How To Connect An External USB SSD Storage Drive To An iPhone & Copy, Move, Backup & Duplicate Files
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In this video I show how to connect an external USB SSD drive to an iPhone. This method will also work for connecting other types of USB storage devices to an iPhone, such as thumb drives and USB SD card readers.
For this example I'm using an iPhone 13 Mini with the Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter. This adapter is very important as it allows the connection of the iPhone charger via its Lightning port so extra power can be used to power the external USB SSD.
And the external USB SSD that I'm using is the Samsung T7, this one being the 1TB version.
I also show how simple it is to copy and paste a video file from the external SSD to the internal storage of the iPhone. You could of course go the other way and backup files from your iPhone to the external storage. Basically this video shows you How to use a USB hard drive with an iPad/iPhone when using Lightning.
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I’m David Harry, thank you very much for watching this video, take care and goodbye now.
Cheers,
Dave.
The best video I've seen on this topic. I didn't understand why people were having to use a USB hub until now.
At last,after wading through umpteen videos with vital pieces of info missing, a proper explanation! Thank you David Harry!
is the dongle really necessary?
Thanks for the vid. A few questions: Does the dongle charge the phone? Can this combo be powered by a power brick (I don't see power requirements in the T5 guide...I'd think it would work fine.) Lastly, can you record video straight to the external or does it have to record internally then transfer?
Thank you so much for this content David! I was amazed how little instruction there was out there for the iphone to SSD transfer considering the need.
Hi. You are very welcome and yes, very little instruction from Apple for such things. Cheers, Dave.
@@DavidHarry I am wondering why when I plug in the usb card reader into my iphone , it doesn't show on it and of course I can't read any of my external cards/? help , thx
@@pclark5135 it don’t work with iPhone
I followed as instructed, got a blue light on the T7 but couldn’t get the T7 to show up on Files app in the location. Any suggestions?
I found this video so late..... Thank you for this much needed information!!! You are the best thanks!!!!!
Absolutely crystal clear and concise. Production quality 5 stars. Thank you.
Sorry for the late reply, Peter. Thank you for your kind comment. Cheers, Dave.
You mentioned a very important detail that nobody mentions the port connection that made actually worked on my iPad, thank you very appreciated
David thank you for the detailed instruction and guidance.
Hi. You are very welcome. Cheers, Dave.
This video right here is exactly what I was wondering last night thank you so much
Hi. You are very welcome. However, you may want to watch this video as well, it will go live tomorrow and shows the serious issues of large files with the iPhone 13 and the use of Lightning kzhead.info/sun/dJ2kqNiNkaSLp5E/bejne.html Cheers, Dave.
@@DavidHarry Thanks David ! Gonna watch it now
This is the best. Do note if you usb c cable with an usb a adapter it won’t work. You do need the usb c to usb a cable. It’s already provided with the T7
Exactly what I needed, thanks 🙏
Hi. You are very welcome and I'm glad it helped. Cheers, Dave.
Finally a way to save stuff on my iPad and iPhone without going through a third-party app or the iCloud thank you very much I can’t believe it was this MF hard you would think that this process would be much easier
You can use iTunes to back up to a hard drive and temporary backup to iCloud is free.
I need it for my world trip ! But Does it work with iPhone 8 système ?? Thank for your video :)
David is consistently reliable in tackling everyday things no one else bothers to explain clearly and concisely. The more I see him exploring Mac in more recent videos the more convinced I become that Apple makes things unnecessarily complicated -- perhaps because they have a habit of wanting to draw people into their 'eco-universe' -- which is not 'eco' at all. The recent shift to RISC architecture (which some of us remember from the UK in the 1980s) and ARM chips certainly have a positive ecological impact but the corporate thinking is still stuck in luxury thinking and excessive profits. Microsoft is just as bad and late to the party with ARM licence architecture. Both companies really need to innovate on the customer interaction/ease of use front -- or look back to when computing was fun and educational with big business needs having separate divisions. Switch on horrid Windows 11 or lazy Ventura and there is nothing alluring to stimulate young minds to communicate with the world in a linear way as was once the case.We all went on a journey and eventually would encounter tools for business. Now it is straight to the business world with flat graphics, poor colour nuance and accessibility aids are severe and grudging. Those of us who work in the medical and special education fields used to be able to feel assured that there was interest. Now it is missing and might explain why bespoke Linux systems and sub-systems are rapidly filling the yawning chasm.
