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iPadOS will let you plug flash drives, memory cards into your iPad

The iPad gets a significant step closer to Macs and other PCs.

Stephen Shankland Former Principal Writer
Stephen Shankland worked at CNET from 1998 to 2024 and wrote about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.
Expertise Processors, semiconductors, web browsers, quantum computing, supercomputers, AI, 3D printing, drones, computer science, physics, programming, materials science, USB, UWB, Android, digital photography, science. Credentials
  • Shankland covered the tech industry for more than 25 years and was a science writer for five years before that. He has deep expertise in microprocessors, digital photography, computer hardware and software, internet standards, web technology, and more.
Stephen Shankland
iPads are getting more and more like Macs.

iPads are getting more and more like Macs.

Stephen Shankland/CNET

With the upcoming iPadOS, you'll be able to plug external drives and SD cards into your iPad the way you already can with your Mac or Windows PC.

"iPadOS ... supports external drives, allowing users to easily plug in USB drives, SD cards or log into an SMB file server, all from within the Files app," Apple said in a statement Monday at its Worldwide Developer Conference, aka WWDC, in San Jose, California.

The new feature reflects how much closer iPads and Macs are becoming. iPads and Macs remain separate product lines, but with software tools like Project Catalyst -- formerly called Marzipan -- Apple is breaking down the barriers.

Another big step: iPadOS also will support mouse pointers, early tests of the beta software indicate.

Follow all of today's Apple news.

Watch this: Apple is bringing iPad apps to your Mac