Creating a separate APFS volume gives you another storage area on the same physical drive without partitioning the drive in the traditional way. You can use it for documents, project files, backups, or other data while allowing macOS to share available space between volumes.
Quick Answer
- Open Disk Utility from Applications > Utilities. 2. Select the APFS container—not the physical drive or an existing volume. 3. Click the Add Volume button, or choose Edit > Add APFS Volume. 4. Enter a name, leave APFS selected, and click Add. 5. Use the new volume in Finder like another drive.
What an APFS Volume Is
APFS, or Apple File System, is the storage format used by modern Mac systems. An APFS container can hold multiple volumes. Unlike traditional partitions, APFS volumes share the container’s available free space by default.
For example, a Mac’s internal drive might contain a system volume and a separate data volume. You could add another volume named Files for personal documents. The new volume does not automatically reserve its entire capacity. Instead, it uses space as needed, subject to any limits you set.
A separate volume can help you:
- Keep personal files apart from system data
- Organize work, school, or media files
- Use a dedicated location for a particular app or project
- Create a separate destination for certain backups
- Remove or replace a collection of files without affecting another volume
A volume is not the same as a backup. If the physical drive fails, all volumes on that drive may become unavailable. Keep important files on another drive or in a reliable backup service as well.
Before You Add the Volume
Confirm that the drive uses APFS
You can add an APFS volume only inside an APFS container. Disk Utility can show the drive’s structure, including the physical disk, container, and volumes.
If you are unsure what you are seeing, learn how to check APFS containers and volumes in Terminal on a Mac. You do not need Terminal to create the volume, but it can make the storage layout easier to identify.
Back up important data
Adding a volume should not erase existing data, but storage changes always carry some risk. Make sure important files are backed up before continuing. Also close apps that are actively reading from or writing to the drive.
If you are working with an external drive, connect it directly to your Mac when possible. Avoid disconnecting the drive during the process.
Understand the space limitation
A new volume shares free space with the other volumes in the same APFS container. If the container is nearly full, the new volume will not create additional storage.
You can optionally set a quota or reserve:
- Reserve Size: The minimum amount of space APFS attempts to keep available for the volume.
- Quota Size: The maximum amount of space the volume can use.
For a typical files volume, leaving both fields blank is usually the simplest choice. You can set a quota if you want to prevent that volume from using all available container space.
Create a Separate APFS Volume in Disk Utility
1. Open Disk Utility
Open Finder, select Applications in the sidebar, open the Utilities folder, and double-click Disk Utility.
You can also press Command-Space, type Disk Utility, and press Return.
2. Show all storage devices
In Disk Utility, choose View > Show All Devices from the menu bar.
This view displays the storage hierarchy. You may see:
- A physical drive at the top
- An APFS container below it
- Existing APFS volumes inside the container
Showing all devices makes it easier to select the correct container rather than an individual volume.
3. Select the APFS container
In the left sidebar, select the APFS container that should hold the new volume. It may have a name such as Container disk3, although the identifier and displayed names can vary.
Do not select the physical drive if your goal is to add a volume. Also do not select an existing volume unless Disk Utility specifically uses that selection to identify its container.
If you cannot determine which container is correct, select an existing volume in the sidebar and review the information shown in the main window. Its container is generally listed in the storage details.
4. Choose Add Volume
Click the Add Volume button in the Disk Utility toolbar. If the button is not visible, choose Edit > Add APFS Volume from the menu bar.
A dialog box will appear with options for the new volume.
5. Name the volume
Enter a name, such as:
FilesProjectsArchiveMedia
Choose a name that clearly describes the content you intend to store there. You can rename the volume later in Finder, but a descriptive name makes it easier to select the correct location.
6. Leave the format set to APFS
Make sure APFS is selected in the Format menu.
Depending on the drive and macOS configuration, Disk Utility may offer related formats such as APFS (Encrypted) or APFS (Case-sensitive). Use the standard APFS option unless you have a specific reason to choose another format.
When to use APFS (Encrypted)
Choose APFS (Encrypted) if you want the volume protected by encryption and are prepared to enter a password when required. Encryption helps protect files if the drive is lost or stolen, but losing the password or recovery information can prevent access to the data.
When to use case-sensitive APFS
Case-sensitive formats treat names such as Report and report as different. This can cause compatibility problems with some apps and workflows. For general-purpose files, standard APFS is usually the safer choice.
7. Review the optional size settings
Click Size Options if you want to control how much space the volume can use.
You may see fields for Reserve Size and Quota Size:
- Leave both blank to allow normal shared-space behavior.
- Set a reserve when the volume should have a minimum amount of space available.
- Set a quota when the volume should not grow beyond a specific limit.
If you are creating a general files volume and do not have a specific storage plan, leave these settings unchanged.
8. Add the volume
Click Add.
Disk Utility creates the volume inside the selected APFS container. This usually finishes quickly, but the process can take longer depending on the drive and its condition.
Do not unplug an external drive while Disk Utility is working. If an app displays a warning about closing files or unmounting a volume, save your work and follow the prompt before continuing.
9. Confirm the new volume
When the process finishes, click Done if that button appears. The new volume should appear in Disk Utility’s sidebar and usually mount in Finder automatically.
