IOS 10.3 SWITCHES TO NEW APFS FILE SYSTEM

John Gruber

I upgraded my phone today, and it did seem to me that it took an unusual amount of time. Understandable, considering it was changing the file system. This is one of those things where if it all goes according to plan, normal people will have no idea it happened. But for us nerds, what Apple pulled off today seems almost impossible — tens of millions of devices are being upgraded to an altogether brand new file system, in place, silently. My sincere congratulations to Apple’s file system team on a job well done.

What on earth is APFS? Apple File System replaces the now 30-year-old hierarchical filing system (HFS, later updated to HFS+). APFS is a much needed modernization, more secure and designed around SSD storage. As Gruber said, most people won't notice a difference.