How to Connect USB Devices to an iPad: The Complete Guide

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Transfer files, charge your devices, and more

Written by Megaera Lorenz, PhD

Last Updated: April 25, 2025 Fact Checked

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Connecting a USB Drive

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Using USB Chargers

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Other Devices

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Video

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Tips

Whether your iPad comes with a USB-C or Lighting charging port, you can use USB cables to connect your iPad to a wide variety of devices. In this article, we’ll teach you how to connect your iPad to an external USB storage device, like a thumb drive, flash drive, or SD card reader–and whether you’ll need an adapter to do it. We’ll also explain how to charge your iPad with a USB cable, how to connect your iPad to external displays and other accessories, and more!

Connecting an iPad to USB

If your iPad has a USB-C port, you can connect it directly to many devices with a USB-C cable. If it has a Lightning port or you’re connecting to a USB-A device, you’ll need an adapter. To access files on a USB drive, plug in the drive and open the Files app on your iPad to browse, move, or edit files.

Section 1 of 3:

Connecting a USB Drive

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1
Use an adapter if necessary. Many models of iPad now have USB-C or Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports. If your USB drive or SD card reader has a USB-C connector, you should be able to connect it directly to your iPad’s charger port. If you’re using an iPad model with a Lightning port, or if your storage device has some other type of connector (such as USB-A), you’ll need an adapter.^{[1]
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- The following iPads have USB-C ports:^{[2]
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  - iPad Pro (M4)
  - iPad Pro 11-inch (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generations)
  - iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th generations)
  - iPad Air (M2, M3, and 4th and 5th generations)
  - iPad mini (A17 Pro and 6th generation)
  - iPad (A16 and 10th generation)
- iPads with Thunderbolt/USB 4 support can connect to multiple “stacked” USB devices. The following models support Thunderbolt/USB 4:^{[3]
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  - iPad Pro 11-inch (M4 and 3rd and 4th generations)
  - iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation and later)
  - iPad Pro 13-inch (M4)
- If you have an iPad with a Lightning port, you’ll need an adapter with a Lightning connector on one end and the right kind of USB port on the other.
  - For devices with a USB-C connector, get a USB-C to Lightning adapter.
  - If your device has a USB-A connector, you’ll need a USB-A to Lightning adapter.
  - You’ll also need an adapter if you want to connect a USB-A device to an iPad with a USB-C port.
  - While generic or third-party adapters usually work fine for these purposes, you can also buy an Apple-brand adapter such as the Lighting to USB Camera Adapter or Lighting to USB 3 Camera Adapter.
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Connect the USB device to a power source if necessary. Some USB drives or SD card readers need an external power source to work with an iPad. If your device doesn’t supply its own power and/or doesn’t have its own power cable, you might need to connect it to your iPad via a powered adapter.
- For iPads that support Thunderbolt/USB 4, you can connect the device to your iPad with a powered USB hub.
- If your iPad has a Lightning connector, you can connect the Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter to a USB power adapter and then to your external device.
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Plug the USB device into your iPad’s charging port. If necessary, connect the device to an adapter and/or power source first. Then, plug the Lightning or USB-C connector into the charging port on the bottom of your iPad.
- If you’re using an SD card reader, insert an SD card gently into the reader to access the files on it.
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Make sure your USB drive or other storage device is formatted correctly. If your external device isn’t formatted right, your iPad won’t be able to read it or write to it. Luckily, you can format the drive directly from the Files app on your iPad!^{[4]
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- The drive or SD card must have only a single data partition and must be formatted as APFS, APFS (encrypted), macOS Extended (HFS+), exFAT (FAT64), FAT32, or FAT.
- To reformat the drive from your iPad:
  - Connect the device to your iPad directly or using the adapter, then open the
    Files app.
  - If you don’t see the sidebar menu, tap the icon at the top of the screen that looks like a file browser, then tap and hold the name of your USB device under the Locations header.
  - Tap Erase, then select your desired format for the device. Tap Erase again to confirm.
  - Reformatting will erase anything that’s on your external storage device, so make sure to back up the contents before doing this.
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Browse or move files with the Files app. Once your device is connected to your iPad, you can browse or transfer the files on it using a supported app. The
Files app that comes with your iPad makes it easy to manage most kinds of files.
- Launch Files and tap the Browse tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap the name of your USB device under the Locations header.
- Touch and hold a file or folder to access options such as Copy, Move, Rename, Compress, Duplicate, or Delete.^{[5]
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- You can also tap Select at the top left side of the screen to select and modify multiple files or folders at once. Tap the items you want to select, then use the action buttons at the bottom of the screen to share, move, delete, or carry out other bulk actions.
- Use the Move command on files from other locations (such as your iPad’s local storage or your iCloud drive) to transfer files onto your USB device.
- You can also browse and edit certain types of files on an external device with other apps, such as Pages.
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Import photos and videos with the Photos app. The
Photos app that comes with your iPad can also work with external storage devices to download photos and videos onto your iPad. Here’s how:^{[6]
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- Open Photos and tap the name of your USB device in the sidebar under the Devices header. If you’re using iPadOS 17 or earlier, you should automatically be taken to the Import tab when you open Photos after connecting your device.
- Tap Import All or select specific images and videos, then tap Import.
- To export photos and videos to your external device, select the images you want to share in Photos, then tap the
  Share icon. Scroll down and select Export Unmodified Originals. Tap the Back button until you see Cancel (but don’t tap it!), then select the name of your device from the Locations section and tap Save.
- If you can’t see a Devices section or an Import tab, try these troubleshooting tips:
  - Make sure your iPad is updated to the latest supported version of iOS
  - Make sure your USB device is getting power (if necessary) and formatted correctly
  - Disconnect your device for 30 seconds, then reconnect it
  - Restart your iPad
  - Test a different USB drive or SD card reader to see if it works

