Experiences with 3rd-party Lightning/USB flash drive for photo backup?

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Experiences with 3rd-party Lightning/USB flash drive for photo backup?

Has anyone tried any of the Lightning/USB flash (thumb) drives used to back up photos from iOS devices? These come from SanDisk, InfinitiKloud and about a half-hundred Chinese sources. The problem is that you have to download an app specific for that device to backup your photos. If device is good but the app is garbage the combination will be garbage. Once the photos are copied to the external drive, it can be removed and the other (USB) end taken to your favorite photo shop for printing.

My wife would like to get one for her new iPad but the research is bewildering. Any experiences to relate?

iPad Pro 10.5-inch, Wi-Fi

Posted on Jan 23, 2020 5:01 PM

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Answer 1

QuickPost

Level 10

103,437 points

Jan 23, 2020 10:25 PM in response to DRNewcomb

Hello,

You may be better off just using a standard USB external storage device as iPad now supports this feature.

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Answer 2

Demo

Level 10

166,747 points

Jan 24, 2020 8:50 AM in response to DRNewcomb

You can certainly do that if you want to do so. Import them to a computer and then copy them to a thumb drive. This explains how to import the photos to a computer. Don’t use iCloud. Import the photos using the cable.

Transfer photos and videos from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

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Answer 3

DRNewcomb Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 24, 2020 8:42 AM in response to MichelPM

Thanks. From some additional research on the subject, it seems that to support two-way transfer of files to and from a USB flash drive, it needs the additional power from the charger. Some simple adapters claim to support reading files from a flash drive but not writing to the flash. At this point it may be simpler to just wait until we can use a PC/Mac to read the picture files and copy them from the PC/Mac to a flash drive to take to the photo shop for printing.

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Answer 4

DRNewcomb Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 24, 2020 1:53 AM in response to QuickPost

So, just a Lightning/USB(F) dongle with a standard thumb drive should do the trick?

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Answer 5

MichelPM

Level 10

81,535 points

Jan 24, 2020 2:05 AM in response to DRNewcomb

No.

You need to purchase the actual, genuine Apple Lightning to USB-3 camera adapter, from Apple, and plug that adapter into external power using your iPad charge cable and Apple power/charging block!

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MK0W2/lightning-to- usb-3-camera-adapter?fnode=37

You NEED TO PURCHASE THIS EXACT genuine Apple adapter above!!!

This is THE ONLY adapter that works!

Cheaper ( cheap in price and quality ) third party “knockoff” adapters WILL NOT WORK!!!!

With Lightning connector equipped iPads, you need this adapter as it has a Lightning connector power connection to power both the iPad and to connect a commonplace USB flash memory drive or portable SSD drive.

Without the additional power to the iPad, USB flash drives and portable SSD drives will NOT work with older iPads with the Lightning connector.

The Lightning connector alone cannot convey the,necessary power requirements needed for normal USB style flash memory drives.

YOU NEED TO CONNECT AN EXTERNAL POWER SOUCE TO THIS ADAPTER for that adapter to work with ANY externally connected drive!!! Even to get any standard USB flash memory drives to work on older Lightning connector equipped iPads.

There are lots of YouTube videos that discuss and demonstrate this.

In addition the external drive needs to be formatted into one of these file/data formats

APFS

FAT 32

exFAT

Good Luck to You!

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Experiences with 3rd-party Lightning/USB flash drive for photo backup?

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