How to backup SD cards using an iPhone

Backing up photos and videos while traveling helps protect against accidental data loss, but it typically requires packing a laptop or buying expensive hardware. In this video, I demonstrate how to copy an SD card to an SSD drive using a few inexpensive accessories.
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Apple Lightning to USB3 Camera Adapter
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USB-C to USB-A Adapter
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Anker USB-C 7-in-1 Hub
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SanDisk 2TB SSD V2 Drive
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OWC 256GB UHS-II SD card
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📕 CHAPTERS
0:00 - Intro
0:55 - Adapters and cables
2:27 - Connecting everything
4:34 - Using iOS Files app
5:37 - Speed
6:20 - Copy only, no merge
6:58 - CFExpress cards
8:01 - Cloud backup?
10:59 - Wrapping it up
11:34 - Outro
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Пікірлер: 98

  • @jimthomson9044
    @jimthomson9044 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Todd. Great solution to a common issue to backup SD cards - I will do most anything to avoid carrying my computer (security, weight, and safety) on travel - need to be as light as possible [ I do not check bags - 100% carryon with my mirrorless camera ]. Another great video - gets to the point, clean, professional, well organized pitch, no wasted time with BS comments. Been a subscriber for some time now. Comments: 1). next time use shorter cables so it looks less messy :) 2) to reduce backup times, back up more frequently to pre-created folders already setup on the SDD drive. 3) carry multiple SD cards so the SDD provides true backups (ie do not erase/overwrite any SDs while on travel). 4).surprised how much the price of the 2T SDDs have come down!

  • @jasonm9216
    @jasonm9216 Жыл бұрын

    Moral of the story - bring your laptop.

  • @twofox7001

    @twofox7001

    8 ай бұрын

    On a hike? 😂

  • @dashupgaming

    @dashupgaming

    2 ай бұрын

    @@twofox7001 you need a backpack to carry all this stuf, at this point you can purchase a Steam deck and do everythings a lot easier and then back home and use it as normal PC. Or you can edit directly on the van if you stay out for weeks

  • @TedNemeth
    @TedNemeth Жыл бұрын

    Todd thank you for this. Very helpful actually. Love your channel.

  • @gavinburnett8818
    @gavinburnett88187 ай бұрын

    There is an update to this for anyone with the newer usbc iPhones instead of the lightning iphones. You can simply do away with the apple iphone connector element ie. not purchase one. Instead, the powered hub goes directly into iPhone giving you access to the sd card and the external drive connected to the hub. This does not charge your phone however at the same time but I used my MagSafe charger to power the phone while copying, or charge your phone fully beforehand. 👍🏻

  • @SamEmilio2

    @SamEmilio2

    4 ай бұрын

    Thanks for commenting this. I had been curious about whether the phone NEEDED to be plugged into power, or if it was just a best practice thing because it's draining

  • @windycity92
    @windycity928 ай бұрын

    Yesss when space is super limited - being able to use what you always carry, a phone, for data transfer this is a great option!

  • @abbasphoto-video
    @abbasphoto-video7 ай бұрын

    Extremely helpful, thank you

  • @francisantony12
    @francisantony126 ай бұрын

    This was very useful - Helped me

  • @SahilGoesHARD
    @SahilGoesHARD Жыл бұрын

    This sounds like a good solution to sports/action videographers/photographers who do content creation and need to post to social media in a timely manner

  • @Dagrepublic
    @Dagrepublic Жыл бұрын

    Thanks! it's really good to know👍🏻

  • @LandscapesDronescapes
    @LandscapesDronescapes Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Todd. Been looking for a way to do this for some time now but options have been limited. I suppose it will work ok to cloud if it’s just a few GB from a small shoot rather than a quarter TB of a full SD card.

  • @demiloca
    @demiloca Жыл бұрын

    Wish I'd had this a year ago when I was stuck inside in the south of France trying to migrate with max laptop/cloud issues as well.

  • @sandraflickstein4377
    @sandraflickstein4377 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for detail ed info. I was looking for a solution for a trip to Alaska with overnight prop plain visit leaving behind laptop. I will be following your recommendation.

  • @SinaFarhat
    @SinaFarhat Жыл бұрын

    Interesting! Hopefully the upcoming IPhones with usb-c and at least usb 5gbit per second transfer speeds is a big improvement with this backup method.