Section 2 of 3:

Using USB Chargers

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1
Charge your iPad by connecting it to a compatible power adapter. If your iPad has a USB-C or Thunderbolt/USB 4 charger port, you can use a USB cable to charge it. Simply connect the USB-C cable to your iPad, connect the other end to a compatible charger block, and plug the charger block into a power outlet.
- Most iPad models come with a USB-C (or Lightning) cable and power adapter in the box when you buy them. To learn more about what type of power adapter is compatible with your model of iPad, check out this guide from Apple.
- You can use a higher-wattage power adapter with your USB-C power cable to charge your iPad faster.
- Some power adapters have a USB-A port instead of a USB-C port. If you’ve lost your iPad’s original power adapter, you can connect it to a USB-A power adapter with a USB-C to USB-A cable.
- You can also connect your iPad to your computer with a USB-C cable to charge your iPad. If you use a USB-C cable that’s designed for data transfer as well as power, you can also sync your devices this way.
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Charge other devices with your iPad. Did you know that you can use your iPad to charge other devices in a pinch?^{[7]
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Research source} You can do so by connecting the devices with a USB cable. You may need an adapter or a cable with different types of connectors depending on the ports on your iPad and the other device.
- For example, if your iPad has a USB-C port and you want to charge an iPhone with a Lightning port, you can use a USB-C to Lightning cable to connect the two devices.
- Connect two USB-C iPads with a USB-C to USB-C cable. To switch which iPad draws power from the other, disconnect and reconnect the cable from both iPads.
- Charge your Apple Watch by connecting it to your iPad directly with a USB-C to Magnetic Fast Charger cable, or use a USB-C to USB-A adapter if your Watch’s charger has a USB-A connector.

Section 3 of 3:

Connecting to Computers, Displays, and Other Devices

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1
Connect your iPad to a computer with a USB-C cable. You can connect your iPad to your computer to charge it or sync content using Finder (Mac) or iTunes (PC, Macs running macOS Mojave or earlier).^{[8]
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Research source} Most newer computers have at least one USB-C port, which will allow you to connect your iPad directly to the computer using a USB-C cable.
- If your iPad has a Lightning charger port, you’ll need an adapter or a Lightning to USB-C cable.
- For older computers that only have USB-A ports, you’ll need an adapter, a USB-C to USB-A cable, or a Lightning to USB-A cable.
- To sync content, you’ll need a cable that can support data transfer as well as charging.
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Use a USB display cable to connect your iPad to monitors and other displays. To connect your iPad to an external display, you’ll need a USB cable that supports data transfer. Ideally, you want a cable that can handle high-bandwidth connections if you want a high-resolution display. Apple recommends cables like the Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Cable (USB-C to USB-C) and the Apple Thunderbolt (USB-C 4) Pro Cable.^{[9]
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- You may need an adapter, depending on what kind of ports you have on your iPad and your display. For instance, for TVs and displays with HDMI ports, you can use a USB-C to HDMI adapter.
- Learn more about your iPad’s display cable compatibility here.
- For detailed instructions on how to connect your iPad to an external display using a cable, see this guide from Apple.
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Connect your iPad to a speaker or other audio device to play audio. While your iPad can use AirPlay or BlueTooth to connect to many speakers or headphones wirelessly, you can also use a USB cable to connect to external audio devices.
- If you’re using a dock, speaker, or headphones with a USB-C connector, plug the connector directly into your iPad’s charger port (or use an adapter if your iPad has a Lightning port). If the audio device is turned on, audio should automatically begin playing through the external device.
- You can also use a USB-C to headphone jack adapter if necessary.
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Connect to external keyboards, cameras, and more. Your iPad can connect to a wide variety of other devices, dongles, and accessories using a USB cable. You may need an adapter depending on the type of connector each device has. For example, you may be able to:
- Connect your iPad to an external USB keyboard using a USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to USB-A cable
- Connect your iPad to a digital camera using a USB-C cable to directly access the camera’s storage
- Connect your iPad to a printer
- Get a wired internet connection on your iPad using a USB-C to Ethernet adapter