iPad Pro Encrypting a USB for use with iPad

[jjudson]

I would like to encrypt and password protect a USB drive for use with my new iPad Pro. Nothing too personal, just my plans for world domination.

Can anyone point me to some instructions on how to do this?

 

[NoBoMac]

I might be wrong here, but I seem to recall that you will need to format the drive as APFS encrypted on a Mac before you can use on the iPad.

Erase and reformat a storage device in Disk Utility on Mac

In Disk Utility on your Mac, erase and reformat a storage device to use with a Mac.

support.apple.com

 

[Shirasaki]

Encrypted AFPS is your best bet. Try it out first cause iOS is still a reduced functionality macOS, and apple may not build drivers into iOS.

 

[sparksd]

https://www.imore.com/apple-adds-encrypted-drive-support-files-ios-14-and-ipados-14

 

[cupcakes2000]

Try Cryptomator. You can’t encrypt a whole disk per se, but you can create an encrypted container within it.
I’m not sure whether you can create one on an disk direct from the iPad to a usb stick, but even if you can’t you can’t you can create one on the iPad and then move it in files and reconnect in the Cryptomator app.

It’s a cool app and it’s open source. It’s a bit behind on the iPad though, the integration is limited. Worth it though.

 

[jjudson]

I might be wrong here, but I seem to recall that you will need to format the drive as APFS encrypted on a Mac before you can use on the iPad.

Erase and reformat a storage device in Disk Utility on Mac

In Disk Utility on your Mac, erase and reformat a storage device to use with a Mac.

support.apple.com

Wow, this worked great! Thanks!

Now, on to my plans...

 

[doboy]

https://www.imore.com/apple-adds-encrypted-drive-support-files-ios-14-and-ipados-14

Thanks, didn't know this.

 

[JackLurker]

If you're trying to encrypt a flash drive to use on an iOS device, you should probably know that your security stops at the device. For example, if your 'world domination plans' include a video or image or other file it will be recoverable on the iOS device.

Currently iOS will allow you to read a flash drive, but you must open the files on the device itself which leaves a cached version of it in the background on the device itself.

If you'd like to leave no (or much less) trace on the iOS device, you need to not just encrypt the drive but open the files on a non-iOS native application.

The software is absolutely horrible, but it works 80% of the time for my needs. Go to San Disk (Western Digital) site and download PrivateAccess. It encrypts the files and has an app you can use on the iOS devices. Personally, I bought an iXpand flash drive that has USB-C and Lightning connections for this very purpose.

Flash drive is cheaper online than it is locally for me: https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-iXpand-iPhone-Type-C-Devices/dp/B08JCX96NC

Here's the software if you want to research just that. - https://support-en.wd.com/app/answe...d-download-privateaccess-for-sandisk-products