Hey there! One of my students recently asked which portable external hard drive I recommend for Procreate backups because they wanted something offline due to privacy and travel concerns.
After 10+ years using Procreate, here are the external storage options I recommend:
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My Picks for External iPad Pro Storage for Procreate
I've been using WD (Western Digital) hard drivers since I remember, and I recently upgraded to the USB-C version, which is formatted for macOS and iPadOS. It connects to both my iPad Pro and my MacBook instantly, and I use it to back up my Procreate artworks. I think this SanDisk Extreme Portable hard drive is for Procreate artists who are on the move a lot and want a reliable hard drive that is super fast and withstands extreme handling. LaCie Mobile drive is an external hard drive used by many of my artist friends, and they praise its design, price, and storage options. Plus, you are getting a one month of Adobe CC subscription. I've been using WD (Western Digital) hard drivers since I remember, and I recently upgraded to the USB-C version, which is formatted for macOS and iPadOS. It connects to both my iPad Pro and my MacBook instantly, and I use it to back up my Procreate artworks. I think this SanDisk Extreme Portable hard drive is for Procreate artists who are on the move a lot and want a reliable hard drive that is super fast and withstands extreme handling. LaCie Mobile drive is an external hard drive used by many of my artist friends, and they praise its design, price, and storage options. Plus, you are getting a one month of Adobe CC subscription.
Available for either macOS or Windows
USB-C to USB-C cable with USB 3.1 adapter
Super fast external Solid State Drive
USB-C to USB-C Cable, USB 3.2 Gen 2 compatible
Rugged and tough
USB-C to USB-C cable, USB-C 3.2 compatible
FREE Adobe CC 1 month subscription included
➕ Super reliable
➕ Nice design
➕ Fast
➕ Super fast
➕ Super portable
➕ Nice design
➕ Fast
➕ BONUS: Adobe CC subscription
Available for either macOS or Windows
USB-C to USB-C cable with USB 3.1 adapter
➕ Super reliable
➕ Nice design
➕ Fast
Super fast external Solid State Drive
USB-C to USB-C Cable, USB 3.2 Gen 2 compatible
Rugged and tough
➕ Super fast
➕ Super portable
USB-C to USB-C cable, USB-C 3.2 compatible
FREE Adobe CC 1 month subscription included
➕ Nice design
➕ Fast
➕ BONUS: Adobe CC subscription
Can You Use Your Existing External Hard Drive to Backup Your Procreate Files?
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This is a great question some of my Procreate students asked me, too.
What if you have an external storage drive you are completely happy with, but it doesn’t have a USB-C interface? So there is no easy way to connect it to your iPad Pro to back up your Procreate artworks.
The answer is that you get this nifty cable (see below):
Get it for your older hard drive to connect to your iPad Pro with USB-C connector
The USB-C to Micro-B cable will transform your existing external hard drive, which normally supports USB connection only, to a hard drive that can connect to your iPad with Procreate through USB-C.
I’ve gotten this cable last year, and since then, I can use some of my existing hard drives to connect to my iPad Pro and back up my Procreate files.💡 But please note: Your existing hard drive needs to support the iPadOS file system to work.
What Storage Formats and File Systems Does iPadOS Support?
I discovered that so my older hard drives can connect to my iPad Pro, they need to be formatted in a special file system. iPadOS supports the following file systems, also called storage formats:
| Storage format / File system supported by iPadOS 15 and iPadOS 16 | Notes |
|---|---|
| HFS+ (macOS Extended File System) | This one is only supported by iPadOS 16 |
| APFS (Apple File System) or APFS+ (Encrypted) | The newest Apple file system |
| ExFAT (FAT64) (Extended File Allocation Table) | This is the one I use on my older hard drives because it connects to both macOS, iPadOS and Windows |
| FAT32 and FAT (File Allocation Table) | This is outdated technology that supports hard drives of up to 32GB only, so I don’t recommend using it |
How Do You Format Your Hard Drive to Work with Your iPad for Procreate?
