slow usb-c transfer speeds, reliability and Files app bugs, iPad OS, iPad Pro 2018

It could be the cable you are using, the one that Apple ships with the ipad pro is usb 2 speeds supposedly mainly for charging. You would need to try one of these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07213D35X/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A294P4X9EWVXLJ&psc=1

I just got an ipad pro Gen 3 512 gig and it took 40 minutes to get a 32 gig file off it to a spinning usb 3 hard drive. Going to try buying one and testing it out. Read more info on Mac Rumors about it here. https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/new-ipad-pro-11-usb-c-data-transfer-speeds.2152119/

When I first formatted my sandisk extreme pro to APFS, I was getting errors in the middle of writing a file from the iPad Pro so I formatted it again following sandisks web site directions, and did the formatting in Catalina this time as opposed to the first time I used disk utility in High Sierra. No longer getting any errors. APFS was not a new thing with 13.4. as far as speeds are concerned with the iPad Pro. I was hoping for improved speeds with 13.4s release but sadly no change.

I am using FE (File explore PRO) to transfer my files, I works for me. Speeds still the same... but now you can copy your file like MS-DOS did in the 80’s (and your files will be there)

I figured the same problem. Transferring speed is quite flawed! Also I don‘t know why there isn‘t a „Remaining Time“ indicator as on the MacBook. It doens‘t make sense, that it‘s that much slower...really should be improved with the next update.

Also: The „Files App“ needs improvements: (1) You should be able to check the size of a folder, otherwise it is hard to check the backup. (2) The remaining space on a disk is yet not visible; also very important for backups.

==> make a feature request!

It does seem that the ipad pro ships with a USB 2 cable with a C connector. I am ordering a new cable and will see if there is an improvement like in this video below. Mine came with a piece of crap, cable and slow charger as it was a amazon refurb. But I saved $450 on it. I'm sure speeds will still be slower than they should be but looks like they can be better with the right cable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs4rKJB8GWw

Gentle person,

sadly the situation has not improved till today - iPad OS 13.5, iPad Pro 11“ 2020 here. Transfer speeds from the iPad to external drives (of whatever type/connected directly or via powered hub/independent of the file system used on the external drive) are really slow.

Besides being slow on general compared to even old MacBooks with only USB 2, the transfer speed additional breakdown to be related to the number of files, the total size and wether directories are included. E.g. as Long as I copy just a few files (< 50, less than 1Gb, just files, no directory) transfer times are bearable, slow, but bearable.

unacceptable is that when copying e.g. photos, depending of the filesystem of the target disk, more or less files are damaged on the target drive (roughly between 0.x and 1.x percent).

Gentle readers, please file a performance and/or bug report via

https://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html

Thanks for your efforts!

I have similar problems with similar results, I use my iPad Pro 10.5 512GB (via Apples USB-3 dongles - SD or Camera)

Before iPad OS the notion, that an iPad (Pro or not) could replace a notebook was a farce, but with the current write speeds, it is still a joke.

I have decided, when I have to save weight during flights (I'm not flying first class, nor corporate jets, like "Tim Apple" probably can), I leave my iPad at home and only carry my MacBook Pro 13, 2018 (4 ports) and lot's of external media for a couple of generations of backups of my texts, audio, images and videos produced during travel.

No Apple iPad can even compete with my really old Surface Pro 4, when it comes to backups to external disks. The Windows 10 tablets has other limitations, but speed was never been one of them. When my iPad Pro 10.5 has gone to the eternal bit fields, that will be it, unless Apple really ups the ante significantly.

If carry-on weight allowance is sufficient, the iPad gets included to be used as a second "Sidecar" monitor during video editing via an Apple USB-C to Lightning cable. It helps... and from the MacBook I can create backups on the iPad too, when I'm in a tight spot (double or more speed, than from iPad Pro to an otherwise really fast SSD (but it's a steep price to pay for a few hundred megabytes of slow, spare storage).

Apple really needs to get their act together in my view!

Regards

So I am sorry for my earlier posts... I spoke prematurely after being in shock at how long it took to get 32 gigs off the ipad pro to a hard drive the first time I tried it and needed to figure out what was going on and read more before I opened my mouth here. After a few tests today, writing to the ipad took about 6 seconds per gig using the Apple usb c to usb 3 adapter connected to my powered usb 3 hub and a Samsung Evo SSD, but transfering the same file off the ipad took about 30 seconds or more per gig. I hope they fix this soon.

I transferred 100 gigs in 18 minutes to and from my iPad Pro when connected to my MacBook Pro and a USB C to USB 3.0 cable. Averaging 90 to 100MB/ps. Most hubs dongles and thumb drives transfer at USB 2 speeds or worse. My tests are getting consistent results.

To get the best speeds when transfecting files off the iPad pro to external storage,

Format the drive in AFPS not Mac OS journaled or FAT32 . You should see around 120MBps when the drive is formatted in APFS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2yeqiHAsYM

Apple trickery? The speed is still way slow from what it should be but its much better than any other format.

The files app is flawed for sure along with transfer speeds. Too me its all in the software. Apple is doing this intentionally for some weird reason, a lot of users will return their ipad pros because of it. Maybe next years ipad pro will be thunderbolt 3 as a selling point "Now with fast transfer speeds!"... Odlly very few people complain about it on the web and most big youtubers don't talk about transfer rates for some reason like 9 to 5 Mac. I'm guessing the new iPad Pro 2020 has the same issues but have not seen anyone test the transfer speeds yet.

In the end I love the iPad Pro for what I use it for. I can record 48 tracks of audio to it, and get the files off it to my Sandisk Pro pretty quickly now that I am formatted in APFS. I can run eight stereo synths and output them all seperately to my digital mixer. The audio apps have come a long way and the iPad is very powerful as far as CPU processing and GPU goes.

Apple should really fix this issue and then I would have no complaints.