Hi, Stephen. You are absolutely correct, Apple do want to tie you into their ecosystem and certain functions that should really be straight forward, quite often aren’t. I also agree that they do treat their products like luxury items and price them accordingly, maybe even more so with their switch to RISC/ARM. BTW, I remember the 80s very well :) My opinion of all Apple products is that they are overpriced. However, for the best part they are generally made very well and work very well. Although, I’m still not convinced that their craftsmanship and functionality are justification for the prices. In certain instances, Mac computers are a great choice. After over 30 years mainly on Windows, one of the main applications that I was using, my video editing software, wasn’t being updated to take account of the latest functions on Intel CPUs. At this point I not only decided to change editing software but also decided to change hardware platform and OS. The move to Mac and DaVinci Resolve has been one of the best decisions I’ve made as far as my productivity is concerned. For me personally, as I make money from the use of my equipment, I stomach the high prices that Apple charge for their computers. That said, I’ll never agree that their prices are justified. One other reason for switching to Apple Silicon (RISC/ARM) was power efficiency. It’s only after using an Apple Silicon Mac that you realise the massive disparity between their power usage and that of a similarly performing X86/CISC computer. For the same and even better processing performance, the Apple Silicon Macs are massively way more power efficient. For a task that my Mac PC (MacBook) can perform using about 50 watts per hour, my previous Windows desktop PC was using around 400 watts. For me personally, I’m actually OK with paying more for any electronic product if it helps toward reducing the strain on out planet. Plus, from what I understand, Apple are also big on sustainability and re-use and recycle materials for most of their products. As for their tablets and phones. These are definitely their most overpriced items and by a high margin. Unfortunately for me, the iPad Pro is just amazing and is my most used electronic device. I’d probably go so far as to say that the iPad has been one of the best electronic items I’ve ever had. My only warning about buying any Apple product is this. If you really do like the Apple product you buy, and you probably will, Apple will basically own you :) Cheers, Dave.
Well expressed and exactly my sentiment- Tim and his accountant mentality has ruled too long. We need another Steve!!
Hi this video is so helpful! I just bought the SSD and the apple adapter. I wanted to ask if there is a way to save all my live photos as both stills and video clips at the same time? I’ve been using an iXpand flash drive before switching to this SSD and saving files on the iXpand keeps both still photo and as a video clip. I was wondering if there was a way to do that here on this SSD. Thank you in advance for the help and tips !!
Nice one David, thanks for sharing 👍😃
I was wondering what power the charger serves, because some people say you need at least a 12 watt charger, is that true?
Is there a way for me to back up my Iphone to iCloud then from iCloud to an external hard drive?
Great Video Thanks. Hey do you know how to copy the FILE from the SSD drive BACK to the Photos APP> I cant find the Photos App anywhere- Thanks . So for example as you showed . If you open you photos app on the iPhone now. it wont have that video clip you pated in it. It will just be in the folders app under my iphone.- Cheers for any help
Luv ur accent mate. Thanks for sharing this. Subscribed!
Thanks for the sub! Cheers, Dave.
Hello! I have a question about copying photos or videos on ssd! Do it save the original date and time the file was taken or only the time when it was copied on the ssd?
Would a Apple usb Type C Digital A/V multiport adapter work?
Do i still need extra power for normal small usb-sticks through this adapter?? Best regards
This method will work with Kingston xs2000? Thank you for answer
Thanks for showing me how to plug adapters into each other.
Thank you I needed this
You are very welcome 👍 Cheers, Dave.
Pretty good way to free up space on the iPhone!
Alright Tone. It is until you have to start moving large amounts of data, such as massive Pro Res files that new iPhones can record and the 13 Pro phones go up to 1TB storage. Here’s a video showing just how bad the problem is with large files, I’ll put it live later or tomorrow kzhead.info/sun/dJ2kqNiNkaSLp5E/bejne.html Cheers, Dave.
David can this SSD also be used on an iPhone 6 or do I need to get an app installed
Will this give me more I phone storage tho like rn I have 64gbs so will I have more if i do this?
is the power for the lead apple lighting ? cable as i just tried that with adapter in uk plug and t7 drive and opened up file and its not showing up ? I phone is charging
Does the port of the phone that you use is the same port one uses to charge your phone?
Thanks to you I knew the exact products I needed to buy, and I now have a simple way to move media off my phone, something that would take me multiple steps and too often wasted time & annoyance at download mishaps. And no icloud or pc or internet access needed, love that. Just for others to know as I was wondering and hoping it would work the same, but I purchased the newer 2022 rugged T7 shield and it works just the same as the 2020 t7 shield you have in your video. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise as I can now have peace of mind & efficiency instead of dread every time I need to move media.
I connected a Sandisk SSD extreme pro to my iPhone 14 pro max, exactly in the method as shown in your video, and it doesn't work, the SSD Extreme pro external drive doesn't show up in the iPhone Files. Any clue?
