How to Use Your iPhone as an External Hard Drive
Turn Your IPhone Into An External Drive Using Apps
Wouldn't it be great if you could leave your USB flash drive in a drawer and just use your iPhone as a USB drive instead?
As it turns out, you can! There are a few ways to use use an iPhone as a storage device. Keep reading to learn more.
1. File Manager And Browser
File Manager is arguably the best phone-based app on the list. Not only does it let you manage your files, but it also acts as a virtual USB drive for both the iPhone and iPad.
Once you've installed the app on your device, you have two ways of getting data onto it:
Use iTunes: Connect your iPhone to a computer. On a Mac running macOS Catalina or newer, open Finder and select your phone from the left. On older macOS versions or a Windows PC, open iTunes, navigate to Apps, and find File Manager on the list. Click on it, and you can drag-and-drop files into the documents section in the right-hand panel.
Use Wi-Fi: In the app, go to Settings > Upload Via Wi-Fi Sync, and it will give you an IP address. Enter the address into a browser that's on the same network as your phone, and you'll be able to transfer files back and forth.
Some of File Manager and Browser's other key features include an integrated PDF reader, support for all Office 365 documents, file sharing via email, Bluetooth, and Facebook, and the ability to password-protect files and folders. You can upgrade for additional features.
2. IMazing
Unlike the two apps we've looked at so far, iMazing doesn't require you to install anything on your iPhone or iPad. Instead, it's a desktop app that acts as a replacement for iTunes. The iMazing app is available on both Mac and Windows.
iMazing has lots of great features, including photo organization, backup creation, message archiving, and advanced iOS management options but you'll be most interested in the file transfer service. It has a simple drag-and-drop interface and will let you choose which app on your phone you want to save the content to.
You can use the file transfer feature to move files and documents, contacts, Safari data, ringtones, ebooks, voice memos, and notes.
3. Lightning-To-USB Camera Adapter
If you already own an external hard drive or a flash drive and you want to use it with your iPhone or iPad, you need to pick up a Lightning-to-USB Camera Adapter. The correct product type will have a female USB port for you to plug your flash drive into, as well as a male Lightning connector to link the adapter to your iPhone.
An official adapter costs $30 in Apple's online store, but you can buy a third-party version on Amazon for less that half the price. Just be aware that the Amazon versions are not necessarily certified by Apple.
And remember, there's an oft-overlooked benefit of picking up a Lightning-to-USB Camera Adapter: if you're running iOS 13 or later, you'll be able to connect a USB mouse to your iPhone or iPad.
Make sure you go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch and turn on Assistive Touch before you try to set the mouse up. You can add it under Devices after that.
4. SanDisk IXpand Flash Drive
Instead of using an adapter for your existing drive, you could pick up a flash drive specifically designed to work with both iOS devices and other computers.
Indeed, there's an entire sector devoted to iPhone-specific USB drives. They all come with a Lightning connector and plug directly into your iPhone or iPad. Currently, the best-in-class is the SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive.
It automatically backs up your photos, lets you transfer any file on/off your phone, and is USB 3.0-enabled.
Even better, it also has a regular USB-A connector. This means that aside from using it with your iPhone and iPad, you can transfer data from the flash drive directly to and from any device with a USB port.
5. USB To USB-C Adapter
New iPad Pro models have ditched the Lightning port in favor of USB-C. Lots of people hope that Apple will follow suit with the iPhone and other iPad models, but so far the company hasn't changed its stance.
The result is that if you have an iPad Pro and and iPhone, you need two different adapters to use a flash drive with them both.
For your iPad Pro, pick up a USB to USB-C Adapter. Again, an official Apple version is available in the Apple Store, but you can save a lot by buying one on Amazon instead.
