How to Use an External Storage Device With an IPhone or IPad
Over time, Apple has gradually made it easier to use external storage on your iPhone or iPad, giving you more options when transferring files to and from your Apple device. Starting with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, you can also format external drives , further reducing your dependence on your computer.
Most storage options that are compatible with your computer will also work with your iDevice, including USB hubs and memory sticks. Apple recommends that storage devices have a single partition and be formatted as APFS, APFS (encrypted), macOS Extended (HFS+), exFAT (FAT64), FAT32, or FAT.
Choosing the right drive
It’s not hard to find an external drive that will work with your iPhone or iPad, because the vast majority of available options should work, from small flash drives to larger hard drives that use older mechanical platters rather than newer SSD technology. Any external storage you may use on your computer should also work with Apple devices.
However, it is recommended to double check product listings before purchasing. Some external drives are designed specifically for use on iPhone and iPad, while others may not be suitable for whatever reason. Please note that you will need a connection type that matches your iPhone (Lightning or USB-C) or an adapter cable.
It’s also worth checking to see if external storage requires an additional power cable, as some larger, higher-capacity drives do. That doesn’t mean you can’t use it with your iPhone or iPad, but it’s something to consider: installation isn’t as convenient if you need an extra power cord, but it does mean the drive won’t draw any power. charge your Apple device’s battery while you use it.
Obviously, the key feature you’re looking at with these drives is storage capacity: it’s a good idea to get more than you think you’ll need within your budget, just in case. Tiny USB drives are the easiest to carry and don’t require an extra cable, but they are usually more expensive than larger portable USB drives.
Here are some suggestions to get you started (these drives can be purchased in several configurations, but these are the largest capacities available):
Kingston XS2000 4TB : Small and rugged, supporting the latest USB 3.2 speeds. It has a small rubber sleeve for added water and impact resistance ($270).
Seagate 5TB Portable External Hard Drive : Not as fast as the latest SSDs, but fast enough for most people, very affordable, and nice to look at in terms of design. ($110)
Samsung 512GB USB-C Flash Drive : Small and fast (with USB 3.2 support), it plugs right into your iDevice, although the capacity isn’t as high. ($50)
Formatting drives and managing files
Once you’ve purchased a drive or found one you can use, you can plug it straight into your iPhone or iPad to get started. There’s no longer a need to use your computer to format it, however, if it’s an old drive that you’ve used before, it’s a good idea to check if there’s anything important on it before you erase it.
The Files app, built into iOS and iPadOS, is best for managing an external device. Click Browse and you’ll see your external drive listed next to your internal storage and iCloud storage. Touch and hold a drive’s name to view information about it and rename it if necessary.
Press and hold the drive and select Erase to erase and format the device. You get a choice of formats—APFS (Apple File System) is best for Apple devices—and then you can click Erase again to erase the drive. Confirm your choice in the pop-up dialog box and the external storage will be cleared.
File operations in Files are quite simple. Tap and hold on a file or folder to see a pop-up list of options, including Copy and Move —select Copy , then tap and hold and select Paste to your external drive. Select Move and a new window will appear asking you to select a destination. To work on multiple files at once, tap the three dots (top right), then Select , and once you’ve made your selection, you can press and hold it again to bring up file operations.
Touch and hold an empty part of a folder in external storage to create folders to organize your files, then touch and hold files or folders to delete or rename them. All the usual Files features apply to your external drive: tap the three dots (top right) to change, for example, how files and folders are displayed and in what order. There’s no special feature on your iPhone or iPad to eject your external drive—just make sure you don’t move data to or from the drive when you disconnect it.