How to Use a WD My Passport on a Mac (Format and Setup)

Eric DawsonByEric Dawson Computers & Software

A WD My Passport is simple to use on a Mac once it connects by USB and carries a file system macOS can read and write. Most Passport drives ship already formatted, but not always in a format a Mac handles well: the standard My Passport typically arrives in NTFS for Windows, while the My Passport for Mac ships in HFS+. Disk Utility, built into every Mac, reformats the drive in a few steps: choose exFAT if the drive also has to work with Windows PCs, or pick APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for a Mac-only backup drive. The sections below cover connecting the drive, telling the two Passport versions apart, choosing a file system, checking the current format, formatting with Disk Utility, setting up Time Machine, the software WD includes, and what happens with a drive still formatted in NTFS.

How Do You Connect a WD My Passport to a Mac

Depending on the model, that cable ends in USB-C or USB-A, so check which port style the Mac has before connecting. Within a few seconds, a drive icon appears on the desktop and inside Finder, confirming the Mac has recognized it. From there, the drive behaves like any other external volume until it needs a new file system for the job ahead.

Finder also lists the drive under Locations in the sidebar, alongside any other connected storage. Clicking it opens the drive the same way double-clicking the desktop icon does, which matters once several drives are connected at the same time and the desktop gets crowded. A loose or damaged cable is worth ruling out early, since swapping to a different USB cable or port takes less time than troubleshooting the drive itself once formatting is underway.

What Is the Difference Between a Standard WD My Passport and a WD My Passport for Mac

The WD My Passport for Mac ships already formatted in HFS+ (Mac OS Extended) for macOS, while the standard WD My Passport ships formatted in NTFS for Windows. Both versions use the same portable hard drive inside; only the factory file system and the included software differ.

WD My Passport for Mac

WD My Passport for Mac

WD My Passport for Mac external hard drives provide portable storage for Mac files, backups, photos, and media libraries. Models vary by storage capacity, connection type, included backup software, security options, drive dimensions, and whether they use a hard disk or solid state storage.

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Buying the Mac version saves the first formatting step, since HFS+ already works on older Macs and can be updated to APFS later on any Mac running macOS High Sierra or newer. Choosing the standard version instead means a trip through Disk Utility before a Mac can write new files to it, since NTFS mounts as read-only on macOS by default.

Either version ends up in the same place after formatting: a drive whose file system matches how it will actually be used, rather than whichever operating system happened to box it in at the factory.

Which File Format Should You Choose for a WD My Passport on Mac

Choose exFAT if the drive needs to work with both Mac and Windows, APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) if it will only ever plug into a Mac, and avoid leaving it on NTFS if write access from macOS matters.

For a drive shared between Mac and PC, choose exFAT when larger files are needed; choose FAT32 for maximum compatibility when working with files smaller than 4 GB. NTFS is a Windows format that a Mac can read but cannot write to without extra software.

Use Case Recommended Format Notes
Mac only, modern system APFS Needs macOS High Sierra (10.13) or later; the format WD recommends for current Macs
Mac only, older system Mac OS Extended (Journaled) For macOS Sierra (10.12) or earlier, and a safer pick for a spinning hard drive to avoid fragmentation
Mac and Windows together exFAT Both operating systems can read and write; WD’s pick for cross-platform use
Windows only NTFS Mac can read it but cannot write to it without third-party software
Cross-platform fallback FAT32 Works on both systems but caps each file at 4 gigabytes (4GB)

Which Format Should Most Mac Owners Pick

Most people who only ever connect the drive to a Mac should pick APFS, since Western Digital recommends it for current systems as of September 2026 and it works on any Mac running macOS High Sierra or later. Anyone who still plugs the drive into a Windows PC now and then should pick exFAT instead, since NTFS blocks macOS from writing new files and FAT32 caps every file at 4 gigabytes (4GB).

At my desk in north Columbus, Ohio, my Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1300 receipt scanner, owned since 2023, turns paper clutter into the sort of orderly archive that makes me briefly overconfident. In Which File Format Should You Choose for a WD My Passport on Mac, the published APFS recommendation for current Macs showed that compatibility, not my fondness for tidiness, is the relevant check.

How Do You Check Which File System the Drive Uses Right Now

Select the WD My Passport icon in Finder, choose Get Info from the File menu, and read the value next to Format. Disk Utility shows the same detail: select the volume in the sidebar and the format appears near the top of the window.

Checking the format first saves a wasted trip through the erase process on a drive that is already set up correctly. A drive that already reads APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) on a Mac-only setup needs no changes, and a drive already on exFAT is ready for both Mac and Windows use without touching Disk Utility at all.

How Do You Format a WD My Passport Using Disk Utility

Open Disk Utility, select the WD My Passport, choose a file system, and click Erase to finish reformatting it.

Back up anything worth keeping first, since formatting erases every file on the drive and there is no undo once the erase completes.

  1. Open Disk Utility. Go to Applications, then Utilities, then Disk Utility in Finder.
  2. Show the physical disk. Choose Show All Devices from the View menu so the WD My Passport appears as a device, not just a volume.
  3. Select the drive. Find the WD My Passport listed under External in the left sidebar.
  4. Click Erase. The button sits at the top of the Disk Utility window.
  5. Name the drive and pick a file system. Type a name if the default is not useful, then open the Volume Format menu and choose exFAT, APFS, or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) based on how the drive will be used.
  6. Keep GUID Partition Map. Leave the partition scheme set to GUID Partition Map so the drive stays compatible with Time Machine and modern Macs.
  7. Click Erase again. Disk Utility formats the drive and the new volume mounts automatically when it finishes.

