Find out how to use an exterior storage system tog...

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

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Nevertheless, 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 images, you will want to make use of two completely different apps. We have sorted out what iPhone customers have to know to greatest perceive easy methods to use an exterior storage system with an iPhone.

What you will want to attach an exterior storage system to your iPhone

To attach a storage system like a USB drive, exterior laborious drive, or SD card to your iPhone, you’ll want the iPhone and the system itself, however you will additionally want the right wire or adapter for the 2 units to speak. The wire that you just want will depend on which model iPhone you’ve gotten in addition to which system you wish to connect with.

When you have an iPhone 15 or newer, you will want a USB-C cord that matches the port on the exterior storage system. If you’re utilizing an exterior laborious drive with a USB-C connection, it’s possible you’ll have already got a USB-C to USB-C wire that may work. With the iPhone 15 Professional, you can even record video straight to an external drive.

• For a USB thumb drive, you will want a USB-C to USB-A adapter cable
• For an SD card, you will want a USB-C to SD card reader, or a USB-C wire that matches with the port in your digital camera (normally USB-C or micro USB)
• For an exterior laborious drive, you will want a USB-C to USB-A or a USB-C to USB-C cable, relying on the port on the exterior laborious 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 means that you can plug an SD card right into a USB-C port on a MacBook or iPhone 15.

When you have an iPhone 14 or older, you will want a Lightning port adapter that matches the exterior storage system.

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

Find out how to join an exterior storage system with an iPhone

Whether or not you’re connecting to a USB thumb drive or an exterior laborious drive, utilizing exterior storage with an iPhone follows a couple of fundamental steps, it doesn’t matter what system you’re utilizing. If you’re utilizing a desktop exterior laborious drive that comes with an influence cable, the drive will must be plugged into an outlet utilizing the wire that got here with the drive, in addition to into the iPhone. If, nevertheless, you’re utilizing a conveyable laborious drive, the USB wire provides each the facility and the info connection.

First, nevertheless, guarantee your iPhone is working present iOS software program. Apple launched assist 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 a couple of 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 system utilizing the mandatory adapter (from the checklist above) or wire.
2. On the iPhone, open the Information app.
3. Faucet browse from the navigation bar on the backside.
4. Beneath areas, find the title of the exterior storage and faucet on it.
5. Faucet to view the recordsdata on the system.

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

Find out how to save images to an exterior laborious drive from an iPhone

Transferring images from an iPhone to an exterior laborious drive or USB drive means that you can create backups or clear up some much-needed area in your telephone. The simplest manner to try this is to switch albums in an effort to save plenty of images directly. Right here’s how:

1. Plug in the required adapter (in line with the checklist above) to the iPhone and the exterior laborious 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 just wish to switch, maintaining 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 high).
7. Faucet Export Unmodified Originals.
8. Within the subsequent window, faucet browse, then choose the drive from beneath the Areas header.
9. Faucet save.
10. Earlier than deleting any images 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 images app, tapping the share icon, then following steps seven via 9 above.

Find out how to save recordsdata to an exterior laborious drive from an iPhone

Information are additionally simple to switch to an exterior laborious 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 primarily based on the place you saved the recordsdata, however many will be discovered below On My iPhone or iCloud Drive.
2. Faucet on the menu icon, then faucet Choose.
3. Faucet on the file(s) that you just wish to switch.
4. Choose the share icon (the field with the arrow on high).
5. Select Save To Information.
6. Faucet on browse, then choose the drive from the checklist below Areas.
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

Find out how to switch recordsdata or images 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 telephone. For instance, you possibly can offload an SD card, saving the images in your iPhone, so you possibly can share them and not using a laptop computer. This course of is similar whether or not you wish to connect with an SD card, thumb drive, or exterior laborious drive.

1. Join the exterior storage system utilizing the mandatory adapter.
2. Open the Information app.
3. Faucet browse, then choose the storage system from below the checklist of areas.
4. Faucet the menu, then hit Choose.
5. Faucet the recordsdata you wish to switch, or use the Choose All button on the high to decide on every part.
6. Faucet the share icon (the field with the arrow on high).
7. Choose Save Picture for images or Save to Information.
8. Images will routinely be saved to the Digicam Roll; if you’re saving a file, select the situation on the subsequent display then faucet save.

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

The iPhone helps exterior laborious drives and USB units in a number of completely different codecs, but when the drive that you just presently have is just not within the appropriate format, it’s possible you’ll have to reformat the drive. When you have already used the drive on a MacBook, chances are high, the laborious drive will even work together with your iPhone. To make use of on an iPhone, an exterior drive must be formatted as APFS, APFS (encrypted), macOS Prolonged (HFS+), exFAT (FAT64), FAT32, or FAT. The iPhone additionally can’t presently assist drives which have multiple information partition.

Each time formatting a drive, guarantee you’ve gotten one other copy of any desired recordsdata elsewhere. If you want to reformat the exterior laborious drive, comply with this tutorial.

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

Whereas iOS helps transferring recordsdata to exterior storage, Apple doesn’t assist making a backup file this manner with out a pc. You may switch particular person recordsdata and pictures, however you can’t create a backup file to your total telephone directly. To again up your iPhone, you’ll want a laptop computer. An alternative choice that doesn’t require a pc is to create an iCloud backup.