Why won’t my iPhone 13 Pro recognize an exFAT SanDisk drive?
Asked by
MellowPine42
I'm trying to use a 1TB SanDisk Extreme Pro external drive with my iPhone 13 Pro, but it never appears in the Files app. The drive is formatted as exFAT and works normally when connected to my Mac. I've restarted the phone, reinstalled the Files app, and tried powering the adapter while the phone and drive were connected, but nothing has helped. What adapter or power setup should I use to make the drive show up?
Answers
Because the iPhone 13 Pro uses Lightning, a basic Lightning-to-USB cable often won’t provide the right connection or enough power. Use Apple’s Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter, with its Lightning power input connected to a charger, then connect the drive to the USB port. After that, check Files under Browse > Locations. A regular Lightning AV adapter is not the right accessory for this purpose.
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The drive may still need more power than the phone can supply. Try the Lightning-to-USB 3 adapter with a wall charger plugged into it, or use a powered USB hub between the adapter and the drive. Also make sure the drive has a single readable exFAT partition and is safely ejected from the Mac before connecting it to the iPhone.
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VelvetQuill7: So the adapter should have both a USB port for the drive and a separate Lightning port for charging, correct?