Transferring files to/from Mac (10.13) and iPad

[macstatic]

I'm trying to clean up an iPad, transferring the photos and other files I no longer need there over to my Mac (MacOS 10.13) and wonder what my options are for doing that. I know of these methods:

File transfer from Mac to iPad
1) Connect iPad to Mac with a USB cable
2) open iTunes (on the Mac)
3) click on the iPad icon that pops up next to where you select music, films, podcasts etc (underneath the play/pause etc. buttons) to attach the iPad
4) drag the file(s) you want to put on your iPad over from the Mac and drop on the "On my device" section (left hand side column in iTunes)
This will transfer the files over to the iPad's appropriate places belonging to the apps that handle the media types you dragged over

There's another method for accessing/transferring files over from the Mac to the iPad connecting to the local Wifi network as described here. Here's a short summary:

File transfer from iPad to Mac
1) set up a wifi connection which both the Mac and iPad can access
2) go to the "Sharing" system preference (on the Mac) and turn on "File sharing"
3) it should say "File sharing on" with a green dot next to it. Take note of the address which is shown next to it (i.e. "smb://192.168.1.234")
4) open the "Files" app (iPad)
5) select "Connect to server" on the left hand side (possibly clicking the "..." button on the top left hand side first)
6) enter the smb address (which you previously found in step 3)
7) enter the username/password for the Mac user you want to access
8) You can now access the available shared folders on your Mac


But how about the other way round (transferring files from the iPad over to the Mac) so as to offload whatever files I have there? Some iPads are restricted (i.e. for school or work use) so it's not always just a matter of syncing them up to iTunes or whatever. Also it's quite cumbersome.

 

[Slartibart]

But how about the other way round (transferring files from the iPad over to the Mac) so as to offload whatever files I have there? Some iPads are restricted (i.e. for school or work use) so it's not always just a matter of syncing them up to iTunes or whatever. Also it's quite cumbersome.

Airdrop; use FileBrowser Go or Business instead of Apple’s Files app; depending on the iPad use a dual Lightning/USB-A or USB-C/USB-A stick; get a lightning-to-USB-A-or a USB-C-to-USBC-cable and connect an SSD and copy... the latter option together with FileBrowser is probably the most reliable and fastest.

 

[macstatic]

Thanks.
I'm apparently unable to use Airdrop because I don't have a Wifi router (my Mac has a wired connection) but when I occasionaly need to have Wifi access I set the Mac up as a wireless router ("Sharing" system preference with Wifi sharing in the "Internet" section). I'm told I can't use Airdrop with sharing enabled. Is there another way without using a Wifi router?
UPDATE: I figured out I could use my other Mac for setting up a Wifi connection. That Mac is also connected the wired network, so I have Wifi enabled and can use that with the iPad. But when I select a file on the iPad (intending to send it over to the Mac) by selecting the file (within the "Files" app), then Share-Airdrop it says "No people found -There is no one nearby to share with".
I assume this means I've missed something on the Mac I want to transfer over to. It has wifi enabled (and connected to the other Mac's Wifi connection, and Bluetooth is also turned on).

UPDATE 2: I found an Apple help page entitle "Use Airdrop on your Mac" and took note of the following remark despite Airdrop being available in the Finder: the Mac has to be from 2012 or later. This is a 2010 Mac Pro, so even though it all looked OK (why on earth would High Sierra have options available for Airdrop when this computer doesnt support it!?!?!).
So I tried it all on my mid-2012 Macbook Pro and it worked perfectly!

Great tip about using a USB hard drive or USB flash drive. I'll see about the cable.
I found Filebrowser Go, but what makes it different/better than the built in "Files" app in iOS? Is it possible to connect an iPad (at least an unrestricted one) to the Mac via the usual USB cable and transfer files both ways using that app?

 

[Slartibart]

Great tip about using a USB hard drive or USB flash drive. I'll see about the cable.
I found Filebrowser Go, but what makes it different/better than the built in "Files" app in iOS? Is it possible to connect an iPad (at least an unrestricted one) to the Mac via the usual USB cable and transfer files both ways using that app?

Copying FROM external source works mostly using Apple’s Files app on an iPad - but the user interface/feedback/options are veeeery simple.
Most problems arise when copying TO external media. When using Apple’s Files app data can become partly corrupted, transfer task become gradually slower and slower data or simply shutdown, and other problems (this is just one thread, you can find several others via search).

Using FilebrowserGo or Professional makes theses thransfers reliable. Additionally it allows several things Apple’s Files does not like connecting to SMB 1-shares, copying directly between 2 different external media, &&& ...and the information it gives about e.g. a copying task is actually useful.
Funny enough the Filebrowser developer uses just the official iOS/iPadOS APIs - as of 14.4.2 optimizing it’s own Files App seems not to be a high prior for Apple.

If by any means it is possible for you get a SSD like the Samsung T5. Using external media with an iPad (Pro) is slow in contrast to the technical specs and compared to e.g. a Laptop with a technically identical connector.

Transfer speeds TO external medium in Filebrowser Professional with 11” iPP 2020:
* using a USB 2 or 3 stick ~ 4 to 12 Mb/second
* using a Samsung T5 ~ 70 Mb/second
(a T7 will copy faster; there is anecdotical evidence that there are USB-sticks out there which allow copying with up to 20 Mb.)

If you want to use existing hardware with USB-A-connectors the best option IMHO is to get a USB-C hub with a detachable cable like this from UNI. If you get a USB-C-to-Lightning cable like the one from Apple - you need one which explicitly allows sync/data transfer - you can easily use it with a Lightning-iPad too.