To format your hard drive to work with your iPad for Procreate, follow these steps:
- 🛑 IMPORTANT: Make sure your hard drive is empty before formatting. If it’s not empty, formatting will wipe out all your files. So I recommend you do the formatting with new hard drives only (if you need to). If you don’t do the formatting at all, get an external hard drive already made for macOS and iPadOS (see table above)
- Plug your hard drive into your Mac
- Find the hard drive under the Volumes
- Right-click and click on “Get Info”
- Find the row called “Format”
- If you are using iPad for Procreate with iPadOS 16 and the Format says any of the file systems listed in my table above, you are good to go. You do not need to format it.
- If it says NFTS, check out the following guide from Apple. To choose a file system, consult my helpful table above
What If My iPad Has a Lighting Port?
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|
It’s trickier with the older iPads with Lightning port.
They often can’t provide enough power to external hard drives, which is why the hard drive’s light isn’t turning on.
To fix this, you’ll need Apple’s Lightning to USB 3 adapter.
Connect the adapter’s USB-C port to a power source, like a wall outlet or your laptop, and use the USB port to connect your hard drive. If your particular hard drive uses a USB-C to USB-C cable, you’ll need a USB-C to USB adapter that usually comes with it.
Alternatively you could get a powered USB hub that should work too and may be a better value because it includes more ports.
In this case you connect the hub to power supply, then connect your iPad to one of the ports and the hard drive to another spare one.
How Do You Back Up Your Procreate Files on Your External Hard Drive?
Time needed: 5 minutes
Follow my step-by-step guide to back up your Procreate files on your external hard drive.
- Connect your external hard drive to your iPad Pro using the USB-C cable
Your hard drive’s light will start blinking, which means it successfully connected to your iPad Pro
- Open the Procreate artwork you want to back up
Click on wrench icon in upper left corner and tap on “Share” with your Apple Pencil
- Your Procreate file will start exporting
The screen says “Exporting” will appear. This means your Procreate file is preparing to be exported or saved externally outside of your Procreate app.
- Choose “Save to Files” to back up to your external storage
To back up your Procreate artwork to your connected external hard drive, choose the option “Save to Files”
- Find your hard drive under “Locations”
Tap on your hard drive under “Locations”, select folder where you want to save your file and tap on “Save” in the upper right corner.
- Your Procreate file will start saving
You will see your Procreate artwork saving indicated by this little circle next to your artwork name.
- You have successfully backed up your Procreate artwork
When the screen shows “Export successful”, it means your Procreate file got saved to your external hard drive, and you have successfully backed it up!
- Open the Files App on your iPad
To verify that your file got saved on your external hard drive, open the File App on your iPad
- In the File App find your external hard drive under “Locations”
Under “Locations,” open your hard drive and the folder where you saved your Procreate artwork and find it saved among your other files.
- You are ready to disconnect your hard drive
To correctly disconnect your external hard drive, make sure both Procreate and Files App are closed. In your iPad home screen, swipe up with your finger and swipe the apps to the right to close them
- Before disconnecting the USB-C cable, make sure the light is not blinking
Visually check if the light on your external hard drive blinks. If not, you are safe to disconnect the hard drive from your iPad Pro. If it still blinks. Wait a few moments and check if you’ve closed all the apps.
I hope my post has helped you to choose your new external storage drive for saving your Procreate artworks and that you are now regularly backing up your work so you don’t lose it.
Happy Drawing!
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Hi, I am Iva (rhymes with “viva”). I am a full-time self-taught artist behind Art Side of Life® and a Top Teacher on Skillshare. I have 15 years of experience in the creative field as a concept designer, illustrator, art director, and now freelance artist, content creator, and art instructor. My goal is to help you get your creative groove on with Procreate and make awesome art through practical classes, tutorials, Procreate brushes, and guides on art tools, supplies and resources. About me »
