Many users find themselves needing to transfer photos from a USB thumb drive directly to their iPad or iPhone’s Photos app. While Apple’s official support for this method is not always clearly stated, there is a proven technique to achieve this efficiently, especially for JPG images from cameras, scanners, or screenshots. This guide will walk you through the necessary steps and requirements to successfully import your photos.
To ensure your USB drive is recognized by your iOS device for direct photo import into the Photos app, you need to adhere to a specific folder structure. The root directory of your thumb drive must contain a folder named DCIM. Inside this DCIM folder, you need to create another subfolder where your image files will reside. While the specific name of this subfolder isn’t strictly dictated, it appears that an 8-character name is required, with the first three characters being numerical. For instance, a name like 100NCD90, which mirrors the naming convention used on many camera SD cards, works perfectly. Other valid examples include 100AAAAA.
Beyond folder structure, the naming of your image files and their format are also critical. The image files must be in JPG format, not JPEG. Furthermore, each filename should be 8 characters long, with the last four characters being numbers. The initial four characters can be a combination of letters, numbers, or underscores. Examples of acceptable filenames include DSC_0001 and IMGP0001.
The primary advantage of importing photos directly into the Photos app using this method is the destination flexibility it offers. With recent iOS versions, you can directly select either your main Library or a specific Album as the import destination. This feature enhances organization and streamlines your photo workflow. Testing has confirmed that this method even works on older iPads running iOS 10, although the Album selection option might not be available in those earlier versions.
It’s important to distinguish this direct import method from using the Files app. In iOS 13 and iOS 14, while the Files app allows importing photos from a USB drive, your destination choices are limited to the Library or a Shared Album, lacking the direct Album selection available with the method described above. For iOS versions prior to iOS 13, the Files app is not an option for this purpose.
By correctly formatting your USB drive with the DCIM folder structure and adhering to the file naming conventions outlined, you can seamlessly transfer your JPG photos directly into the Photos app on your iPad or iPhone, taking full advantage of destination selection and bypassing potential limitations of other import methods.
