Question Portable WiFi Hard Drive USB connection to iPhone ?

[oakmead]

I'm looking at a method to copy photos & any other content from iPhone to external HDD without installing additional apps.
I've not bought a suitable HD yet.

A method of copying photos from iPhone with iOS 13 or above is via an Apple USB Lightning Camera Adapter with a power input, as a conventional portable hard drive requires external power.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J2v4cbB8yq4


I'm wondering whether it's possible to achieve what's shown in the YouTube footage but via a Rechargeable Portable Hard Drive.

Connecting the Hard Drive to the iPhone via a USB-to-Lightning cable and not needing the Apple USB lightning Camera Adapter or the USB power hub, as the Rechargeable Portable Hard Drive had its own internal power source.

Other Youtube footage shows similar method using a flash drive and a USB-to-Lighting adaptor.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KlxJNC5bHFg

 

[kerberos_20]

arent those apps just for streaming movies/music?

 

[oakmead]

As far as I'm aware, they don't use apps.

Once the storage devices are connected to the iPhone, iOS detects them, whether Hard or flash drive and files and photos can be copied from iPhone to either drive.

I'm looking to be able to do this with a portable hard drive; thus, without the need for a separate power supply.

 

[SyCoREAPER]

You need to get a low power drive like an SSD and a cheap enclosure on Amazon. Android (and presumably Apple) works perfectly to passively power my SSD.

If you don't want to do all that just get a lightning to USB Female dongle and plug a flash drive in. You'll just need to format (either method) the drive from your phone as Ntfs and Fat aren't recognized (for writing, reading will work though)

 

[oakmead]

Thanks for responses so far.

Only reason I suggest WiFi hard drive is because they tend to be self powered.

I much prefer to use a hard drive rather than a flash drive and the demonstrations I've found on YouTube, whether a flash drive or Hard drive don't appear to require the formatting of the drive.

Apple support states:
A USB drive must be formatted as FAT, FAT32, exFAT (FAT64), or APFS which appears to cover all bases, it doesn't state one or the other.

If the USB drive was restricted to a particular format that can only be used on the iPhone, then it kind of defeats the object, as I'll be in the same predicament with files n photo stuck on a device that can only be used on a iPhone or iPad.

Since IOS 12,7 maybe 13 Apple have incorporated the means to recognise an external drive which is detected by the iPhone OS, although Apple suggest to use the USB Camera Lightning Adaptor which incorporates a power input to provide power to the Hard drive.

Therefore; if the Hard Drive has its own internal power source, then surely with a USB connector plugged in to the hard drive, with the other end plugged into the iPhone lightning port (via a compitible suitable connector) then a seperate USB power hub is not required.

This is my theory and when I've made enquiries in-store, it's beyond their knowledgeable and I'm pointed to iCloud storage.

Therefore, I was hoping that someone on the forum had successfully achieved what I believe is possible or understands my logic and belief it's feasible.