Synology reversed its 2025 policy, restoring support for third-party hard drives in NAS models after backlash and sales decline.

Synology has reversed its 2025 policy restricting third-party hard drives in new NAS models, restoring full compatibility with drives from Seagate, WD, and others after widespread backlash and a reported sales drop. The DSM 7.3 update removes error warnings and functionality limits for non-validated drives, enabling full S.M.A.R.T. monitoring and storage pool creation. While Synology still recommends its certified drives for advanced features like predictive failure analysis, the change marks a significant shift toward user flexibility. The reversal follows criticism that the original policy favored higher-priced Synology-branded drives and damaged customer trust.