How to Connect a Pendrive to iPad and Manage Files

To consider the iPad as a laptop, it must have the property of managing files in the most optimal way possible. Although the clouds are gaining a lot of ground, the typical pendrives are still present and the iPads are capable of working with them. In this article we tell you all the considerations to consider when connecting a USB stick to the iPad.

iPad with Lightning connector

In the event that you have an iPad with a Lightning connector, you should know that it has some limitations. Although there are some storage units that have a Lightning connector, the experience is not too good. As the low power of the port to transfer files requires different Ligthning-USB-A adapters. With this adapter that we can find on the official Apple website we can easily connect a USB stick to the iPad so that it is recognized.

Connect a Pendrive to iPad and Manage Files

Something to keep in mind is that this adapter has a charging port. It is not an option to charge it or not, since if you want to use an external storage unit such as a pendrive or a hard disk, you will always have to connect the adapter to the light. It is this connection that will give enough power to the charging port to function properly and be recognized correctly.

iPad with USB-C connector

If you have an iPad with a USB-C connector, you will have no problem connecting a USB flash drive. You will require an adapter to be able to connect a traditional USB-A flash drive, although on the market we also find a USB-C flash drive. No external powered adapter is required, because the USB-C connection is perfectly capable of transferring files at high speed and powering external accessories. This is one of the great advantages that this type of connection has over Lighting.

In addition to a typical USB flash drive, you can also connect other accessories such as a hard drive. This is impossible with the Lightning connection as it does not manage power the right way.

Where to view the flash drive files

Once the pendrive has been connected to the iPad, you must know where the files inside the accessory are displayed. Since iOS 13 Apple has included a competent file manager called ‘Files’. Just as if we were in macOS, on the left side you will have access to the pendrive that you have connected. It will appear in the ‘Locations’ section where we find access to iCloud Drive or Google Drive. If you do not fully recognize it, you can force it to show the specific location by clicking on the three points that you will find in the upper right corner, next to the word ‘Explore’. In the section that appears you will see all the locations that are hidden so that they end up showing.

Once you access the files inside the flash drive, you can interact with them to browse inside the folders or open those files that interest you on the iPad. Files can also be exported to iPad’s internal memory by simply dragging them to one of the locations on the right side of the browser.

In short, the iPad aspires to become an entry-level laptop and with these highly productivity-focused features you are on the right track. The problem may lie in the limitations of the Lightning connector, which is solved with USB-C on iPad Pro.