Turn your iPad Pro into a workstation using iPadOS and accessories

For a long time, iOS users have criticized the way Apple manages file storage on its iPhone and iPad. Unlike Android, accessing storage on an iPhone or iPad isn't as simple as connecting it to your computer. There is also no option to add additional storage in the form of a microSD card. However, Apple has made some improvements over time, most notably with the company's iPad Pro, which dropped the Lightning connector for USB-C back in 2022. This is great news because it now means users will be able to connect USB-C devices like external hard drives to it.

If you're looking for how to use an external drive with your iPad, you've come to the right place, so read on and we'll walk you through the relatively simple process.

iPad Pro with USB-C

If you bought an iPad Pro 2022 with a USB-C port, the process is very simple. If you have an external drive or flash drive that uses USB-C, then it's as simple as plugging it into the iPad Pro's USB-C port and you're ready to go.

However, if your external drive still relies on a USB-A connection, you'll need to find a USB-A to USB-C adapter. Apple sells an official adapter on its website but it's not exactly cheap, but a quick search on Amazon will show you several third-party alternatives that will work just as well.

External drives for iOS devices

Kingston Wi-Drive, Seagate GoFlex Satellite Mobile Wireless Storage and PQI Air Drive The industry of accessories and auxiliary devices for Apple products can long ago be separated into a separate branch of the computer industry. The needs of i-gadget owners are served by companies from small to large, that is, in other words, from unknown offices to leaders in the Hi-Tech industry. Kingston, Seagate and PQI companies also did not remain aloof from this trend. Today we will examine external drives from these companies, aimed primarily at iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users.

Why do you need external drives for Apple mobile devices? The first answer is to expand the available memory. And the second answer is to play content on iPhone, iPad or iPod touch without using iTunes or the Internet.

In principle, it is not surprising that manufacturers focus primarily on iOS users, and not Android, since Android smartphones, as a rule, do not have such problems. Most Android smartphones support memory cards that allow you to add up to 32 GB of built-in flash memory. In addition, copying music, movies, photos and documents to Android smartphones is no more difficult than to a flash drive or any other external drive - these are the advantages of an open file system. However, all the heroes of our review also work with devices based on Android OS.

But with iOS devices the situation is more complicated. To add any content, you must either create it with the device itself (for example, shoot a video with a camera or record sound with the built-in voice recorder), or use a computer with iTunes installed. Of course, there are also Internet services - including the music and movie store iTunes Store (not available in Russia), as well as a number of cloud resources that allow you to store files (Dropbox, etc.). But what to do in those situations when we have neither a computer nor broadband Internet at hand?

Let's give a simple example. You are going on vacation. We decided to take our favorite iPad with us to watch movies on it. But there is not enough space on the iPad, and there will be no Internet during the trip (or there will be, but it will be slow and unstable). What to do? There is only one way out: an external drive like those involved in our testing today. Let's get to know them better and see what they can do (and what they can't).

Principle of operation

First of all, let's talk about the operating principle of these devices. It is common to all three drives participating in our testing.

First of all, we need to copy the files that we plan to open on the iPhone/iPod/iPad to an external drive. Of course, the files must be in formats supported by iOS. Moreover, in the case of documents, it is not necessary that programs be installed to process them. All document formats that can be opened from email attachments are supported for reading. That is, say, the absence of Pages will not allow you to edit the .doc file, but will not prevent you from reading it. However, even if you have Pages and open a .doc file from your drive, you won't be able to edit it and save it to your drive because you have to import it into Pages to edit it, but you can't export it back.

On the drive, you can sort files in any way you want - no one forbids creating folders with any names (including those written in Cyrillic), writing files of different types into them, etc.

After all the necessary files have been transferred to the drive, we disconnect it from the computer. The next step is to install the application on your iOS device. There is nothing to comment here; the applications are available in the App Store. After both of these steps are completed, we will no longer need a computer and the Internet. But then comes the most interesting part.

Turn on the drive (all three have a Power button or lever). After that, on your iOS device, open Settings / Wi-Fi. Among the available Wi-Fi networks, we are looking for the one created by our drive (working in this case as an access point).

We find a network and connect to it. Next, launch the installed application. In it we see all the files that we copied from the computer. Thus, the iOS application in this case acts as a file manager for the remote drive.

Then everything is clear: we select the desired file - and it opens (if it is a document or photo) or begins to play (if it is a video or audio file).

