Possible to use any kind of hard drive on iPad?

[Super Xander]

I know that Apple doesn’t natively support hard drives on the new iPads.
But do anyone know a third part app there makes file management possible on iPads?

 

[TinaBelcher]

Don’t think so. I’m so mad at them cause I was planning on using my usb-c flash drive.. but of course Apple disabled that option purposely to force people to upgrade to more storage = more money for them.

 

[Beards]

You can use wireless hard drives or one that attaches to your router.

 

[ericwn]

Often mentioned here is the RAVpower file hub, which I believe is a little WiFi router that can make external hard drives etc accessible via its app. Other wireless drives might have their own apps to access the storage.

 

[Mabus51]

The app filebrowser allows you to connect any hdd to a router and lets you use the native files app to connect to the drive.

 

[sracer]

Often mentioned here is the RAVpower file hub, which I believe is a little WiFi router that can make external hard drives etc accessible via its app. Other wireless drives might have their own apps to access the storage.

I have the 1st gen of that device... and it is, IMO, the best option among all of the less-than-good alternatives. It's just the nature of iOS devices.

 

[Farsider]

Any NAS that supports CIFS/SMB will work too. Get the FileExplorer app and with its excellent Files integration, you can access all data directly from the NAS using Files.app

 

[markusberger]

 

[sharkync]

Thanks Marcus - this is too cool!

 

[DNichter]

I use an NAS for my personal file management.

 

[sparksd]

I wrote an extensive review of it, with measurements --

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/new-ravpower-filehub-model-review.2128117/

 

[Ettepetje]

All the options I have seen, even the expensive ones, are SLOW. When you try to manage 10-100 gigabyte of videos or RAW files from your camera or SD card you need 40+ megabyte/second, not 3-7 megabyte/second.

Hopefully the USB-C connector can open up new possibilities on this front, both to and from the iPad.

 

[sparksd]

All the options I have seen, even the expensive ones, are SLOW. When you try to manage 10-100 gigabyte of videos or RAW files from your camera or SD card you need 40+ megabyte/second, not 3-7 megabyte/second.

Hopefully the USB-C connector can open up new possibilities on this front, both to and from the iPad.

Totally agree. But I bet it won't happen.

 

[Ettepetje]

Totally agree. But I bet it won't happen.

But it already can be done. Wifi is quick enough, if I use my old MacBook Pro. So a decent speed wireless hub is needed instead of the crappy ones currently for sale.

The other route is an official or unofficial tool to read/copy files beyond the DCIM folder, like some SD card readers already are doing (albeit at USB2 speed, because of the slow lightning port).

 

[sparksd]

But it already can be done. Wifi is quick enough, if I use my old MacBook Pro. So a decent speed wireless hub is needed instead of the crappy ones currently for sale.

The other route is an official or unofficial tool to read/copy files beyond the DCIM folder, like some SD card readers already are doing (albeit at USB2 speed, because of the slow lightning port).

The difficulty lies in combining a good wireless router/hub with a non-interfering USB3 capability (and SD card and Ethernet?) in a compact package that can be reliably and economically produced. If someone could do that, they likely would have and that's why we don't see this in the marketplace.

 

[Ryan P]

Totally agree. But I bet it won't happen.

IOS 13

 

[sparksd]

IOS 13

I'd like to think so but iOS 13 is starting to sound like a compendium of everybody's wish lists. I'll believe it when I see it.