Show iOS 13 and iPadOS, launching later this year, will bring support for external hard drives and flash drives to iPhones and iPads (though Apple only talked about this feature in relation to iPads, the company has confirmed that it will work with iPhones, as well). With a drive attached, you'll be able to move files around freely between the drive and your iPhone or iPad. Additionally, Apple will allow third-party apps to import files directly from the external drive, so you don't have to go through the Files app or, for instance, Photos. This will speed up workflows, letting you, for example, import your photos directly into Lightroom CC instead of the Photos app. Of course, this feature will be dependent on third-party support, but it's likely that there will be plenty of apps to implement it. Using an external hard drive or SSD with your iPhone or iPad is fairly simple, and in many cases, even easier than doing so on a Mac. Here's how you do it.
How to connect an external drive to your iPhone or iPadThis is pretty straightforward, though if your device uses Lightning instead of USB-C, you may need Apple's Lightning-to-USB or Lightning-to-USB 3 camera adapters, depending on your drive.
How to move files from your external drive to your iPhone or iPad
How to move files to your external drive from your iPhone or iPadYou can also move files to your external drive from your iPhone or iPad in much the same way.
Questions?If you've got any questions about using an external drive with your iPhone or iPad, let us know in the comments. Joseph Keller is the former Editor in Chief of iMore. An Apple user for almost 20 years, he spends his time learning the ins and outs of iOS and macOS, always finding ways of getting the most out of his iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. Can you export Files from iPad to external hard drive?Even if you don't have a computer, you can still backup iPad to an external drive. For this, you need to use a USB-to-lightning adapter so that you can easily connect your external hard drive directly to your iPad. Later, you can move your data (like your photos) from your iPad to your external hard drive.
How do I get my iPad to recognize my external hard drive?Connect external devices or servers with Files on iPad. Tap. at the top of the Browse sidebar. ... . Tap Connect to Server.. Enter a local hostname or a network address, then tap Connect. ... . Select how you want to connect: ... . Tap Next, then select the server volume or shared folder in the Browse sidebar (under Shared).. |