However, you need to understand that media files will not be added to your media library on the device. However, if you want to watch the file locally, not via a Wi-Fi connection to the drive, then you can download it to the memory of your iOS device - but the file will only be visible through the application, of course.

Several devices can be connected to the drives at the same time. In the case of Kingston and Seagate, this number is limited to three devices (although for Seagate, after the release of the new firmware, the number of possible simultaneous connections should increase to eight). PQI supports five connections.

Thus, one of the options for using such drives is collaboration with documents at meetings. Let's say that before a meeting, documents that need to be discussed are recorded on the drive, and during the meeting, all participants open them on their tablets and smartphones. Quite convenient. The only problem is that for complete convenience, everyone must have the application of this drive installed. But if such meetings are held regularly, this is quite possible.

Of course, all of the above schemes also have disadvantages. The main one is the significant battery consumption of the iOS device (during playback of media files). Simply put, the battery will drain not like when you simply watch a movie from your library, but like when you stream video from the Internet. Another disadvantage is the need to disconnect from the Internet (which is inconvenient in the case of a meeting scenario): you cannot simply stop viewing a document and check your email. More precisely, you can, but you will have to disconnect from the network created by the drive, connect to the Internet network, and only then will you be able to check your email. And then the reverse sequence of actions awaits.

But even despite these inconveniences, an external drive for iOS devices is a very necessary and useful thing. It is not a fact that it will be useful to every user. But for some, this solution can be truly indispensable. Let's see what the difference is between drives from different manufacturers and which model you should pay attention to first if you understand that such a thing will be useful in your household.

Kingston Wi-Drive

The Kingston model is called Wi-Drive. You could get the first information about it from our report from Kingston’s pre-New Year presentation. Here is a quote from the report that very accurately characterizes the device:

Wi-Drive is a wireless flash drive equipped with a built-in Wi-Fi adapter and designed for users of Apple portable devices (iPhone, iPad and iPod touch 3-4th generations).

In fairness, we note that this spring the Wi-Drive application for Android appeared in the Google Play Store.

Packaging and equipment

Wi-Drive comes in a small but rather tall box, shaped like the iPhone and iPod touch packaging.

Inside is the device itself, a Mini-USB-USB cable, a short manual in English and other languages ​​(there is no Russian) and a charger with an American plug (we had an American copy).

Design

In shape and dimensions, Wi-Drive resembles an iPod touch, but it is made of plastic rather than metal, and overall it looks much more utilitarian, without pretensions to style or any chic.

Glossy black plastic is here both front and back. And on the sides there is a silver rim.

The only connector - Mini-USB 2.0 - we see from above. On the right is the Power button, as well as wireless network indicators.

The volume of built-in flash memory is 16 GB (there are also modifications of 32 and 64 GB). The cost of the 16 GB version at the time of writing was about 2,500 rubles.

Seagate GoFlex Satellite Mobile Wireless Storage

Our second hero is a much larger and more serious device. This is no longer a flash drive, but an external hard drive with a capacity of up to 500 GB, supporting “advanced” connections (which will be discussed below).

Inside the drive there is a regular 2.5-inch Momentus ST9500325ASG hard drive.

Packaging and equipment

The drive comes in a fairly large box, inside which we will find a USB power cable, an AC adapter (GoFlex Satellite requires external power), a user manual, a car charger, a SATA to USB 3.0 Micro-B adapter and a USB to USB 3.0 Micro-B cable.

As you can see, the equipment is significantly richer than that of Wi-Drive, and promises us very “tasty” opportunities for using high-speed interfaces.

Design

The drive body is made of plastic. Dimensions are typical for an external hard drive. The only Power button is located on the side; on the other side we see a power connector.

The SATA connector is protected by a cover. If you remove the cover, you can connect the device to the computer using a SATA cable (it is not included). Or replace the cover with the included adapter, which allows you to connect a USB 3.0 Micro-B cable (also included in the kit).

It's worth noting that the Seagate GoFlex Satellite is the only device in our review that supports USB 3.0. The cost at the time of writing was on average about 6,500 rubles (although if you try, you can buy it for less than 6,000 rubles).

PQI Air Drive

The PQI Air Drive package is the most minimalistic. The device is located on a cardboard with a transparent plastic pocket, in which, in addition to the drive itself, there is a tiny booklet - a short user manual (there is no Russian language). No adapters or cables are included with the device.

