With the introduction of the iPhone 15 series, both the iPhone and iPad lineup now sport a USB-C port. It unlocks many functionalities on your device, such as connecting external storage, faster file transfer, and better compatibility with your existing adapters. While you can connect an external drive to transfer data from your iPhone or iPad, many had issues with the drive not appearing on their devices. Here are the top ways to fix the external drive not showing up on iPhone and iPad.
External drive support is a boon for iPhone and iPad users with limited space. You can simply connect it to your device and transfer videos, photos, and files in no time. The drive not appearing on your iPhone or iPad can confuse you. Let’s troubleshoot the problem once and for all.
How to Find an External Drive on iPhone and iPad
Both the iPhone and iPad come with the Files app to manage your documents and media files. The system doesn’t prompt or automatically open the Files app when you connect an external drive to your device. You need to check it manually using the steps below.
Step 1: Launch the Files app on your iPhone or iPad. It will open your previously used location.
Step 2: Tap Browse at the top and find your external drive under the Locations menu.
1. Use the Supplied Cable Only
Most SSDs come with a high-quality USB-C cable in the package. For robust and fast file transfer speeds, you should use the supplied USB-C cable to connect your SSD to an iPhone or iPad. When you use a random third-party USB cable, your external drive may fail to appear on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Corrupt SSD
If your SSD is corrupt, you will not be able to view its contents on your iPhone. To confirm the issue, you should connect your SSD to a PC or Mac. If you can’t use your SSD on any of your devices, you are probably dealing with a corrupt device. As such, we recommend getting a new SSD for your iPhone and iPad.
3. Don’t Use an Adapter
You should directly connect your external drive to your iPhone or iPad. You shouldn’t use an adapter to connect an SSD. A corrupt or below-average adapter may fail to read an SSD on the device.
4. Remove Case
If you use a rugged case with your iPhone or iPad, you may face errors while connecting an SSD. A thicker case prevents the cable from being properly interfaced with the device. You should remove the case and try again.
5. SSD Is Full
If your external drive is full, you may face errors when transferring large files from your iPhone or iPad. As such, try deleting unnecessary files by interfacing the drive with a PC. Once done, reconnect the drive to your iPhone or iPad.
6. Format SSD and Try Again
If you have a corrupt SSD that’s out of warranty, you should try to format it and see if it is recognized by your iPhone or iPad. As expected, you will lose all the drive data when you format it.
Step 1: Connect your SSD to a PC or Mac. (We will use Mac as an example here).
Step 2: Open the Disk Utility tool and select your SSD from the sidebar.
Step 3: Click Erase and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
Eject SSD from your Mac and connect it to your iPhone or iPad.
7. Use a Third-Party File Manager App
Are you facing issues with the default Files app on your iPhone? You can use a third-party file manager app and access your external drive files using the steps below. We will use an app called ‘Documents’ in the steps below.
Step 1: Download and launch Documents on iPhone.
Step 2: Tap + in the bottom right corner and select Add from iOS Files.
Step 3: Tap Browse at the top and find your SSD files under the Locations menu.
8. High Temperatures
Did you recently record a long video or play games for a couple of hours? Your iPhone or iPad temperatures may go abnormally high and fail to detect connected devices. You should wait for some time, let your device temperatures go down, and connect your SSD again.
9. Update iOS
Apple updates the Files app with newer iOS builds. An outdated Files app may cause issues with detecting the connected SSD. As such, you should install the latest iOS update to avoid any hiccups when connecting an external drive to your iPhone or iPad.
Step 1: Open Settings and scroll to General.
Step 2: Tap Software Update and install the latest iOS build.
Manage Your Files Like a Pro
It can be inconvenient if an external drive is not showing up on your iPhone or iPad. If you use a developer beta iOS build, switch to the stable version and try again. You can revert to a stable iOS build from the software update menu in iOS settings. Which trick resolved the issue for you? Let us know in the comments below.
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Last updated on 07 February, 2024
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