Synology is tightening restrictions on third-party NAS hard drives

is a weekend editor who covers the latest in tech and entertainment. He has written news, reviews, and more as a tech journalist since 2020. Synology is preparing to roll out new restrictions on third-party hard drives in its future network attached storage (NAS) devices later this year, the company confirmed to Ars Technica. The changes could make it much harder to use third-party drives in Synology’s devices for typical use cases, like backing up household computers or as local media servers. The good news is that if you already own a Synology NAS, the company says the change won’t affect you. Synology says in an EU press release that “starting with Plus Series models released in 2025,” only Synology-branded drives and those the company has certified to meet its specifications will “offer the full range of features and support.” According to Ars, Synology plans to update its compatibility lists to reflect which third-party drives that it has certified. The new restrictions mean th ... Read full article.