But in the device itself we will find a 16 GB SDHC memory card (in fact, this is all the available memory, just unlike the two previous devices it is implemented in the form of a removable memory card). That is, in essence, PQI Air Drive is an “advanced” card reader. There is an option on sale with a 32 GB SDHC card included.

Design

Of the three drives we're reviewing, the PQI Air Drive is the most compact. It is identical in length and width to a credit card, and slightly thicker than the latest generation iPod touch. This is a nice block with straight edges, protected at the top and bottom with bronze-colored metal plates (a much more practical solution than Kingston’s glossy black plastic).

Connection to the computer is carried out using a retractable rubber tongue, at the end of which there is a USB 2.0 plug.

On the top edge there is an on/off lever, as well as a Reset hole. Nearby are indicators of device operation, battery and wireless network.

On the bottom edge we can see a rubber plug, under which the already mentioned SDHC memory card (16 GB capacity) is hidden. It can be removed and also used to copy files to the drive. More precisely, to work with the drive, because besides this card there is no other memory in the device.

I must say that the decision to use a standard memory card instead of non-removable flash memory seems very reasonable: if necessary, you can replace the memory card with a more capacious one. In addition, if you want to rewrite a movie from somewhere, you don’t have to carry the entire device with you; you just need to take just a memory card (provided you have a USB adapter, of course). Or it can be convenient for amateur photographers on a trip: take photos, take out the memory card from the camera, insert it into the PQI Air Drive - and enjoy looking at them on your iPad.

For some unknown reason, PQI Air Drive was practically not represented in Moscow stores. And the few existing proposals are not representative enough. But, nevertheless, based on them, it can be argued that the cost of the device is between Kingston Wi-Drive and Seagate Satellite. That is, this is an intermediate option.

iOS apps

In principle, applications for working with these drives are perhaps the most important component of this solution. However, since they are very similar to each other both in functionality and interface (and the few differences are not critical and can be changed with any minor update), we decided to make a single story about all three applications.

iOS applications (the names of the Seagate and Kingston applications are identical to the names of the devices, and the PQI application is called S+ Flash) is a file manager with sorting files by type (video, music, images, etc.). All three applications allow you to save a file from the drive to the memory of your iOS device (but not add it to your library). Using the PQI utility, we can not only copy, but also delete a file from the drive, but for some reason we cannot export a file opened “through it” (say, a PDF document) to iBooks.

The Kingston app, on the other hand, offers this option. But it does not allow you to delete files.

Playing video and audio files in all three cases looks the same as when streaming from the Internet (for example, from YouTube)

Finally, we note that using applications you can set a password for the Wi-Fi network created by the drive.

conclusions

The concept of external storage for iOS devices seems very interesting to us and useful in certain situations. Of course, the described devices can be used simply as external drives, and they can also work in conjunction with devices on other OSes (even if there is no special application for these OSes, the content can be accessed through a browser). But it is the symbiosis with the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch that seems most valuable to us, since we will not be able to expand the memory of iOS devices in any other way (without using the Internet).

Of course, in the era of widespread cloud services, some tasks (for example, opening one document to all participants in a meeting) can be solved much easier and cheaper (more precisely, simply for free). But the cloud model only works if there is Internet access. Here the Internet is not needed.

Of course, such storage devices cannot be called essential items. And they, alas, are not able to fully replace the built-in flash memory of iOS devices. But in case you don't have enough space for movies and music, these drives can help you. In addition, sometimes they can be useful when you need to watch some content on an iOS device, but your “native” computer and the Internet are not available. Of course, there are also disadvantages here. In particular, when playing music or movies from storage devices, the battery of an iOS device drains very quickly (since heavy content is transferred over Wi-Fi), so if, say, Seagate promises 7 hours for the GoFlex Satellite, then in reality you will get significantly less. but not because of the drive, but because of the iOS device.

If we move from the general concept to specific drives, then it is worth noting, first of all, that, despite the narrow scope of functionality determined by the concept itself, the devices turned out to be different. The simplest of them is Kingston Wi-Drive. It will be useful if you bought an iPad, iPhone or iPod, and after the purchase you realized that you had chosen a model with insufficient flash memory. Well, or you deliberately decided to save money. The arithmetic here is simple: say, an iPad with 16 GB of flash memory plus a 16 GB Kingston Wi-Drive together will cost less than a 32 GB iPad. Although, we repeat, this is not an entirely equivalent replacement.