Why GUID Partition Map Matters

GUID Partition Map, also called GUID Partition Table or GPT, is the partition scheme Time Machine requires on a backup drive. Choosing a different scheme during the erase step means a second trip through Disk Utility later, once Time Machine refuses the drive.

How Do You Configure a WD My Passport for Time Machine Backups

After formatting, add it as a backup disk in Time Machine settings. The exact menu path depends on which version of macOS the Mac is running.

On macOS Ventura or Later

  1. Open System Settings. Go to General, then Time Machine.
  2. Add the drive. Click the add button and select the WD My Passport from the list.
  3. Set up the disk. Choose Set Up Disk and confirm the backup preferences.

On macOS Monterey or Earlier

  1. Open System Preferences. Go to Time Machine.
  2. Confirm the choice. Click Use Disk to start using it for backups.

Western Digital and independent formatting guides both point to APFS for backups on macOS Big Sur or later, and Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for older systems, as long as the drive keeps its GUID Partition Map. Once Time Machine finishes its first pass, the Time Machine icon in the menu bar shows the date and time of the most recent backup, and the same menu offers Back Up Now for an on-demand backup between the automatic ones.

What Software Comes with a WD My Passport for Mac

A WD My Passport for Mac ships with WD Drive Utilities for managing the drive and Acronis True Image for Western Digital for backups, though Western Digital does not offer its WD Backup application on macOS.

WD Drive Utilities handles drive management, configuration, and basic diagnostic checks on the WD My Passport. Acronis True Image for Western Digital adds backup and restore features beyond what Time Machine covers, which matters for anyone who wants scheduled backups of specific folders rather than a full system image. WD Backup, the utility many Windows owners rely on, has no Mac version, so Mac owners depend on Time Machine or Acronis instead.

None of this software is required to use the drive. A reformatted WD My Passport mounts, stores files, and backs up through Time Machine using nothing but the tools already built into macOS, so the WD utilities are worth installing only for the specific extras they add, such as Acronis backup schedules or drive diagnostics.

Can You Use an NTFS-Formatted WD My Passport on a Mac Without Reformatting

Yes, but only for reading files unless third-party software is installed, since macOS mounts NTFS drives as read-only by default.

macOS can open files on an NTFS drive and copy them off, but it blocks new files, edits, and deletions until the drive changes format or gets help from outside software.

Third-party drivers such as Paragon NTFS Driver for Mac add real read and write access without erasing anything already on the drive, which suits anyone who received a standard WD My Passport already loaded with files from a Windows PC. Reformatting to exFAT stays the simpler fix when the drive is empty or its contents are already backed up elsewhere, since it needs no extra software on either operating system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a WD My Passport Come Pre-Formatted for Mac?

It depends on the model. A WD My Passport for Mac ships already formatted as HFS+ (Mac OS Extended), while the standard WD My Passport usually ships formatted as NTFS for Windows. Either one can be reformatted in Disk Utility to match how the drive will actually be used.

Will Formatting Erase Everything on the Drive?

Yes. Clicking Erase in Disk Utility permanently removes every file on the WD My Passport, and there is no way to undo it once the process finishes. Copy anything worth keeping to another drive or cloud storage before starting.

Is APFS or Mac OS Extended Better for an Older Mac?

Mac OS Extended (Journaled) is the safer choice for a Mac running macOS Sierra or earlier, since APFS needs High Sierra or newer to work at all. It is also the more forgiving format for a spinning hard drive, since it avoids the fragmentation that can build up on APFS over time. Newer Macs running a current version of macOS have no such restriction and can use either format, so the choice there comes down to whether the drive ever plugs into an older Mac as well.

Does the Drive Still Work on Windows After Being Formatted on a Mac?

That depends on the format chosen. exFAT and FAT32 both work on Windows and Mac without changes, while APFS and Mac OS Extended are unreadable on a standard Windows PC. Anyone who needs the drive on both systems should format it as exFAT rather than a Mac-only file system.

Can I Rename a WD My Passport on a Mac?

Yes. Typing a new name in the Name field during the Disk Utility erase process is the easiest time to do it, since the drive is already unmounted for formatting. Renaming later works the same way as renaming any file in Finder: select the drive, click its name, and type a new one.

Getting a WD My Passport working on a Mac comes down to one choice: exFAT for a drive that travels between Mac and Windows, or APFS and Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for a drive that only ever serves the Mac. Disk Utility handles the format change in a few clicks, and the same GUID Partition Map setting that Time Machine needs also keeps the drive compatible with any modern Mac.

References

Sources read in September 2026.

Eric Dawson

I'm Eric Dawson, and I write The Money Watch from north Columbus, Ohio. Most of what I cover comes from my own life: renting, a 2014 Honda Fit, parking, computers, food and the bills behind all of it. I spent four years in an apartment-property office and eleven on a distributor's operations desk, reading leases and invoices. Where you need real information, I research the maker's or agency's own page and independent sources and report what they publish. I don't give tax, investment, legal or medical advice.