Iphone does not see m.2 adapter with ssd, but does see an external storage device

Hi Rickje139,

Can you clarify what you're seeing exactly? We understand you mentioned earlier that you don't see the adapter listed as a device but you see an external storage device. If so, that might be the hard drive you're trying to connect and access.

When you formatted the drive, which format did you select? You'll need to ensure it meets these guidelines: Connect external storage devices to iPhone - Apple Support

"Note: An external storage device must have only a single data partition, and it must be formatted as APFS, APFS (encrypted), macOS Extended (HFS+), exFAT (FAT64), FAT32, or FAT. To change the formatting of a storage device, use a Mac or PC."

This text could also apply:

"Note: External hard drives often require an external power source when used with iPhone. If an external hard drive doesn’t supply its own power, and your iPhone has a USB-C connector, you can use a powered USB hub. If your iPhone has a Lightning connector, you can use the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter connected to a USB power adapter."

Best wishes.

Rickje139 wrote:

I formatted the m.2 drive using windows 10 and it has some files on there already.

The format you used may have been the problem.

Connect external storage devices to iPhone - Apple Support says

"An external storage device must have only a single data partition, and it must be formatted as APFS, APFS (encrypted), macOS Extended (HFS+), exFAT (FAT64), FAT32, or FAT."

Out of the box, a Windows system would be incapable of formatting the drive using APFS, APFS (Encrypted), or macOS Extended (HFS+). If you formatted the drive using NTFS (the file system that Windows likes to use), the drive would not be usable by the iPhone. You would need to save data elsewhere, then redo the partitioning and formatting of the drive to something the iPhone could use.

Im using the orico m.2 adapter with usb 3 2x2

Apple indicates that the Lightning port on the iPhone X supports USB 2 ("up to 0.480 Gbps") transfer speed. So you will get at most USB 2 speed between the iPhone X and the external SSD. You may get faster transfer speed between your Windows PC and the external SSD, depending on what types of USB ports you have on that PC.

Rickje139 wrote:

the hard drive is formatted to a ntfs format which is supported in ios and the thumbstick has the same format

iOS does not support NTFS. If you formatted the SSD using NTFS, that explains why no volume shows up on the iPhone. There is no volume that iOS can recognize and use.

Out of the box, Macs can read NTFS, but cannot write to it. It's only fairly recently that Apple opened up iPhones to be able to use external storage devices, so I'm thinking that iPhones might not have code to read NTFS. In the past, that code would have been dead code, using resources for no possible benefit to iPhone owners at all.

I'm guessing that you are mistaken about the format of your flash drive and that it uses FAT32 or exFAT – formats which Windows, macOS, and iOS all support.

(Aside: FAT32 is the standard filesystem for SDHC cards, while exFAT is the standard filesystem for SDXC cards.)

Hey there Rickje139,

Thanks for reaching out to the Apple Support Communities.

From the previous resource provided, an external power source such as a powered USB hub may be required when using an external drive with an iPhone.

Here's that info again just in case: Connect external storage devices to iPhone - Apple Support

"Note: External hard drives often require an external power source when used with iPhone. If an external hard drive doesn’t supply its own power, and your iPhone has a USB-C connector, you can use a powered USB hub. If your iPhone has a Lightning connector, you can use the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter connected to a USB power adapter."

If the issue persists after connecting the drive to an external power source, the next best option would be to reach out to Apple Support directly at this link here: Get Support - Apple

We hope that's able to help.

Take care.

See also: NTFS and exFAT COMPATIABILITY ON IPAD PRO - Apple Community

Hi Rickje139,

From what you described in your original post, we recommend that you try the steps here: Import and export photos and videos on iPhone - Apple Support

To perform the recommended troubleshooting steps via the link above, complete the steps in the section titled "Export photos and videos to an external storage device."

You can export photos and videos you took on your iPhone directly to an external drive, a memory card, or other storage device.

Note: For photos and videos that have been edited, the unmodified original version will be exported.

1. Connect your iPhone to the storage device using the Lightning or USB-C connector, or connect the device directly to your iPhone.

2. Open the Photos app, then select the photos and videos you want to export.

3. Tap , then tap Export Unmodified Original.

4. Tap your storage device (below Locations), then tap Save.

We recommend the steps above because they will show you how to export photos and videos to an external storage device.

Please let us know the outcome after giving the above steps a try.

Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities.

Cheers!