2017 iPad pro + external storage

[Padcatt]

Am I right that iPads which don’t have a USB-C “in” can not use external storage devices under iPad OS 13?

 

[Aerofly]

You can if you use the latest Apple lightning usb camera adaptor. This adaptor has a usb adaptor and a separate lightning socket for a power lead. This is because a lot of usb drives and disks draw too much power from the iPad and need a separate supply.

Having said all this there are still some hard drives that won’t work with all of the above, which makes choice very difficult. You may find ssd drives are a better choice as they usually draw less power.

There are some quite good YouTube videos available looking at using external drives with iPads and lightning connectors where they give some recommendations for external storage devices which will work.

 

[J. A.]

There are flash drives with a lightning connector. I’m using one of those, storing some of my photos and documents on it temporarily, in order to transfer them from my iPad to a computer.

So: you can use external storage devices.

 

[scifan57]

One big limitation regarding external storage for iPads and iPhones is that you can't store iTunes content on them and play it on the iPad.

 

[Aerofly]

There are flash drives with a lightning connector. I’m using one of those, storing some of my photos and documents on it temporarily, in order to transfer them from my iPad to a computer.

So: you can use external storage devices.

Quite correct, and I’ve been using one for a while with my iPad Air2 (Transcend).
However you’ll find that these flash drives and their apps are not directly compatible with the iPads ‘Files’ app, and don’t show up in the app as an ‘external drive’.
I assumed the OP was wanting to utilise the built in ‘Files’ app with an external drive, but if not, then using a specific flash drive with a lightning connector will work perfectly as a stand-alone.

 

[J. A.]

Quite correct, and I’ve been using one for a while with my iPad Air2 (Transcend).
However you’ll find that these flash drives and their apps are not directly compatible with the iPads ‘Files’ app, and don’t show up in the app as an ‘external drive’.
I assumed the OP was wanting to utilise the built in ‘Files’ app with an external drive, but if not, then using a specific flash drive with a lightning connector will work perfectly as a stand-alone.

You’re right.

 

[PrismStudios]

Not an iPad pro user, but the same more or less...Shame the flash drives aren`t recognized by files, as I dump artwork there, and that`s my main saved/ moved content. I almost bought one of the flash drives, I may still sometime. For now though I`m content to download items onto my PC via iCloud for Windows. I`m on both devices and platforms daily as is, so it`s no hassle.

 

[Richard1961]

I have a 10.5 iPad Pro and I updated to iPad OS 13 and bought a flash drive with two ends one standard usb and the other lighting. I thought that with the new OS I could just plug in the drive and it would work.... but without the app(which I don’t want) it doesn’t do anything. If I use an adapter and the usb end it works fine as it should without any extra power. Do you think there will be a way to change this on the flash drive? Hopefully they will make one that works with the new OS as it should. I know the I should have waited for some one to Check before I got it but I was looking forward to using it as it would have made life much simpler for me.

 

[Padcatt]

I just bought an adapter from Apple: “Lightning to USB Camera” Adapter.
The iPad sees a thumbdrive but tells me it requires too much power, so I can’t use the accessory.

I just plugged an old-school Seagate hard drive into the iPad. In about 5 second, I could see and interact with this drive and all of its contents.

Very cool.

I don’t see how to safely eject this drive from the iPad. iPad OS 13 for me is a very big step toward being able to use the iPad full time.

Edit: I read that drives don’t need to be ejected. You simply unplug them - assuming any file moving has already completed.

 

[Padcatt]

Not an iPad pro user, but the same more or less...Shame the flash drives aren`t recognized by files, as I dump artwork there

From my experience this afternoon, thumbdrives/flash drives are recognized by Files, but the iPad throws the warning that the device can’t be used because it requires too much power, which is a shame. USB-connected drives with their own power supply show up readily in the Files app.

Can iPad’s lightning out port be made to handle flash drives by supplying the needed power if so directed by iPad OS? Or maybe we’re stuck with this.

 

[scifan57]

Have you tried using a powered USB hub to supply the necessary power to run the USB drives?

 

[Richard1961]

Quite correct, and I’ve been using one for a while with my iPad Air2 (Transcend).
However you’ll find that these flash drives and their apps are not directly compatible with the iPads ‘Files’ app, and don’t show up in the app as an ‘external drive’.
I assumed the OP was wanting to utilise the built in ‘Files’ app with an external drive, but if not, then using a specific flash drive with a lightning connector will work perfectly as a stand-alone.

Quite correct, and I’ve been using one for a while with my iPad Air2 (Transcend).
However you’ll find that these flash drives and their apps are not directly compatible with the iPads ‘Files’ app, and don’t show up in the app as an ‘external drive’.
I assumed the OP was wanting to utilise the built in ‘Files’ app with an external drive, but if not, then using a specific flash drive with a lightning connector will work perfectly as a stand-alone.

I am wondering when and if there will be a lightning drive that is compatible with the iOS file on the iPad os. You can hook up a usb flash drive though a adapter as long as the drive is low power and it works so it must be in the flash drive maybe something imbedded. Would be great if you could somehow format the lightning flash drive to work.

 

[Diane B]

Am I right that iPads which don’t have a USB-C “in” can not use external storage devices under iPad OS 13?

i ran the beta of Ipad OS 13 on my gen 1 12.9 Ipad Pro and connected all my external drives via the USB w/power port and using a power block of between 12W and 29W. My drives are 2 Lacie mobiles of 1T-(one was Thunderbolt 2 but also had a USB port, the other 1T USBa), a WD 4T USBa, and a Sandisk 64GB dual flash (USBa one side, USBc other). Since then also added a Samsung T5 SSD for travel. All worked with the lightning ported Ipad.

I have a 2018 12.9 Pro with USBc port and use a Uni hub and connect several drives at once (also SD card)-but could connect one drive at a time with my (I think) 2015 Ipad Pro.

 

[Richard1961]

Yes if you have the usb-c port it works fine. I am crossing my fingers that someone will make a flash drive usb-a on one end and lightning on the other that will work with the new files system on the lightning end (no app) I can use it (usb-a) with an adapter but that’s something to carry around all the time. Do you guys think someone will make that or just leave it as it is?

 

[Padcatt]

Does anyone know about/can vouch for a Belkin USB hub, model: HL9B2VC/A, in terms of being able to supply the power to flash drives which the lightning iPad Pro can’t?