{"id":69022,"date":"2020-12-11T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-11T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/?p=69022"},"modified":"2022-01-06T14:40:49","modified_gmt":"2022-01-06T20:40:49","slug":"connect-external-storage-to-iphone-ipad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/69022-connect-external-storage-to-iphone-ipad\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do You Connect External Storage to Your iPhone & iPad?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Earlier this week, we announced our new iOS & iPadOS app called Copy That<\/a><\/strong>. It lets you easily copy photos and videos from your iPhone or iPad to an external storage drive. You can select what you want to copy, how you want to copy it, and where you want it to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that we\u2019ve made it easy to back up your mobile media, only one question remains: How do you connect external storage to your iPhone & iPad?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can connect your iPhone or iPad to external storage in one of two ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Directly connect an external drive<\/li>
  2. Connect to a network share<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    Directly Connect an External Drive<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    You can use any USB disk with your iPad & iPhone\u2014although depending on your disk & mobile device, you might need an adapter cable. Also, the disk needs to be preformatted\u2014you can\u2019t format it on your iPad or iPhone. The disk can be formatted APFS, HFS+, exFAT, or FAT32. exFAT and FAT32 work great for sharing with both Macs & PCs; you can also share APFS & HFS+ with MacDrive<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Also, your iPad\/iPhone doesn\u2019t put out a lot of power\u2014it works with thumb drives, but with anything larger, you\u2019ll need to use a disk that has its own power supply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Adapters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    If you have an 11-inch iPad Pro (any generation), a 12.9-inch iPad Pro (3rd<\/sup> generation or later), or iPad Air (4th<\/sup> generation):<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Good news! Your iPad has a built-in USB-C port. If you have a USB disk with a USB-C connector, you can plug the disk directly into your iPad. That\u2019s it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If your USB disk doesn\u2019t have a USB-C connector, you can use an adapter cable<\/strong>. A couple of examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    OWC USB-C to USB-A (USB 3) Adapter Cable<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    \"owc<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    Apple USB-C to USB Adapter<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    \"usb-c<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    If you have an iPhone or any other iPad:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If your mobile device has a Lightning port, it\u2019s still really easy to connect to an external drive\u2014all you need is a Lightning to USB adapte<\/strong>r:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Lightning to USB Camera Adapter<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    \"Apple<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    \"Apple<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    We recommend Apple\u2019s Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter\u2014it includes an additional Lightning port so you can keep your iPhone\/iPad connected to power during the copy process\u2014copying large numbers of files can take some power. Please ensure that the external drive being used is compatible with a lightning-connected host.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    Connect to a Network Share<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Your iPad\/iPhone can also connect wirelessly to a network share<\/strong>. Once connected, Copy That can copy files directly to your network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To connect to a network share:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    1. Open the Files app<\/strong> on your device<\/li>
    2. Tap the Browse<\/strong> tab<\/li>
    3. Tap the ellipses<\/strong> button in the top-right corner<\/li>
    4. Tap Connect to Server<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      \"Connect<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

      You will then need to respond to the standard login questions such as Server name, Guest or Registered User, Password, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n

      Cloud services<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      \"iCloud<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

      While you can use Copy That to copy to iCloud Drive<\/strong>, you can\u2019t copy to 3rd<\/sup>-party cloud services (such as Dropbox or Google Drive). Apple\u2019s security sandboxing doesn\u2019t allow enough access to support Copy That’s features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n

      Copy That Pricing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      \"OWC<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

      OWC Copy That is available for free<\/strong> in the App Store<\/a>. Special pricing for in-app purchases will be available through the end of 2020. Currently priced at $.99, it will increase to $2.99.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      In-app purchases will include Verified Copy<\/strong>, a more secure way to copy, verify copies of data by comparing to originals. Also included is Delete From Device<\/strong> \u2013 the ability to delete items from the iPhone or iPad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n

      External Drives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      OWC is the leader in external storage solutions. From the OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual<\/a> with 3-Port Hub to the bus-powered OWC Envoy Pro EX<\/a>, or the pocket-sized OWC Envoy Pro Elektron<\/a> \u2013 we have you covered! Check out all of our external drive solutions at MacSales.com<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n

      Video Tutorial<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      If you would like to see a “hands-on” demonstration, check out the video, “How to Transfer Files from Your iPad or iPhone to an External Drive<\/a>“<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n