  • @MikeNovakPhoto
    @MikeNovakPhoto Жыл бұрын

    I am not posting the Wikipedia page since many KZread creators turn off the ability to post links. But you can confirm by googling keywords like lightning port wikipedia. But basically the lightning port is only equivalent to USB 2.0. Which is why this backup process is slow. When Apple added the USB port first to the iPad Pro then later to almost all iPads at this point is so that you can connect via usb cable to an external monitor or TV. Some people say it was to help in speeding up SSD file transfers but that was just and added bonus when they added the port. It’s primary function was to check connect monitors and TVs

  • @gavinlu1035
    @gavinlu10359 ай бұрын

    Excellent enlightenment for ultra lightweight travel. Seems like speed of SD card won't make much difference to copying time required, correct? Thank you.

  • @TheNaught1
    @TheNaught16 ай бұрын

    Helpful and funny! So many bits and bobs needed! I’m going to try this soon with a Sabrent HB-6PNV which is both a hub and enclosure for M.2 SSD so it avoids some cabling and enclosures. Interesting to find out if the USB2 speed limit applies in that case (I suspect yes) for my iPhone 11 Pro Max. Either way it’s a better solution than the camera wifi/proprietary app method, which is horrifically slow for video files.

  • @lithangw
    @lithangw Жыл бұрын

    I did similar backup process during my last vacation. I brought along my iPad Pro 12.9 M1 with a Hyper Drive iPad Pro USB-C dongle, an Anglebird CF Express Type B reader, and a USB-C M.2 SSD enclosure with a 2TB M.2 drive in it. The experience was pretty awful because bugs in Files app, mainly not able to view Canon compressed RAW in the Files app continuously. There is a bug where the Files kicks you out of the picture you are viewing back to the file list randomly as to go through your pictures one by one. Because of the clunky Files UX, I ended up using a Windows laptop to do the backup instead, which was much more logical and easier to use. Hopefully Apple will make the Files app better, or there are better 3rd party apps to do this in the future.

  • @micwarmington1
    @micwarmington1 Жыл бұрын

    i've just caught up with this - looks really useful BUT - what is the minimum iphone/ipad model you need for this to work ?

  • @CoryNadilo
    @CoryNadilo Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the video Todd, alway appreciate your content. I was recently testing this style setup on an iPad mini (6th Gen) which supports USB-C at 5 Gbps and a hub at the same speed. I know the iPhones are stuck at USB 2.0 and was curious if the SD card to SSD transfer would go faster, since the data is (maybe) just moving through the hub. But looks like the USB 2 controller on the iPhone slows everything down. I did not do a formal large speed test transfer on the mini. I need to go back an see how fast a large transfer takes.

  • @SC0410

    @SC0410

    Жыл бұрын

    Are you saying it might be faster with an ipad?

  • @E6MND
    @E6MND Жыл бұрын

    Great video. Can you use this method to edit Canon r5 ProRes footage on an iPhone 13/14 Pro with the ProRes decoders?

  • @worldoftony469
    @worldoftony469 Жыл бұрын

    Great video, lots of work 😂

  • @dretwav
    @dretwav Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the video. I have used this method before and it works fine but is a bit clunky. A laptop is a lot faster. Uploading to the cloud, in my experience, is problematic at best. I believe the file app will first transfer them to your phone as temp files before sending to cloud which means you need quite a bit of space on the phone. Also when I travel it is usually to Africa and I can't depend on having wi-fi. I wish Apple would go to usb-c but they got to be a trillion dollar company using propietary connectors so probably little motivation to change.

  • @MorZaiderman
    @MorZaiderman10 ай бұрын

    I like to just make a copy to another SD or SSD if I'm carrying one. To copy only new files, i used the Shortcuts app in iOS to handle that for me. I compare the DCIM folder against a destination folder I select and copy only the files that don't exist. I just connect the 2 SD cards and click the shortcut. Done.

  • @DavidJames-sv9sm
    @DavidJames-sv9sm6 ай бұрын

    Started watching as thought could be interesting. So many bits and pieces are required seems quite a faff. Dual card write??

  • @domainadmin1963
    @domainadmin1963 Жыл бұрын

    Very informative, but what is the best way to eject my cards after I transfer the information

  • @aussiegti
    @aussiegti9 ай бұрын

    Is there a specific format the hard drive has to be re-formatted to for write access with iPhone? When I plug in my Samsung T7 SSD, the drive and folders are read only.

  • @Felix-vm1df
    @Felix-vm1df Жыл бұрын

    My preferred solution when traveling is to transfer my data directly from my camera to my NAS. As a second option, I prefer to use my iPad mini with a USB-C adapter or MacBook when things need to go fast.

