Is a cable or adapter necessary for iPhone file transfer to a USB drive?
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How to Transfer Files from iPhone to USB Without Computer: A Step-by-Step Guide
If you use an iPhone as your primary device for taking photos, shooting videos, recording audio, or creating documents, you may want to back up your files to a USB drive for safekeeping or sharing with others. However, you may not always have access to a computer or a cable to connect your iPhone to one. Luckily, there are several ways to transfer files from iPhone to USB without a computer, using wireless or wired methods that rely on different apps and tools available on the App Store or built into iOS. In this tutorial, we will show you how to transfer files from iPhone to USB without computer using five different methods.
Table of Contents:
– Requirements
– Method 1: Use a Lightning-to-USB Adapter and a Flash Drive
– Method 2: Use an iPhone App and a Wi-Fi-enabled Flash Drive
– Method 3: Use an iPhone App and a Wireless Hard Drive
– Method 4: Use an iPhone App and an External Battery with a USB Port
– Method 5: Use AirDrop and a USB-enabled iOS Device
Requirements:
To follow this tutorial, you will need:
– An iPhone running iOS 12 or later
– A USB drive with a Lightning or USB-C connector (for lightning-to-USB adapters)
– A Wi-Fi-enabled flash drive, wireless hard drive, or external battery (depending on the method you choose)
– One or more iOS apps that support file transfers and USB drives (see the method descriptions)
– Some files (photos, videos, audio recordings, documents, etc.) to transfer
Method 1: Use a Lightning-to-USB Adapter and a Flash Drive
The simplest and most affordable way to transfer files from iPhone to USB without computer is to use a Lightning-to-USB adapter and a flash drive. This method works best for transferring photos and videos, as these can be imported directly into the Photos app on your iPhone, which can detect and read most flash drives.
Step 1: Get a Lightning-to-USB adapter and a flash drive with a USB connector.
Step 2: Connect the Lightning-to-USB adapter to your iPhone’s Lightning port.
Step 3: Connect the USB connector of the flash drive to the USB port of the adapter.
Step 4: If prompted to trust this device, tap Trust.
Step 5: Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
Step 6: Tap Import at the bottom of the screen.
Step 7: Select the photos or videos you want to transfer, or tap Import All to transfer all of them.
Step 8: Wait for the files to be copied to the flash drive.
Step 9: Disconnect the flash drive and the adapter from your iPhone.
Method 2: Use an iPhone App and a Wi-Fi-enabled Flash Drive
If you don’t want to carry a separate adapter and flash drive, you can use a wireless flash drive that connects to your iPhone via Wi-Fi and allows you to transfer files using a companion app. This method works best for larger files and documents that may not be supported by the Photos app.
Step 1: Get a Wi-Fi-enabled flash drive that is compatible with iOS and supports file transfers.
Step 2: Install the companion app for the flash drive on your iPhone from the App Store.
Step 3: Turn on the flash drive and connect your iPhone to its Wi-Fi network.
Step 4: Open the companion app on your iPhone and follow its instructions to connect to the flash drive.
Step 5: Browse the files on your iPhone and select the ones you want to transfer to the flash drive.
Step 6: Tap the Export or Share button in the app and select the option to save the files to the flash drive.
Step 7: Wait for the files to be transferred, which may take some time depending on their size and the speed of the Wi-Fi connection.
Step 8: Disconnect the flash drive from your iPhone and turn it off.
Method 3: Use an iPhone App and a Wireless Hard Drive
Similar to Method 2, you can also use a wireless hard drive that connects to your iPhone via Wi-Fi and allows you to transfer files using a companion app. A wireless hard drive may have more storage capacity and features than a flash drive, but it may also be bulkier and more expensive.
Step 1: Get a wireless hard drive that is compatible with iOS and supports file transfers.
Step 2: Install the companion app for the hard drive on your iPhone from the App Store.
Step 3: Turn on the hard drive and connect your iPhone to its Wi-Fi network.
Step 4: Open the companion app on your iPhone and follow its instructions to connect to the hard drive.
Step 5: Browse the files on your iPhone and select the ones you want to transfer to the hard drive.
Step 6: Tap the Export or Share button in the app and select the option to save the files to the hard drive.
Step 7: Wait for the files to be transferred, which may take some time depending on their size and the speed of the Wi-Fi connection.
Step 8: Disconnect the hard drive from your iPhone and turn it off.
Method 4: Use an iPhone App and an External Battery with a USB Port
If you already have an external battery with a USB port, you can use it as a makeshift USB drive to transfer files from your iPhone to it. This method is suitable for small files and documents that don’t require a lot of storage space.
Step 1: Get an external battery with a USB port and a USB cable that is compatible with your iPhone.
Step 2: Connect the USB cable to the Lightning port of your iPhone and the USB port of the external battery.
Step 3: Turn on the external battery and wait for it to be recognized by your iPhone.
Step 4: Install an app that supports file transfers and USB drives from the App Store.
Step 5: Open the app on your iPhone and browse the files you want to transfer.
Step 6: Tap the Share or Export button in the app and select the option to save the files to the external battery.
Step 7: Wait for the files to be transferred, which may take some time depending on their size and the speed of the USB connection.
Step 8: Disconnect the external battery from your iPhone and turn it off.
Method 5: Use AirDrop and a USB-enabled iOS Device
The last method to transfer files from iPhone to USB without computer is to use AirDrop, a built-in feature of iOS that enables wireless file transfers between Apple devices, such as iPhones, iPads, and Macs. However, this method requires you to have at least one iOS device that has a USB port and supports USB drives.
Step 1: Get an iOS device that supports USB drives and connect it to your USB drive.
Step 2: Open the Files app on the iOS device and browse to the folder where you want to save the files.
Step 3: Turn on AirDrop on both devices by swiping up from the bottom of the screen or tapping Settings > General > AirDrop, and selecting Everyone or Contacts Only.
Step 4: On your iPhone, select the files you want to transfer and tap the Share button.
Step 5: Choose AirDrop from the sharing options and select the iOS device that has the USB drive.
Step 6: On the iOS device, accept the incoming file transfer and select the USB drive as the destination.
Step 7: Wait for the files to be transferred, which may take some time depending on their size and the speed of the USB connection.
Step 8: Disconnect the USB drive from the iOS device and turn it off.
Conclusion:
By following these five methods, you can easily transfer files from iPhone to USB without computer. Depending on your preferences and needs, you can choose a wireless or wired method that suits your situation. However, keep in mind that some methods may require additional hardware or apps that may cost money or have limitations. Also, remember to back up your important files regularly to avoid losing them in case of theft, damage, or malfunction of your iPhone or USB drive.