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Google preps for MacOS High Sierra, adds Apple File System support

apple file system
Image used with permission by copyright holder
In June 2016, Apple announced a new file system to be used across its various different pieces of hardware, the imaginatively named Apple File System (APFS). When the High Sierra update for MacOS drops later this year, AFPS is set to arrive on the platform, having made its debut on iOS. Ahead of that release, Google’s Backup and Sync app has introduced support for the file system as of its latest update.

When Apple released the beta version of High Sierra in June, users found that the Mac version of the Google Drive app was not compatible with APFS. At the time, a representative for the company suggested that this issue would be addressed in a matter of weeks, according to 9to5Mac.

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This did not come to pass but on Wednesday, Google released version 3.36 of Backup and Sync for Macs — which recently replaced the Drive app — an update that adds official support for MacOS 10.13 and AFPS. The timing seems relevant, as we know that Apple plans to release High Sierra in the fall, and summer is already drawing to a close.

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Next week, Apple will hold an event that will almost certainly see the unveiling of the iPhone 8 but it could also see a confirmed release date for MacOS High Sierra. The company has yet to offer more specific information than the fall release window that was announced at its Worldwide Developers Conference 2017.

Apple has issued new updates to its Mac operating system in the fall since 2013, selecting earlier release dates with every passing year. Mavericks and Yosemite both landed in October, while El Capitan and last year’s Sierra both showed up in September.

The iPhone will take center stage at Apple’s keynote at the Steve Jobs Theater next week, but there is a good chance that it won’t be the only topic that’s discussed. We might also see a new Apple Watch, the upcoming 4K version of the Apple TV, and the company’s Amazon Echo competitor the Homepod.

Mac users looking to get themselves ready for High Sierra ahead of time can download the latest version of Backup and Sync here. Alternatively, they can wait for the app to auto-update over the coming days.

Brad Jones
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brad is an English-born writer currently splitting his time between Edinburgh and Pennsylvania. You can find him on Twitter…
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