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Plug an external SSD into your iPad and it does not just pop up on the home screen the way it might on a Mac. You get to it through the Files app instead. This is a quick walkthrough for anyone who has connected a drive and cannot figure out where their files went.
Open the Files app and find your SSD
Once your SSD is plugged in, everything happens inside the Files app. Here is the whole process:
- Open the Files app on your iPad.
- On the left side of the screen, look under Locations.
- Find your SSD in that list and tap it.
- You will now see all of the files stored on the drive.
That is the entire trick. The SSD shows up as its own location, right alongside iCloud Drive and On My iPad, so once you know to look under Locations it is easy to get back to.
A few extra tips
If the drive is not showing up under Locations at all, a couple of things are usually going on. Make sure it is connected properly, and if it is a larger desktop drive it may need its own power rather than pulling power from the iPad. It also helps if the drive is formatted in a file system the iPad can read, such as exFAT or APFS. If you have a narrow sidebar and cannot see Locations, tap the folder icon or swipe in from the left to bring the sidebar back.
