How to Transfer Photos from iPad to SD Card with/without Computer

iPad does not support an SD card to insert in it directly to transfer photos. So, how can you transfer photos from iPad to SD card? Read this article for 4 ways.

Dylan

By Dylan / Updated on June 9, 2023

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How to transfer photos from iPad to SD card

"I have a lot of photos on my iPad and I need to move them to my SD card to free some space for new pictures. What is the easiest way to do this?" 

- Question from iPad user

Why do you need to move photos from iPad to SD card?

iPad is definitely one of the best tablets with lots of helpful features. It allows users to enjoy high-quality images and videos with high-definition cameras. But sometimes you need to transfer photos from iPad to SD card for the following reasons.

● Free up iPad storage: Photos generally occupy a large space on your iPad, you don’t have enough storage to store all pictures. To make your iPad run smoother and have more room for new pictures, you may want to move unused photos to other sources like SD cards where they can be safely stored.
● Better manage and edit photos: You may need to send iPad images for better sharing, editing, or management. In such a situation, you also want to export pictures from iPad to SD card.

The given section below will provide four easy ways to transfer photos from iPad to memory card with or without a computer.

transfer photos from ipad to sd card

How to transfer photos from iPad to SD card with computer

If you don't have an SD adapter to connect iPad and SD card, you can follow these 3 methods to send iPad pictures to SD on computer. Or you can refer to the next section to transfer photos without PC.

Method 1. Export photos from iPad  to SD card via Windows Explorer

If you just want to transfer a small number of pictures, you can use Windows Files Explorer to perform it easily.

Step 1. Just connect the SD card and iPad with your computer via USB cable, and open your iPad.

Step 2. Go to This PC or Computer and double-click your iPad.

Step 3. Choose Internal Storage, and click DCIM folder. Copy and paste the photos to an SD card.

windows explorer 7

Method 2. Move photos from iPad to SD card via iCloud

iCloud Photo Library is also a good solution, especially when it comes to backing up. You can transfer all pictures on iPad to iCloud and then copy them from the iCloud to the SD card.

However, iCloud only offers 5 GB of free space, so make sure you have enough iCloud storage to save your photos before you start transferring photos from iPad to SD card via iCloud. If your iCloud storage is full, you may need to buy more space or use other methods.

The following steps describe how to export photos from iPad to SD card.

Step 1. On your iPad, tap “Settings”, and click "Photos & Camera".

Step 2. Turn on “iCloud Photos Library”.

icloud photo library

Step 3. Run iCloud on your computer and login it, click “Photos”, enter the “Options” to choose the output source.

icloud for windows interface

Step 4. Click “Change” and download your photos from iCloud to your computer.

icloud options

Step 5. Connect your computer to the SD card with the SD card reader, download the pictures from iPad to SD card.

Method 3. The easiest way to transfer pictures from iPad to SD/memory card

When you want to transfer hundreds of or several GB photos to an SD card, the former two methods will take a long time on the copy-and-paste process and your computer may be stuck. In this case, it would be better to employ a professional iPad transfer tool.

FoneTool can quickly transfer or back up a large number of iPad data such as photos, videos, music, contacts, and messages to an SD card, USB drive, and enable you to transfer photos from external hard drive to iPad easily without erasing any data on the device. Its main advantages are as follows.

Multiple transfer or backup ways: It offers two transfer ways: directly transfer photos to SD card & create a backup image for your photos which will take up less space.
Select data: If you don’t want to transfer all photos to an SD card, it allows you to preview and choose specific items to transfer.
All photos saved on iPad: It lets you transfer/back up photos stored in Camera Roll and any other albums you created.
Fast speed: Transfer or backup data in seconds for a short period of time. For example, 1000 photos can be transferred in 1 minute.
Widely compatible: It supports all iDevice models like iPad Pro/Mini/Air, iPhone 14/13/12/11/SE (2022/2020), etc.

Download and install FoneTool to see how to use this tool to transfer photos from iPad to computer.

Download FreewareWin 11/10/8.1/8/7
Secure Download

Step 1. Connect SD card to computer with an SD card reader, plug your iPad with a USB cable, and “Trust” the computer.

Step 2. Run FoneTool, click “Phone Transfer” and go to "iPhone to PC".

transfer to computer

Step 3. Click the "+" icon on the right side of the interface.

select files

Step 4. Choose “Photos” and select all pictures you want to transfer, click “OK”.

choose photos

Step 5. Click "Start Transfer" > Select your SD card as the destination on the left corner, and click “Transfer”.

transfer

When the transfer is finished, open the SD card to see if it succeeds, and then remove the SD card and the iPad.

Tip: If your photos are saved in HEIC format, you can use HEIC Converter to convert photos to JPG/JPEG/PNG format, then you can easily open photos on any device and platform.

How to transfer photos from iPad to SD card without computer (with an adapter)

If you want to transfer pictures from iPad to memory card without computer, you need to use an adapter to connect the SD card and the iPad. Follow the steps below to know how to transfer photos from iPad to SD card with adapter:

Step 1. Insert the SD card into an SD card reader, connect the SD card reader to the adapter, and then plug the adapter into the iPad.

Step 2. Open the “Photos” app on your iPad, select the photos you wish to transfer.

Step 3. Tap “Share”, choose “Save to Files” and click the "DCIM" folder under the USB device.

In this way, you can store the pictures on the SD card directly.

sd card adapter

Conclusion

That’s all methods to transfer photos from iPad to SD card. Whether you have a computer available or not, you can complete this operation successfully with the corresponding solutions.

Besides, these methods can also help you export photos on all IOS devices to a computer. Especially FoneTool, not only transfers iPad photos but also can back up iPhone photos, contacts, messages, etc. important data to an external drive or other storage devices.