Open Finder and select the volume under Locations. You can now create folders and copy files to it like any other mounted drive.
Add the Volume to Finder’s Sidebar
If the new volume is not easy to find in Finder:
- Open Finder.
- Choose Finder > Settings from the menu bar.
- Click Sidebar.
- Under Locations, enable the option for external disks or connected servers as appropriate.
- In Finder, locate the volume under Locations and drag it into the Favorites section if you want a shortcut.
Do not drag the volume to the Trash when you only want to remove it from the sidebar. In Finder, dragging a mounted volume to the Trash generally ejects it.
Set Up a Useful Folder Structure
After creating the volume, organize it before copying a large amount of data. For example, a volume named Files might contain:
Files
├── Documents
├── Photos
├── Projects
├── School
└── Archive
Avoid storing your only copy of important files on the new volume. A separate volume improves organization, but it does not protect against drive failure, accidental deletion, theft, or corruption.
Optional: Create an APFS Volume in Terminal
Disk Utility is the best choice for most users. Terminal can be useful when you need precise control or want to inspect the storage layout first.
These commands can add a standard APFS volume to an existing APFS container. They do not erase the container, but using the wrong identifier can affect the wrong storage location. Verify the identifier carefully before running a command.
1. List APFS containers
Open Terminal from Applications > Utilities, then run:
diskutil apfs list
This displays APFS containers and the volumes inside them. Find the container identifier, which typically looks like disk3.
2. Add the volume
Replace disk3 with the identifier of your intended APFS container and replace Files with the name you want:
diskutil apfs addVolume disk3 APFS Files
This command creates a standard, unencrypted APFS volume named Files inside container disk3.
3. Confirm the result
Run the listing command again:
diskutil apfs list
Look for the new volume and confirm its name and identifier.
Reverse the Terminal change
If you created the wrong volume and it does not contain any files, you can remove it with:
diskutil apfs deleteVolume /dev/disk3s5
Replace /dev/disk3s5 with the identifier of the volume you intend to remove. This command permanently deletes that volume and its contents. Do not run it until you have confirmed the identifier and copied any files you need.
For safety, use Disk Utility’s Erase or Delete APFS Volume controls only after selecting the new volume itself—not the physical disk or the entire container.
Troubleshooting
The Add Volume button is unavailable
The selected item may not be an APFS container. Select the container in the sidebar while View > Show All Devices is enabled.
The drive may also use another format, such as Mac OS Extended or exFAT. Those formats do not support APFS volumes in the same way. Converting or reformatting a drive can erase data, so back it up first and confirm that APFS is appropriate for your intended use. For a comparison of common formats, see APFS vs. exFAT: Which format should you use on a Mac?.
The new volume does not appear in Finder
In Disk Utility, select the new volume and click Mount if that option is available. Then check Finder again.
Also open Finder > Settings > Sidebar and make sure the relevant location option is enabled. If the volume is encrypted, macOS may require its password before it can mount.
There is not enough space
Adding a volume does not increase the physical capacity of the drive. All volumes in the same APFS container share the available space.
Delete or move unnecessary files, empty the Trash, or add storage. If you set a quota that is too small, review the volume’s settings in Disk Utility. Do not delete system files simply to free space.
Files cannot be copied to the volume
Check that the volume is mounted and that your account has permission to write to it. Select the volume in Finder, choose File > Get Info, and review the Sharing & Permissions section.
If the drive is formatted as NTFS, macOS may be able to read it but not write to it without additional software. A separate APFS volume is not a workaround for an NTFS volume’s format. You can review the available options in how to make an NTFS external drive writable on a Mac.
The external drive keeps disconnecting
A loose cable, insufficient power, a problematic hub, or a failing drive can interrupt the process and risk file-system problems. Connect the drive directly to the Mac, try another cable or port, and avoid moving it while it is mounted.
If the problem continues, follow the steps in how to fix an external drive that keeps disconnecting from a Mac.
The volume was deleted accidentally
Stop using the drive immediately to reduce the chance of overwriting recoverable data. Do not create a new volume or copy files to the drive. Recovery results vary, and professional help may be necessary for important data. You can also review how to recover deleted files from an external drive on a Mac.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does adding an APFS volume erase my files?
Normally, adding a volume to an existing APFS container does not erase the other volumes. However, selecting Erase, Partition, or the wrong disk can destroy data. Always back up important files first.
Can I create an APFS volume on any Mac drive?
The drive must use an APFS container. A drive formatted as exFAT, NTFS, or Mac OS Extended must be reformatted or converted before it can use APFS volumes, and reformatting can erase its contents.
Does an APFS volume have a fixed size?
Not by default. APFS volumes share the container’s free space.
Is a separate APFS volume a backup?
No. Volumes on the same physical drive share the drive’s hardware. Use another drive or backup destination for files you cannot replace.
Can I remove the volume later?
Yes. In Disk Utility, select the volume itself and choose Erase or the available delete-volume command. Removing it permanently deletes everything stored on that volume, so copy out any needed files first.
Final Thoughts
A separate APFS volume is a practical way to organize files on a Mac while allowing storage to be shared efficiently.