Thumb drive to lpad
Is there any way to download the contents of a thumb drive to my iPad..
iPad, iPadOS 16
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Yes, connection of external USB storage devices is possible - with some caveats...
To be recognised by iPadOS, the attached USB storage device must be formatted to FAT, FAT32, exFAT or APFS with a single partition. As the iPad has limited power capabilities, dependent upon the Storage Device, an external power source is often required.
If your iPad Pro has a Lightning port, you will need to use an Apple Lightning to USB3 Camera Adapter to directly connect USB devices to the iPad. This adapter has both a USB 3.0 Type-A connector and an additional Lightning port to supply power, from your charger, to both the iPad and connected device. The external charger must be rated at 12W or more.
If you have one of the newest iPad Pro models, with a USB-C connector, you may need to utilise a powered USB hub (i.e., it has its own source of power) - connecting both the iPad Pro and the storage device to ports on the hub.
Some additional information can be found here:
Connect external devices or servers with Files on iPhone - Apple Support
https://www.imore.com/how-use-external-hard-drives-your-iphone-or-ipad
If not using a USB-C hub, the USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter is useful in that it has, in addition to an HDMI connection, a USB3 Type-A port for connecting storage or other supported USB accessories, plus a USB-C port for simultaneous connection of the iPad Power Adapter.