  • @himberrysoymilk
    @himberrysoymilk3 ай бұрын

    Question: with the iphone 15 and its usb c port one could theoretically skip the apple lightning adapter - but if it takes hours to transfer data it would probably be a good idea to charge the phone during. so what do I need now? a usb c to 2x usb c thingy? Can anyone help, please?

  • @koenpijpersphotography
    @koenpijpersphotography Жыл бұрын

    Is the speed of transfer faster over lets say an iPad over USB-c and hopefully an iPhone 15 has that as well. I have tried the same using a 1TB SanDisk with my iPhone 11 and iPad Pro (2018) with the adapter you have. Never got it to work. I have given up and just wait for an iPhone with USB-c. It is so much better not to bring a laptop with you if you just can use your phone for backup.

  • @Myro-di4cp
    @Myro-di4cp6 ай бұрын

    Sir, can you help me please? I have Apple Music subscription and downloaded music files in my iPhone, I would like to save/copy these to a micro sd card-so I can then put the sd card to a Walkman dap and play the songs, how can I do that? many thanks in advance.

  • @ToastedSynapseGaming
    @ToastedSynapseGaming Жыл бұрын

    With Android phones I think you can skip like 1/2 the cables and dongles. Because it has USB-C already, you would need 1 dongle (also called a hub) and an external drive with a cable. It's also possibly FASTER to copy, because you're not converting so many USB types, it should just be USB 3.0 speed (note to check your dongle if it's inputs are at this standard). That's it, two things needed. Power bank optional, but a good idea to have. You can even skip the external drive if your phone has lots of storage and you trust it. Just copy photos on it and take them out when you get home. Note: The USB-C on the phone is enough to power a dongle btw - so for fast transfers no need for power bank, although it's good to have one with you while traveling. It plugs into the PD of the dongle/hub and that's it. 1 cable for power. In total: Phone, dongle(with own cable), SSD + cable, PowerBank + Cable. 4 devices, 2 cables.

  • @mingluke12

    @mingluke12

    Жыл бұрын

    That's how I regreted buying iphone 14 pro

  • @Woodyyes--
    @Woodyyes-- Жыл бұрын

    i wounder how an ipad with usb-c would handle the copy time. Because i think the problem is the OLD lighnitng connector on iphones...

  • @BillPutnamPhoto
    @BillPutnamPhoto Жыл бұрын

    Can you use this to transfer files off the iPhone to the SSD?

  • @mittysmalls
    @mittysmalls Жыл бұрын

    Man I wish I knew this when I travelled Singapore and Japan in 2020. Didn’t own a laptop at the time but had everything but the usb iPhone adapter 😂 Cheers for another good video sir

  • @SC0410
    @SC0410 Жыл бұрын

    What transfer rate can we achieve with this method?

  • @guitaristinseattle
    @guitaristinseattle8 ай бұрын

    My iPhone 12 has a Photos file where my photos are all stored. How, if I may simply copy and paste the entire folder to an external drive then delete the Photos folder for new empty storage?

  • @tanmoygsh
    @tanmoygsh Жыл бұрын

    You are a thousand times more intelligent than I am, sir; you amaze me. Oh! Also, bring your laptop instead of the other items.

  • @Sochmo18
    @Sochmo184 ай бұрын

    Literally made this 10x harder than u needed to

  • @REXpeditions

    @REXpeditions

    2 ай бұрын

    What is the easier solution? I am looking to do something similar for backing up footage in the backcountry with a Samsung phone.

  • @ExtraYT311-hk4xd
    @ExtraYT311-hk4xd5 күн бұрын

    Going to have to call a yellow card sir, dongle limit reached. 😅

  • @nycgweed
    @nycgweed Жыл бұрын

    Will an Mac mini work?

  • @Ron_Boy
    @Ron_Boy Жыл бұрын

    Very clever. I did a variant of this for a recent overseas trip, using an iPad Mini. It has quite a few advantages over the iPhone, starting with the USB-C connector. And, in a pinch, you can eliminate the power pack (with a fully charged iPad & using faster CFexpress cards) though i would never travel without one. My main goal was to avoid carrying a laptop -- we were hiking in the Dolomites -- but, in the end, I will bite the bullet next time and pack my MacBook Air, adding even more weight to my pack. FWIW, I'm betting the iPhone 15 will have a USB-C connector. If i'm right, I will give your approach another try.

  • @georgecalistruofficial
    @georgecalistruofficial2 ай бұрын

    Now în prezent în 2024 , the power bank battery is optional. I test it and is working, the external SSD or card SD can be see it in iPhone.

