OFFLOAD YOUR iOS FILES
Transfer files from your iPhone or iPad
IT WILL TAKE 10 minutes
YOU WILL LEARN How to connect USB drives to your device
YOU’LL NEED Mac, iPad or iPhone, a suitable adapter and a power source iPads and iPhones don’t have expandable storage – but you can use external USB sticks and memory cards to transfer files or store things you don’t need to keep on your device.
Things are easier if you own an iPad Air or iPad Pro equipped with USB-C, since you can connect USB-C sticks directly. However, often you’ll need an adapter, especially when using a memory card, or an iPad or iPhone equipped with Lightning. In that case, to connect USB sticks, you’ll need the Lightning to USB Camera Adapter or the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter; to connect memory cards, the Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader or the USB-C to SD Card Camera Reader.
While USB sticks don’t use as much power as external hard drives, they still need a certain amount in order to operate – and that maybe more power than your iPhone or iPad is willing to give them. In that circumstance, one of three things will happen: you’ll get a pop-up saying ‘Cannot use accessory… this accessory requires too much power’; the drive simply won’t show up at all; or your iPhone or iPad will crash.
Power fix
The solution is to use a powered USB hub that plugs into the mains, or the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter with a power supply (other adapters don’t have this option).
Using USB sticks with iPhones and iPads is really straightforward. It’s a great way to transfer data that’s too big for AirDrop when iCloud Drive isn’t an option. Carrie Marshall