to do if the partition map is "Master Boot Record?" This is on a newly purchased LaCie 2TB SSD External Rugged Mini.

Thank you Barney-15E. It worked and now I can proceed.