How you can use an exterior storage gadget along with your iPhone

Whereas AirDrop and iCloud make fast work of transferring recordsdata from one Apple gadget to a different, exterior storage opens up a number of completely different potentialities for iPhone customers. Connecting an exterior onerous drive or thumb drive to an iPhone allows simple backups with out cloud subscriptions. Apple iPhone customers may even hook up with a digital camera or SD card to dump pictures with out bringing a laptop computer alongside.

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Nonetheless, connecting an external hard drive, thumb drive, or SD card in lots of instances requires an adapter. And if you wish to switch each recordsdata and pictures, you may want to make use of two completely different apps. We have sorted out what iPhone customers must know to greatest perceive tips on how to use an exterior storage gadget with an iPhone.

What you may want to attach an exterior storage gadget to your iPhone

To attach a storage gadget like a USB drive, exterior onerous drive, or SD card to your iPhone, you’ll want the iPhone and the gadget itself, however you may additionally want the right twine or adapter for the 2 units to speak. The twine that you simply want will depend on which model iPhone you will have in addition to which gadget you need to hook up with.

In case you have an iPhone 15 or newer, you may want a USB-C cord that matches the port on the exterior storage gadget. In case you are utilizing an exterior onerous drive with a USB-C connection, it’s possible you’ll have already got a USB-C to USB-C twine that may work. With the iPhone 15 Professional, you can even record video straight to an external drive.

• For a USB thumb drive, you may want a USB-C to USB-A adapter cable
• For an SD card, you may want a USB-C to SD card reader, or a USB-C twine that matches with the port in your digital camera (normally USB-C or micro USB)
• For an exterior onerous drive, you may want a USB-C to USB-A or a USB-C to USB-C cable, relying on the port on the exterior onerous drive

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  Apple USB-C to USB-A adapter

  The Apple USB-C to USB-a adapter permits USB drives for use with USB-C units just like the iPhone 15 and the MacBook Professional.

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  Apple USB-C to SD Card Reader

  $37 $39 Save $2

  This adapter permits you to plug an SD card right into a USB-C port on a MacBook or iPhone 15.

In case you have an iPhone 14 or older, you may want a Lightning port adapter that matches the exterior storage gadget.

• For a USB thumb drive, you may want a Lightning to USB adapter
• For an SD card, you may want a Lightning to SD card reader
• For an exterior onerous drive, you may want both a Lightening to USB adapter or Lightning to USB-C adapter, relying on the port the drive makes use of

How you can join an exterior storage gadget with an iPhone

Whether or not you might be connecting to a USB thumb drive or an exterior onerous drive, utilizing exterior storage with an iPhone follows just a few primary steps, it doesn’t matter what gadget you might be utilizing. In case you are utilizing a desktop exterior onerous drive that comes with an influence cable, the drive will must be plugged into an outlet utilizing the twine that got here with the drive, in addition to into the iPhone. If, nonetheless, you might be utilizing a transportable onerous drive, the USB twine provides each the ability and the information connection.

First, nonetheless, guarantee your iPhone is working present iOS software program. Apple launched help for exterior storage units with iOS 13 – which implies you’ll want an iPhone working iOS 13 or later. As iOS 13 was launched in 2019, most customers will not want to put in any updates, but when you have not up to date your working system in just a few years, it’s possible you’ll want an replace earlier than connecting to exterior storage.

How to hook up with exterior storage units from an iPhone

1. Join the iPhone and exterior storage gadget utilizing the required adapter (from the checklist above) or twine.
2. On the iPhone, open the Information app.
3. Faucet browse from the navigation bar on the backside.
4. Beneath areas, find the identify of the exterior storage and faucet on it.
5. Faucet to view the recordsdata on the gadget.

You’ve got now related to an exterior drive, however what about saving recordsdata from the iPhone to the drive? What about importing pictures from an SD card? The method differs barely relying on whether or not you might be exporting recordsdata or pictures, so we put collectively directions for alternate processes beneath.

