Can I import/export files to an external drive?

Can I import/export files to an external drive?

With iOS/iPadOS 13, Apple has made the Files app even more powerful.  Now you can not only access your iCloud contents and storage providers like Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive and more, you can also attach and access files on connected external drives.

Connecting
To connect an external hard drive or USB thumb drive to your iPhone or iPad, you'll need the appropriate adapter.  This changes depending on the port at the bottom of your device and the type of device you are connecting. 

USB
Most external hard drives and thumb drives utilize the pervasive USB standard.  If you're using an iPhone or non-pro iPad, you'll need an adapter that fits a Lightning port.  Purchase a Lightning to USB Camera Adapter or Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter.  While these are both similar, the later can support higher data transfer speeds on compatible devices as well as offers charging.  If you are using an newer iPad Pro or a device with a USB-C port, you'll need the USB-C to USB Adapter or the USB-C Digital Multiport Adapter that includes HDMI output, USB as well as power.

SD Card
If you're looking to access information on an SD card like would be used with a camera or other device, you'll need a different adapter.  For lightning port devices, purchase the Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader. If you're using an iPad Pro or a device with a USB-C port, purchase the USB-C to SD Card Reader.

Connect the adapter to your device and then connect your drive to the appropriate port on the adapter.

Please note that not all devices can be supported by the iPhone or iPad as there is a limitation on supplied power to the USB port.  You may need to use a low-power drive, a drive with an external power supply, or connect the drive to a powered USB hub and then connect to the iPad. Check with your device manufacturer before purchase to ensure it will work with your device.

Accessing the Drive
You can access the drive contents using the Files app on any device running iOS/iPadOS 13 or higher.  Open the Files all and locate the drive in the Locations sidebar.  The drive should mount and appear in this list just like other storage services.  If the drive or storage option does not exist, you may need to tap on the "dots" icon to edit the list, enabling services that do not appear automatically.  Once available, tap on the drive to view it's contents.

Accessing Within OnSong
OnSong integrates the Files app directly inside of OnSong for importing and exporting files.  To import files from your drive, tap on the Songs button to open the Songs Menu.  When you are viewing the Songs Tab, tap on the **+** button to open the Add Songs Menu and select the Files option.  This will open the Files app interface allowing you to select one or more files to import into OnSong.  Likewise, you can export in the same way.

There are some limitations in how you can export files to an external drive.  The Files interface requires OnSong to export files before you select where those files are to be saved. For this reason, it's not possible to use external drives for automatic backup.

    • Related Articles

    • How can I import/export files from OnSong to my iXpand Drive?

      OnSong has the ability to import and export content to and from a number of services. The iXpand Drive is a unique device that allows you to import and export content to and from your iOS device using a Lightning plug on one side, and connecting to a ...

    • How to I backup, import, or export using iCloud?

      To backup to iCloud, first, you will want to make sure you have the Files app downloaded onto your device. Then you can go into OnSong > Tap Share Menu > Export - tap the folder icon > Select Files > OnSong Backup > Export > Select iCloud Drive -If ...

    • Storage Space Increasing

      The size of the library is only a part of the data that could be used by the application. The app itself is about 50 MB which may be included in what is displayed. There are some cache files that are created and retained but they are usually small. ...

    • How do I backup OnSong to iCloud Drive?

      OnSong allows you to export contents to any app or service installs on your device using the Files interface in iOS/iPadOS.  To export a backup to iCloud Drive, open the Share Menu by tapping on the square with an up arrow icon in the Menubar and ...

    • Why do I keep being prompted to sign into Google Drive or Dropbox?

      If you have opted to automatically backup your library to a remote storage service like Dropbox or Google Drive, OnSong may periodically attempt to access those services which can prompt for authentication. To resolve this issue, you will want to ...