ipad 6 lightning to usb adapter for flash drive

For starters, if you have an iPad 6th generation, to be able to have access to externally connected drive features, you need to upgrade that iPad to the latest iPadOS 13.4.1.

You may have to connect this iPad up to a real full computer, connected to the Internet, download, install and use the latest version of iTunes for PC or Mac and let iTunes update your iPad 6th generation to iPadOS 13.4.1.

Then,

You need to purchase the actual, genuine Apple Lightning to USB-3 camera adapter, from Apple, and plug that adapter into external power using your iPad charge cable and Apple power/charging block!

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MK0W2/lightning-to- usb-3-camera-adapter?fnode=37

You NEED TO PURCHASE THIS EXACT genuine Apple adapter above!!!

This is THE ONLY adapter that works!

Cheaper ( cheap in price and quality ) third party “knockoff” adapters WILL NOT WORK!!!!

With Lightning connector equipped iPads, you need this adapter as it has a Lightning connector power connection to power both the iPad and to connect a commonplace USB flash memory drive or portable SSD drive.

Without the additional power to the iPad, USB flash drives and portable SSD drives will NOT work with older iPads with the Lightning connector.

The Lightning connector alone cannot convey the,necessary power requirements needed for normal USB style flash memory drives.

YOU NEED TO CONNECT AN EXTERNAL POWER SOUCE TO THIS ADAPTER for that adapter to work with ANY externally connected drive!!! Even to get any standard USB flash memory drives to work on older Lightning connector equipped iPads.

There are lots of YouTube videos that discuss and demonstrate this.

In addition the external drive needs to be formatted into one of these file/data formats

APFS

FAT 32

exFAT

YouTube video references

https://youtu.be/1Jm-xcrbFy8

https://youtu.be/8iHc1mc5SJE

Best of Luck to You!

iOS 12.4.6 is the final version of iOS for iOS12.x devices - but you’ll need iPadOS 13.x and a Apple Lightning to USB 3.0 Camera Adapter to connect your external Flash Drive to your iPad.

If your iPad does not support iPadOS 13.x, you’ll be limited to using proprietary Flash devices and dedicated file transfer Apps - such as the Sandisk iXpand range.

Your 2018 iPad supports iPadOS 13.4.1 - this being the current supported version. After you update your iPad, When using the Apple Lightning to USB 3.0 Camera Adapter to connect your USB devices, you’ll be able to access properly formatted/partitioned USB storage.

What iPad model do you own?

The “A” model number is on the aluminium back of the iPad, in small printed letters, underneath the large, bold print “iPad”.

Yup,

That is a 2018, 6th gen iPad.

My original advice stands.

Best of Luck to You!

Your Welcome.

I am glad everything finally worked out for you and your iPad!

Be Well...Stay Well & Be Safe!