  • @pueohoot543
    @pueohoot5432 ай бұрын

    If we clicked the video we’re not asking why we’re asking how 😂

  • @sierralimaa
    @sierralimaa6 ай бұрын

    11:11 Yes the wish is now fulfilled in Iphone 15 :)

  • @gpcrawford8353
    @gpcrawford835319 күн бұрын

    Would this work with a Samsung phone?

  • @mcorrive12
    @mcorrive12 Жыл бұрын

    Are you doing this these days instead of the ravpower filehub?

  • @Martijnwinters

    @Martijnwinters

    Жыл бұрын

    i was wondering why he tossed his filehub too

  • @bobbyvee_mtb
    @bobbyvee_mtb5 ай бұрын

    1 year later update? iphones and ipads have usb c now.

  • @fromdonwithlove
    @fromdonwithlove Жыл бұрын

    @apple Please give us USB C, at least for the Pro phones in the next release. The fact that all of this is necessary is a poor user experience. Thanks for the video, Todd!

  • @sammyh9542
    @sammyh9542 Жыл бұрын

    Is it true that Apple removed the ability to connect an SD card reader to phones with ios 16 and later?

  • @elKapitanLaz

    @elKapitanLaz

    10 ай бұрын

    So I’m not using this exact set up but if this wire demon takes away that “ not enough power” pop up it seems like a sound way to fix it.

  • @adysmith2760
    @adysmith2760 Жыл бұрын

    I’ve bought the same Samsung SSD & Anker hub . Nothing appears in the File browser on my iPhone 14 . The ssd & sd card are exfat tested everything on my pc yet still can’t get this setup to work on my phone

  • @adysmith2760

    @adysmith2760

    Жыл бұрын

    fIRSTLY APPOLOGIES ! I just went back to my desk reconnected the iphone to the adapter then the anker hub then the powerbank to the hub then the ssd to the anker huband the sd cardappered as untittled drive and the ssd with it to on my iphone. I'mwondering if the order I connect each part has an effect on it working or not , even though l can't understand why it would

  • @elKapitanLaz

    @elKapitanLaz

    10 ай бұрын

    So does the SSD show up with this set up ?

  • @adysmith2760

    @adysmith2760

    10 ай бұрын

    @@elKapitanLaz yes

  • @engineermajidd
    @engineermajidd10 күн бұрын

    the rate is around 21.81 megabytes per second

  • @MrOzphoto
    @MrOzphoto Жыл бұрын

    Yeah but apple will have to go USB C at some point, none of this proprietary stuff. You can do the same with Android, dongle and a storage device. I take a laptop usually but also do this in case my laptop gets stolen or fails then I have a second method of backing up my files. Too bad the Gnarbox was still alive with better price point. Hope some one else comes out with a Gnarbox alternative soon...

  • @o0o0o0o0o01
    @o0o0o0o0o01 Жыл бұрын

    Now if apple would only introduce USB-C to the iPhones...

  • @Aquacurve80
    @Aquacurve806 ай бұрын

    Thank you for creating this video, but wow way too many cables and adapters. I wish this was an easier process. Sigh

  • @Aquacurve80

    @Aquacurve80

    6 ай бұрын

    I do want to add that I bought the Anker dock device and did exactly as you suggested and it worked :) The process works... I just wish it was easier with all the cables. At least Apple started created phones with USB-C. Thank you again for creating this video Todd! I do appreciate it.

  • @Razertw
    @Razertw Жыл бұрын

    This setup is so unApple like. The same Apple that won't let you charge your mouse while using it, just to keep a “clean minimal wire-free look”. Gives us a more elegant solution already. Hopefully the USB-C iPhones will bring better (more) functionality.

  • @stewartlogie
    @stewartlogie Жыл бұрын

    How about importing into Lightroom CC? Then it gets loaded into Adobe’s cloud? Still dependent on the wifi speed, but at least that destination is built for photos. That’s what I do from my iPad, which has USB C and performs between a phone and a laptop. I also copy files onto an external drive as you show here.

  • @mariemuller838

    @mariemuller838

    Жыл бұрын

    Uploading 256 gb over mobile data what phone contract do you have ?

  • @stewartlogie

    @stewartlogie

    Жыл бұрын

    @@mariemuller838 I didn’t say I used mobile data. I tend to upload when on wifi at the end of the shoot and not when I’m in the field.

  • @mariemuller838

    @mariemuller838

    Жыл бұрын

    @@stewartlogie Then you can just use a laptop

  • @stewartlogie

    @stewartlogie

    Жыл бұрын

    @@mariemuller838 Like Todd said, not everyone wants the bulk of a laptop when on a trip. I personally don’t own one. My desktop machine stays home.