Omg the first video that helped thank you!
Hi. I’m glad the video was useful 👍 Cheers, Dave.
@@DavidHarrymy external ssd is not showing up on my iphone, but it’s showing up on family’s iphone? Do you know what’s going on?
What about iphone 15 (if it comes with usb c) will work a ssd connected directly?
does it work for phone 12? I need to transfer images from iPhone 12 to external drive to work on my Windows PC
Thank you for your precious help!
You are very welcome 👍
Mine seemed stable with 1A powerbank outputs, but with higher it cut out after a couple of minutes, but now they seem ok
What is the SSD format? If NTFS SSD format, can it write file from iphone to the SSD or it can read only?
I loved your explanations 💪🏼👍🏼
Thank you 👍 and I'm glad you liked it. Cheers, Dave.
Been trying for ages got it working for a usb stick but not ssd Samsung
1:17 most of us fail to connect it at one try. Impressive mate
🤣🤣🤣
Thank you for sharing this! 🙏🙏🙏
Hi. It’s my pleasure and you are very welcome 👍 Cheers, Dave.
Without additional power source SSD will not work on IPhone? On Android phone with only OTG adapter it can.
Can I run an app using ssd external on my iphone?
Great video. Thank you.
Nice one, Jon, Thanks. Cheers, Dave.
I use the dongle for a DAC when I use wired headphone. I like to listen high rez lossless audio file. The dongle had a lighting charge slot . However. Apple is switching to USB- C , when iPhone 15 is released. I have the Samsung SSD external drive, the cable that was in my box was a usb-c with a usb 3.1 adapter.
Sandisk ssd 2tb is not working on my iPhone 13 why is that can you help me out with that?? I have formatted to fat32
Question…… I need to factory re-set my iPhone 12 as I have some issues. Will this SSD allow me to back up all the apps I have downloaded, my contacts, music, photos/videos, etc. once I reset my phone I want to bring it back to where it was. Thank you.
And what if external hard drive isn't showing on iphone 7 plus? What do I need to turn on inside my iphone 7+ to ensure it recognizes the external hard drive?
Very informative thank you
Hi, Neil. You are very welcome 👍 Cheers, Dave.
Can i transfer from iPhone to ssd with this method?
Hi! Can I put pictures from my phone on to this? I can’t figure out a way and I’m nervous I just bought the SSD and dongle for no reason now…
Best video on this topic!
And the best comment on this video 👍 Cheers, Dave.
Great video! Do you need to have a lightning power cable attached to the camera 3 Adapter for you to use the external hard drive on your phone? Seems a little pointless if you still have to be connected to a wall…let me know tho! Thanks!
Use a battery pack during travel
Man, it’s really cool thank you,😊
Hi, Aleksandr. You are very welcome. Cheers, Dave.
Portable ssd is read only. How to make it write too? So that I can move my phone’s stuff on the ssd or hdd too
Can you use the charger now because it’s usb-c to lighting
Can you add videos and picture from phone to ssd?
Can we edit photos from the SSD without pasting them in iPhone storage?
can you try if for file over 3gb?? i use my 32gb ipad for video editing,, transfering the file to my flash drive and the dongle is soooo hot and the file is broke.. is that just me or,, ???
This cable is expensive any ulternative option is available....?
hi how do you safely eject the samsung t7 from the iphone? i cannot find the "eject" button or icon from the iphone?
which iphones is this compatible with?
Terima kasih banyak sudah berbagi video, sangat bermanfaat sekali, trims
how do you move photos from your iphone to the drive while its plugged into the phone
How much minimum power does it need?
hwat about a regular HDD? must it be a SSD?
Not able to use Kingston XS2000 2TB on iPhone 14pro max. Any solution?
I confirmed I am using a sync cable but I’m still not seeing in in my files browser. I am using a Crucial X9 SSD. Why could this be help? Thank you !
Will it also work on iphone 14 promax and transcend ssd 1TB?
I just got my new SSD T7 2TB and I have iphone 13 pro. I have everything plug in. I see the SSD blue light on so it does have power. But I when go in to the location I do not see the location showing the SSD T7 so what should I do?
omg finally! Thought I bought a defective dongle, it was opened, off ebay. But I think before I watched this I had it wired up wrong. This video told me the lightning in is for the power bank. The other thing was USB lead. My T7 is USB-C. I have three USB A to C leads, but the first one I tried doesn't work. The others do!! Also you have to give it a minute til the light on the T7 starts flashing. Data coming through!!
Hi, Alf. I'm glad the video was useful in some way. Cheers, Dave.
Hi, liked your video, just a quick question, what was your USB-C cable attached to?
