Can iPad OS write directly to external drives?

[olyduck]

I will be moving my Photos library to an external drive. While I have seen articles that show how to move files to and from iPad and external drive, I have also heard that one cannot write directly to the external drive from the iPad. In other words, I would have to import the file (a photo for example) into the iPad first , then edit it, then move it back to the external drive. Is this true? If so, is it an artifact of iPad OS, certain applications or specific external drives.

Thanks,
Olyduck

 

[IWT]

@olyduck,

Hi and welcome. I'm slightly confused, but that often happens.

OK: so you have a MacBook Pro (MBP), you have an iPad (how old, which iPadOS?) and you have an External Hard Drive (EHD).

You want to move your Photos library to the EHD - from where? I would have thought your MBP; but then you tell us that you are going to Import photographs into the iPad, Edit them, then Export them to the EHD.

My confusion arises around why the iPad is involved at all. The MBP has the Photos app and it is easy to Edit pictures and dead easy to Export them to the EHD.

Please tell me if I've got my thinking wrong and confirm where you are moving the Photos Library from.

Ian

PS As far as I know, you cannot write directly from iPad to EHD in the way you seem to want.