APFS for external SSD drive to be used as Time Machine backup?

[BenitoC]

I just got a new external SSD that I would like to use as my Time Machine Backup Drive. I recall reading somewhere in the past that the new Apple File System cannot be used as the file format for an external drive for Time Machine backups. Is this truly the case? I would prefer to use APFS since that is better for SSD but if APFS cannot be used for external drives for Time Machine then what file system do I need to format the drive with?

 

[doogald]

Use MacOS Extended Format, which is the older HFS+ disk format. For the purposes of a time machine backup, it will be just fine.

And, yes, it’s true that you cannot use APFS. Time Machine uses a technique called hard links, and the issue is that APFS does not support disk directory hard links.

 

[BenitoC]

Thank you for your response which confirms what I had read.