I believe to the power cord .
to supply enough energy to run the SSD drive.
Hi there! I have iphone14 pro and Samsung ssd T3- the ssd keeps blinking blue light and doesn’t get recognized in my phone .. it’s not working for me 😢
How do you add the external drive to locations on files?
Great video. I have a question. I’m traveling soon and will be taking a large amount of photos and videos. I want to be able to back these up during my trip to a this same type of hard drive, but I will not be taking a laptop. Is there a configuration that I could set up using my iPhone to be able to copy my SD cards to the external? I’m trying to figure this one out and coming up short.
What are the SD cards from?
@@DavidHarry Various cameras (a GoPro, a Sony mirrorless, and a DJI Pocket 2). I think I may have figured out a solution, haven’t tested it yet. It Amazon has a connector just like the one in the video that also has an SD card slot and microSd card slot, so I’m going to see if that option works.
Followed every step and mine doesn’t show up in files. Any idea what I may be doing wrong?
can i copy r move 4k videos from iphone to ssd?
Having issues with my phone pushing enough power . Any suggestions?
Does it have to be a certain iPhone model the 8+ and xs do not work for me
Can you just pull the SSD out to eject or is there a proper method?
So elegant
On 13 pro not working what i should do?
I have a question: If I transfer the phone back to an iPhone, will the date and time be restored to its original settings? Thank you.
does the T7 password security need to be turned off to use it with the iphone? because you cant install any security software on the phone to make it work right???
Does this drain your phone battery ?
Thanks for this. I assume the same system will work with the iPhone 12 mini?
You are very welcome and yes, the same setup works for iPhone 12. Cheers, Dave.
Samsung t5 not work in iphone 12
Can i record from my iPhone to my T7 everything is connected
Can you do this with HDD?
Hi David Did you have to reconfigure the SSD for it to work or did it work straight out of the box I’m only asking as mine doesn’t seem to be working the only difference is I’ve got the iPhone 11 Great video 👍
Hi Ian. I formatted the drive first with a computer using exFAT. Try that and see what happens. Cheers, Dave.
@@DavidHarry thanks I’ll give that a try 👍
@@iang2868 did it work?? I also have an iPhone 11 wondering if it works
@@iang2868 hello bud!! Did you manage to format your SSD? mine doesn’t seem to work either straight out of the box
How do you copy files FROM the iPhone to the ssd?
Hi Dave. I no longer own a computer and have no idea how to format the drive first using exFAT. Any chance you could let me know how to do it?Cheers, Dave.
Hi David. So far, I've not come across anything on iOS that allows you to format any drive from any iOS device. Android devices can do this but it seems it's something that Apple don't allow with iOS. Sorry I can't be of any help with that one. Cheers, Dave.
No worries Dave; thanks for replying so quickly.
You are very welcome 👍
I can't see my SSD in iPhones files.I even bought an USB HUB Sabrent with power.. Can you help me?
Can I buy below ones? Samsung T7 1TB Up to 1,050MB/s USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps, Type-C) External Solid State Drive (Portable SSD) Red (MU-PC1T0R)
Hello, thnx for the video. I have 2 questions : 1. is it possible to play music files directly from the SSD without first importing the file into the iPhone 13? 2. is it possible to connect the Samsung SSD X5 to the iPhone 13 and play the music files immediately from the SSR without first importing the music file ( car 1). Thnx.
Yes, I use Jet Audio music player that will play music that you ripped from cds and create lossless audio or mp4 . You use the files app and you tell the file app to use a secondary audio player, since the Apple Music player will not play music files , that does not have apple special code. I prefer to rip my own music to choose my own nitrate and etc. I have 3000 cds . If you want to use the external ssd drive for movies and music, I use Infuse pro 7. It is in Apple Store . Since I have a lot of Apple devices I connect the same drive to my Tri-band Linksys Mimo router , using the usb 3.1 port on the back of the router… creates a simple server . It will be password protected ( user admin , and the password is the same as the router. The App, Infuse will scan and find the server that you created , apply the login . You will be able use any apple device that has infuse . .. and play any media file
I think my adapter isn't working, my 2TB drive formatted in eXFAT with all my music and a few movies on it for my upcoming road trip isn't showing up at all on the iPhone....It did sorta show up on my wife's new Samsung...But the files are hard to find on that one...I wanted ALL our devices to work with the hard drive!
Awesome
Will an IPhone X work with this?
Hi Sir, do you Know if it is possible to copy an entire folder from the SSD, or it is only possible to copy file by file?
Entire folder
Everytime i go to my file browser i can't find my videos/photos.. Can you tell me how to search my files?