Why can’t I read any files or see photos on a usb stick. I have purchased a apple usc usb

To provide sufficient power for the USB drive, you’ll very likely need to provide additional power. The iPad, on its own, except for very low power devices, often cannot supply adequate power for connected USB storage devices.

For an iPad Pro with a USB-C connector, you may need to connect your iPad and the USB Flash Drive to a powered USB hub.

In all cases, your USB storage must also be formatted as FAT32, exFAT or APFS. iPad cannot read multi-partition devices, or proprietary device formats (such as NTFS). Thumb drives (a.k.a. USB Sticks) are usually factory formatted as FAT32, or for very large capacity devices, as exFAT - both being “universal” formats that can be accessed by the majority of computing platforms.

The cable is compatible. Your problem may be power-related - as some USB storage devices require more power than the iPad itself can provide. If this is the issue, a powered USB Hub can provide the necessary power for the storage device.

Older model iPads, with a Lightning port, resolve this potential issue by using a Lightning to USB3 Camera Adapter - to which can be connected both the USB Storage device and the iPad Power Adapter. As your iPad Pro has a USB-C connection, this solution doesn’t help with your own problem.