Written byMariaUpdated on Oct 13, 2025
Permanently Erase Data in APFS File System
Approved byGerhard Chou
Before we start: No matter you want to shred existing files, erase deleted/lost files, or wipe all data from an APFS drive on Mac, you can use the professional data wiping software Donemax Data Eraser for Mac. It can guarantee the wiped data is no longer recoverable in any way.
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Apple File System (APFS) is a proprietary file system for macOS High Sierra (10.13) and later. If you are going to permanently shred a document or wipe an entire hard drive in APFS file system, you can use a APFS data erasure tool to help you. Some Mac users may think the disk utility is the right tool to erase APFS hard drive, actually, this tool can help you erase the APFS hard drive, but the erased data still can be recovered by data recovery software.
In this article, we will introduce a 'real' useful data erasure tool to help you securely and permanently erase data in APFS file system.
Why You Need to Wipe Data in APFS File System?
Here are some common reasons for erasing data from an APFS drive, ranging from everyday scenarios to critical security practices.
Common Reasons for APFS Drive Data Erasure
- Preparing a Device for Sale, Donation, or Return: This is the most frequent reason. Before transferring ownership of a Mac, you must erase all your personal data—including documents, photos, browser history, financial information, and saved passwords.
- Troubleshooting Severe Software Issues: When a Mac is plagued by persistent, unfixable problems—such as recurring kernel panics, corrupted system files that can't be repaired, or mysterious software glitches—a "nuclear option" is to wipe the drive and perform a clean install of macOS
- Reconfiguring Storage or Removing Partitions: APFS uses a flexible structure of "containers" and "volumes." If you've created multiple volumes (e.g., one for work, one for personal use) and want to consolidate your storage, or if you've set up a Boot Camp partition and want to reclaim that space, you often need to erase the entire container.
- Mitigating a Security Breach or Data Breach: If a device is lost, stolen, or known to be infected with deeply embedded malware (like firmware-level rootkits), the most secure course of action is to completely erase the drive. This is a standard protocol in corporate and security-sensitive environments.
- Repurposing the Drive: Converting an internal or external APFS drive for a different use—such as reformatting it for use with a Windows PC (to NTFS) or a legacy Mac (to HFS+)—requires erasing it first.
- Decommissioning and Disposal: When a drive or computer reaches the end of its life and is to be recycled or thrown away, it must be securely erased to prevent any possibility of data recovery from the physical hardware.
- Resolving Disk Errors: In rare cases where Disk Utility's First Aid fails to repair a severely corrupted APFS structure, erasing the drive may be the only viable solution to make the drive usable again.
Reliable Data Erasure Tool for APFS
When you want to remove data from APFS drive, you may think of deleting files or formatting the drive in Disk Utility. However, these methods are not safe to keep your privacy information from data leakages. With professional data recovery software, it's simple and fast to get back the deleted or formatted data.
Then, how to ensure the data on APFS drive will be erased permanently? Normally, you need to wipe the data with a professional data wiping tool. The reliable wiping application can overwrite the data with secure data erasure algorithms. It can guarantee the wiped data will not be recovered successfully in any method.
Donemax Data Eraser for Mac is a powerful, safe and easy-to-use data erasure software. It supports to erase data in APFS, EXT, FAT, FAT32, EXFAT, NTFS, HFS, HFS+, etc. This software is fully capable of erasing data in APFS file system and it is fully compatible with all OS X and macOS versions.
Donemax Data Eraser for Mac
- Reliable tool to wipe data permanently.
- Simple steps to erase data from disk.
- Compatible with latest macOS Tahoe 26.
Main features:
- Advanced data erasure method: HMG Infosec Standard 5 (1 pass), Peter Gutmann's algorithm 2 (2 passes), U.S. Army AR380-19 (3 passes), DoD 5220.22-M ECE (7 passes), Peter Gutmann's algorithm 35 (35 passes).
- Permanently delete files and folders in APFS. The software can shred invidual files/folders that you want to get rid of permanently. The operation will not affect the other files on the APFS drive.
- Erase deleted data in APFS. If you have removed some files and want to ensure these deleted files will not be recovered by others, you can use the software to wipe the free space of the APFS drive. Then the deleted files are gone for good
- Wipe all data from the APFS drive. When you need to sell an old Mac or hard drive, you can use the tool to wipe all data from the drive. The software can wipe all existing and deleted/lost files on the drive.
Donemax Data Eraser for Mac is able to help you securely and permanently erase data from APFS HDD, SSD, USB flash drive, memory card. It is 100% safe, it will not cause any damage to your hard drive or external device. Once your data is erased by this APFS data erasure tool, the data will be lost forever, can't be recovered by any data recovery software.
Three APFS Data Erasure Modes
Donemax Data Eraser for Mac is a DIY data erasure tool. It offers three flexible data erasure modes to help you permanently erase data.
Mode 1. Selectively shred files and folders.
The software can act as a APFS file shredder. With the tool, you can easily remove specified files/folders completely to avoid data recovery. It's important to shred some sensitive or confidential files in some special situations.
Run Donemax Data Eraser for Mac on your computer, then select files/folders you want to erase. Then click on Erase Now button to permanently erase the selected files/folders permanently.
Mode 2. Wipe APFS hard drive.
This mode will wipe the entire APFS hard drive. All data on the APFS hard drive will be permanently erased.
Mode 3. Erase deleted data on APFS hard drive.
The deleted data still can be recovered by data recovery software. If you want to permanently erase the deleted data, just wipe free disk space of the hard drive. Then the deleted/lost data on the hard drive will be permanently erased.
Please note that once your data is erased by Donemax Data Eraser for Mac, the erased data will be lost forever, can't be recovered by any data recovery method. So, you'd better make a backup before you wipe an APFS hard drive.
It is important for you to destroy all sensitive data before you sell or donate your Mac. Donemax Data Eraser for Mac is a reliable data erasure tool. It can help you securely and permanently erase target data beyond recovery.
Conclusion
In some special cases, it's important to wipe the data from the APFS or other file systems. It's critical to make sure you privacy or sensitive information will not fall into the wrong hands.
Please note that if you simply deleted files and empty trash, or formatted an APFS hard drive, it will not wipe the data completely. Data recovery software can easily recover the files.
It's essential to wipe data with professional data erasure software, like Donemax Data Eraser for Mac. In this way, it can guarantee the data will be removed and wiped permanently. When you need to sell or give away an old APFS or other hard drive, it's highly suggested to wipe data first.
Donemax Data Eraser for Mac
100% safe and powerful Mac data erasure program. It offers certified data erasure standards including U.S. Army AR380-19, DoD 5220.22-M ECE to securely and permanently erase data from Mac HDD/SSD and external storage devices, making data recovery impossible.
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Contributing Writer
Maria
Maria is one of the senior writers & editors of Donemax who lives and works in Sydney, Australia. She loves PC, Mac and Internet Technology. She has 6 years of writing articles about data recovery on PC/Mac, disk cloning solution, data eraser and computer OS optimization, etc. She is also interested in testing various software and digital products.
Editor in chief
Gerhard Chou
In order to effectively solve the problems for our customers, every article and troubleshooting solution published on our website has been strictly tested and practiced. Our editors love researching and using computers and testing software, and are willing to help computer users with their problems