PQI Air Drive is a more interesting device. First of all, because it does not use built-in flash memory, but [any] SD memory card. In addition, PQI can be connected using a USB plug to any computer without any cables or adapters. This is a nice convenience.

The most serious of the drives reviewed is the Seagate GoFlex Satellite Mobile Wireless Storage. For those who like to watch movies on iPad, this drive will be very useful. Transfer several hundred movies to it, take all this wealth with you on trips and forget about the 64 GB capacity limitation. Plus, the Seagate GoFlex Satellite can be used simply as an external hard drive - fortunately, it supports the current USB 3.0 interface, and in terms of overall dimensions it is not much different from its “brothers”. But where it differs from them is the price: an external hard drive from the same company and with the same characteristics (500 GB, USB 3.0) can be bought for at least half the price. And whether the opportunity to use an external hard drive with an iOS device is worth several thousand rubles is up to you to decide.

iPad with lightning port

If you don't have a new iPad Pro with USB-C, that means your iPad is still using the Lightning port. This makes things a little more difficult because Lightning-to-USB-A adapters are not as common as USB-A to USB-C adapters. You'll need to buy something like the Apple Lightning to USB-3 Camera Adapter to get it to work.

The good thing is that this adapter also comes with a USB-C port, meaning that you should technically be able to connect USB-C accessories through this adapter.

However, there is a catch: if you connect external hard drives that are too large, you may experience power issues. There have been some user reports claiming that small flash drives have no problem, but connecting an external hard drive may result in an error message stating that the adapter will require more power. This can be avoided by connecting a USB hub to the adapter, but this essentially means that you are adding a dongle to a dongle.

Way two: Jailbreak and Camera Connection Kit

I have already told you how you can use an external flash drive using this exceptional accessory. Since the iPad 2, this method has not changed one iota, except for the emergence of new problems. After installing the jailbreak, iFile and connecting the USB flash drive, you need to go to /var/mnt/mount1

– location of your flash drive/hard drive. Then use it for your health. There is only one requirement - the connected drive must be formatted in the HFS file system.

Pros:
• the ability to connect a storage device of any size to an iPhone or iPad;
• the ability to actually replace the local document folder of any application with a virtual folder - work with files without copying;
• the ability to install iOS applications on an external drive.

Minuses:
• requires jailbreak and Camera Connection Kit;
• music cannot be used in the standard music application - only in other players;
• External “heating” is required for hard drives that require more power than the device can provide them with.

The method provides more opportunities than the previous one, but at the same time requires more literacy, although less money. Great for enthusiasts who don't have to spend money on mobile internet.

How to Move Files from External Drive to iPad

1. Launch the Files app and select your external drive.

2. Click Select

3. Click on all the files you want to move
4. Click "Move" and select "On My iPhone/iPad" (you can also move it directly to another location, such as Dropbox, iCloud, or Google Drive).

5. Select the folder where you want to store the files
6. Click "Copy" and wait for the files to transfer and you're done

Is it possible to connect a flash drive to an iPhone?

For example, the Files app on iPhone and iPad now fully supports external drives. ... Now you can even connect the most standard USB flash drive to your iPhone and work with it without any restrictions.

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How to Move Files from iPad to External Drive

1. Launch the Files app and select a file location.
2. Click Select and select all the files you want to move

3. Click Move

4. Select your external drive from the menu and folder location
5. Click "Copy" and wait for the files to transfer

How to Transfer Photos from iPad to External Drive

In addition to copying and moving files from your external hard drive to your iPad and vice versa, you can also move photos directly from the Photos app to your external hard drive if you want to make backups quickly and easily. This is ideal if you prefer to use your own storage instead of a cloud storage service like Apple's iCloud.

1. Open the Photos app and select the photos you want to transfer to your external drive.
2. Click the Share button

3. Select "Save to Files"

4. Select the external drive and folder and click "Save"

Files application: convenient, understandable and familiar

The new operating systems iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 are full of pleasant and joyful innovations for Apple users. And one of the most interesting is the built-in support for external storage. Which means you can connect almost any device—flash drives, external drives, digital cameras, etc.—to see data from those devices in the Files file manager for iOS and iPadOS.