How you can save pictures to an exterior onerous drive from an iPhone

Transferring pictures from an iPhone to an exterior onerous drive or USB drive permits you to create backups or clear up some much-needed area in your cellphone. The simplest manner to try this is to switch albums with a purpose to save plenty of pictures without delay. Right here’s how:

1. Plug in the required adapter (based on the checklist above) to the iPhone and the exterior onerous drive or USB into the opposite finish.
2. On the iPhone, open the Images app.
3. Navigate to albums.
4. Faucet the album that you simply wish to switch, protecting in thoughts that enormous albums will take a very long time to switch.
5. Faucet choose on the highest of the album, then faucet choose all.
6. Faucet the share icon (the field with the arrow on prime).
7. Faucet Export Unmodified Originals.
8. Within the subsequent window, faucet browse, then choose the drive from beneath the Places header.
9. Faucet save.
10. Earlier than deleting any pictures off your iPhone, open the recordsdata app and navigate to the drive to make sure the pictures are transferred efficiently.

Alternatively, it can save you one picture at a time by opening the picture within the pictures app, tapping the share icon, then following steps seven via 9 above.

How you can save recordsdata to an exterior onerous drive from an iPhone

Information are additionally simple to switch to an exterior onerous drive or thumb drive, however the steps differ barely as a result of this course of begins within the Information app quite than the Images app.

1. Open the Information app and navigate to the recordsdata that must be transferred – this varies based mostly on the place you saved the recordsdata, however many could be discovered beneath On My iPhone or iCloud Drive.
2. Faucet on the menu icon, then faucet Choose.
3. Faucet on the file(s) that you simply wish to switch.
4. Choose the share icon (the field with the arrow on prime).
5. Select Save To Information.
6. Faucet on browse, then choose the drive from the checklist beneath Places.
7. Within the subsequent window, navigate to the specified folder on the drive and faucet save.
8. Earlier than eradicating any recordsdata from the iPhone, use the Information app to make sure the recordsdata are transferred accurately

How you can switch recordsdata or pictures from exterior storage to an iPhone

Together with transferring recordsdata off of the iPhone, you can even use exterior storage so as to add recordsdata to your cellphone. For instance, you possibly can offload an SD card, saving the pictures in your iPhone, so you possibly can share them and not using a laptop computer. This course of is similar whether or not you need to hook up with an SD card, thumb drive, or exterior onerous drive.

1. Join the exterior storage gadget utilizing the required adapter.
2. Open the Information app.
3. Faucet browse, then choose the storage gadget from beneath the checklist of areas.
4. Faucet the menu, then hit Choose.
5. Faucet the recordsdata you need to switch, or use the Choose All button on the prime to decide on every thing.
6. Faucet the share icon (the field with the arrow on prime).
7. Choose Save Picture for pictures or Save to Information.
8. Images will mechanically be saved to the Digicam Roll; if you’re saving a file, select the placement on the subsequent display screen then faucet save.

Do you should format a drive earlier than utilizing it with an iPhone?

The iPhone helps exterior onerous drives and USB units in a number of completely different codecs, but when the drive that you simply presently have just isn’t within the right format, it’s possible you’ll must reformat the drive. In case you have already used the drive on a MacBook, likelihood is, the onerous drive may also work along with your iPhone. To make use of on an iPhone, an exterior drive needs to be formatted as APFS, APFS (encrypted), macOS Prolonged (HFS+), exFAT (FAT64), FAT32, or FAT. The iPhone additionally can’t presently help drives which have a couple of knowledge partition.

At any time when formatting a drive, guarantee you will have one other copy of any desired recordsdata elsewhere. If you should reformat the exterior onerous drive, observe this tutorial.

Are you able to backup an iPhone to an exterior onerous drive and not using a laptop computer?

Whereas iOS helps transferring recordsdata to exterior storage, Apple doesn’t help making a backup file this fashion with out a pc. You’ll be able to switch particular person recordsdata and pictures, however you can’t create a backup file on your complete cellphone without delay. To again up your iPhone, you’ll want a laptop computer. Another choice that doesn’t require a pc is to create an iCloud backup.