Connecting External Drive to iPhone/iPad

You can connect a compatible external USB drive to your iPhone or iPad — for example, to transfer ProCamera files to the drive. Starting with the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, you can also record video directly to a connected drive. Direct-to-drive capture for photos is also available as a premium feature (available even on older devices).

External Drives technical requirements

At the time of writing, these are the general requirements for using external drives with your iPhone:

File System Requirements	The following file systems are supported on iPhone: APFS, APFS (encrypted), macOS Extended (HFS+), exFAT, FAT32, and FAT. For video recording on external drives (iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max only), your drive must be formatted in exFAT. Password-encrypted drives are not supported for recording.
Cable Requirements	Use a USB 3.0 or higher cable. Suggested supported speed is at least 5 Gbps for general usage and file transfers or 10 Gbps for recording videos with high resolution.
Power Requirements	The external drive should have a maximum power draw of 4.5 watts. Higher power consumption may cause the drive to disconnect, as iPhones have limited power output to external drives.
Write Speed Requirements	For standard file transfers 10-50 MB/s. For recording 4K at 60 fps in ProRes, the external drive must support at least 220 MB/s write speed.

File systems in detail

Understanding these file systems helps you pick the right drive, whether you're managing files or recording ProCamera video directly to it.

APFS / APFS (Encrypted)	Full support on iPhones; ideal for Apple-only environments. Supports advanced Apple features but limited compatibility with Windows.
macOS Extended (HFS+)	Compatible for read/write on iPhones. Best for legacy macOS systems but limited cross-platform use.
exFAT	Fully supported on iPhone, macOS, and Windows. Ideal for cross-platform use, large files, and required for video recording on iPhone 15 Pro and newer.
FAT32 / FAT (FAT16)	Universal compatibility but limited to small files (up to 4GB for FAT32). Best for basic file transfers across devices.

File system for recording videos on external drive (iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max only)

exFAT is required for video recording directly to an external drive. Direct recording is only supported on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max; on older iPhones, an external drive can only be used as an indirect storage location (transfer files to it after capture). Encrypted drives are not supported for recording.

Write speed guide

When choosing an external drive for use with an iPhone, it's important to consider the drive’s write speed based on your intended use. Here’s a quick guide on recommended write speeds for different purposes:

Standard File Transfers	10-50 MB/s
Regular 4K Video Recording	50-100 MB/s
High-Bitrate 4K ProRes Video	200 MB/s or higher
4K at 60 fps ProRes	220-300 MB/s or higher
Advanced ProRes HDR/Log Recording	300 MB/s or higher

Cable types and speeds

Here's a table for recommended cable types and speeds for different uses with an iPhone and external drives. Choosing the right cable ensures optimal data transfer rates and stable connections, especially for high-quality video recording and file transfers.

Standard File Transfers	480 Mbps - 5 Gbps	USB 2.0 or USB 3.0
Regular 4K Video Recording	5 Gbps	USB 3.1 Gen 1
High-Bitrate 4K ProRes Video	10 Gbps	USB 3.1 Gen 2 or USB 3.2 Gen 2
4K at 60 fps ProRes Recording	10-20 Gbps	USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt 3
Advanced ProRes HDR/Log Recording	40 Gbps	Thunderbolt 4 or USB 4

Connecting an external drive to iPhones with a Lightning port – using an adapter

Starting with the iPhone 15, which comes with a USB-C port, you can connect a supported USB-C external drive directly using this port.

For previous iPhone models with a Lightning port, you’ll need to use an adapter to connect an external drive with a USB-C port.

If your external drive uses a connector other than USB-C, you may need a specific adapter.

Power requirements – using an additional power supply

To use an external drive directly, without an external power supply, the drive should have a maximum power draw of 4.5 watts — iPhones have a limited power output for connected drives.

If your drive draws more than 4.5 watts, it needs an additional power supply to work with your iPhone.

For iPhones with a USB-C connector: If your external hard drive doesn’t supply its own power, you can use a powered USB hub. Alternatively, a USB-C to USB adapter that supports an external power supply can be used.

For iPhones with a Lightning connector: You can use the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter connected to a USB power adapter. Alternatively, a powered USB hub can also be used.