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exFAT

exFAT is a lightweight file system designed for SD cards and USB flash drives. It works across Windows, macOS, Android, and most cameras, and — unlike FAT32 — has no practical 4 GB file-size limit, making it ideal for large videos.

Storage conceptsGeneral

exFAT

Also known as: exfat format, SD card format, USB drive format

exFAT is a lightweight file system designed for SD cards and USB flash drives. It works across Windows, macOS, Android, and most cameras, and — unlike FAT32 — has no practical 4 GB file-size limit, making it ideal for large videos.

  • Made for SD cards and USB flash drives
  • Works across Windows, macOS, Android, and cameras
  • No practical 4 GB file-size limit (unlike FAT32)

Why exFAT exists

Microsoft created exFAT to replace FAT32 on removable media. It keeps FAT32’s broad compatibility — Windows, macOS, Android, game consoles, and cameras all read it — while removing the old 4 GB-per-file ceiling, so a long 4K video can sit on the card as a single file.

That cross-platform support is exFAT’s main selling point. If you move an SD card or USB stick between a Windows PC and a Mac, formatting it as exFAT lets both sides read and write without extra software.

exFAT vs NTFS and APFS

exFAT is simpler than NTFS or APFS: it lacks features like file permissions and journaling, which makes it less ideal for an internal system drive but perfect for portable storage. Use exFAT for cards and external drives shared across devices; use NTFS or APFS for a computer’s main disk.

Related terms

Keep reading the reference.

Storage conceptsFile systemA file system is the method a device uses to organize and track files on storage — naming them, recording where each one lives, and managing free space. Common ones include APFS (Apple), NTFS (Windows), and exFAT and FAT32 (cross-platform).GeneralStorage conceptsFAT32FAT32 is an older file system with the widest compatibility — nearly every device and operating system reads it. Its key drawback is a hard 4 GB limit on the size of any single file, which makes it unsuitable for large videos or disk images.GeneralStorage conceptsNTFSNTFS (NT File System) is the default file system for Windows drives. It supports very large files, file permissions, encryption, and journaling, but Macs can read NTFS drives without extra software while writing to them requires it.WindowsAndroidmicroSD cardA microSD card is a removable flash-memory card that adds expandable storage to phones with a card slot. Many recent flagships have dropped the slot — Samsung’s Galaxy S line since the Galaxy S21, and every Google Pixel — so you cannot expand them.Android

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