Connecting iPad Pro to MPWP via USB cable

WD External Drives My Passport Wireless
1

I am trying to access My Passport Wireless Pro using a 2021 iPad Pro using the USB C port. It will not recognize the drive using my iPad Pro using Files. I have tried using the supplied USB 2.0 to USB 3.0 cable via an adaptor and using a USB C to USB 3.0 cable from a third party. The USB C to USB 3.0 cable works fine with my MacBook Pro, the computer sees the drive but I am unable to get the iPad Pro to see it using the USB cables. Can anyone give me some trouble shooting advice? BTW, it connects fine via WiFi, I just wanted to be able to connect via cables.

2

Hi @OrangeM2C,

Please test health of your drive using Western Digital Drive utility:
Link: How to Install and Use WD Security and WD Drive Utilities Features

3

When you plug the wireless pro into a computer. . .it acts like a standard external hard drive.

How does the iPad treat standard external drives? If you can’t read such a drive. . you won’t be able to read this drive either.

4

Just to clear up this part of the issue, I just downloaded the WD Drive Utilities to my MacBook Pro, connected my MPWP to my MacBook Pro and the drive utility won’t recognize it. It just requests Attach a Supported Drive. Is the MYWP not a supported drive?

5

The iPad will connect and recognize SSD drives and SD Cards just fine. It appears to not be able to connect to spinning external drives. But, and this is a peculiar but, the My Passport Wireless Pro (MPWP) will connect to my iPad Pro 2021 with one dongle using either USB C to USB Micro B or USB A to USB Mircro B from a vendor called iLuv using a USB C to multiport adapter that has USB C, HDMI and USB A. I just now connected my iPad Pro to another 9 in 1 USB C adapter from a vendor GKEAPZA using the USB C 3.0 port and the MPWP is being connected just fine. I suspect it is the protocol of the USB C connection that determines if it will connect or not. I just re-connected just using only the WD supplied USB C to Micro B cable directly to the iPad Pro and it won’t connect. Go figure. To summarize, it appears the MPWP works with a USB C cable if the USB standard is 3.0 or newer.