  • @todddammit4628
    @todddammit4628 Жыл бұрын

    Really really hoping the iPhone 15 Pro has thunderbolt.

  • @decoff
    @decoffАй бұрын

    Way too many variables and proper cables. Why not just get a Gnarbox or other portable storage solution ?

  • @grossearwax3777
    @grossearwax3777 Жыл бұрын

    with all those adpters and cables you brought, i rather bring a small laptop. Might as wel do a video on "How to use your phone instead of your Canon R5"

  • @TamilTop5
    @TamilTop5 Жыл бұрын

    Just buy an extra card.. worth it…😂

  • @MikeNovakPhoto
    @MikeNovakPhoto Жыл бұрын

    Sorry second comment. I have an iPad Pro 2018 that has USB-C. I wanted to transfer about 32 movies for my October trip. My ipad has 512gb storage. I connected my SSD to the ipad and in just a few minutes all 32 movies were transferred. So I believe that the bottle neck in this process is the lightning port. I read that within two years based on a EU ruling all devices will have to be USB-C. And Apple has given a statement we will comply. So time will tell.

  • @corgikun2579

    @corgikun2579

    Жыл бұрын

    the magsafe era

  • @mariemuller838

    @mariemuller838

    Жыл бұрын

    That's because lightning just supports USB 2.0 speeds but even if they change the iPhone to USBC they could still limit it to USB 2.0 so it wouldn't get any faster. I think the easiest solution if you want to transfer files with a phone/ can't take a laptop is to just buy a cheap android phone where you would need just the dongle and have faster transfer speeds.

  • @james-r
    @james-r Жыл бұрын

    LOLOL is this April fools? Are you serious? I’d much rather carry around my Mac or wait until I’m back at my desk. I still can’t believe that you think this is less cumbersome lol!

  • @mariemuller838

    @mariemuller838

    Жыл бұрын

    It isn't but sometimes you just can't take/power a laptop. I can power my phone and camera with a cheap inexpensive light Powerbank for a few days. For a laptop I would need a big power station that's heavy and expensive.

  • @CakeorDeath420

    @CakeorDeath420

    11 ай бұрын

    If you are on a 7-8 day trek away from power outlets, its impossible to carry a laptop not just for lack of charging options but also due to weight. I've carried 2 powerbanks to charge my camera, phone and this kind of contraption to 'backup' my photos/videos, even though I had enough cards. Backing up is extremely important when you plan your trek months in advance and take all the effort to trek to a remote place to photograph. Lastly, I'd rather lose a few cables than lose a laptop.

  • @mellamodiego8458
    @mellamodiego845811 ай бұрын

    Why is this so complicated?

  • @jorgemoro5476
    @jorgemoro5476 Жыл бұрын

    Jeez I use my iPad Pro and leave laptops at home. One dongle. One Sandisk drive. Done.

  • @BillPutnamPhoto

    @BillPutnamPhoto

    Жыл бұрын

    How do you get photos from the SD card to the iPad?

  • @howjack3624
    @howjack36243 ай бұрын

    If Steve Jobs were still alive... this wouldn't be happened. Just 1 type of connection. Just 1...

  • @ravindermahoon
    @ravindermahoon2 ай бұрын

    Ridiculous to have to do all this

  • @liangzhang6816
    @liangzhang6816 Жыл бұрын

    Just buy android phone with USB-C port.

  • @a110blau
    @a110blau9 ай бұрын

    Hallo aus Deutschland. Kann ich das mit 1 TB SD CARD und MP3 Musik auch machen? Dankeschön

  • @morleyyachts
    @morleyyachts Жыл бұрын

    MyPassport wireless Pro device is easier. Data card goes in and copies automatically. Mind you I’ve had problems with mine, so beware. I got mine about 5 years ago so maybe they sorted the bugs. kzread.info/dash/bejne/oWyXk7ScmMubm84.html

  • @TheNaught1

    @TheNaught1

    6 ай бұрын

    Discontinued.

  • @KonstantinGabriel1978
    @KonstantinGabriel1978 Жыл бұрын

    GNARBOX is the answer. No need to flag around with adaptors ,wires etc.

  • @ErwanRichard111

    @ErwanRichard111

    4 ай бұрын

    it looks like Gnarbox disappeared from the market...

  • @KonstantinGabriel1978

    @KonstantinGabriel1978

    4 ай бұрын

    @@ErwanRichard111it did , I’ve got mine from eBay , sealed box . Still working fine .