APFS Encrypted SSD will not unlock on iPad

Hi,

I have the same problem. I just purchased a SanDisk Extreme Go Portable SSD 1 TB Drive. I've formatted it on my MacBook Pro (OS 13.1) using the Disk Utility app as APFS Encrypted. The password works fine then for this drive on my MacBook when I attach the SSD drive. It does not work on my iPad which is running 16.6.1. The iPad sees the drive when I open the Files app but when I try to unlock it, it says that its an "APFS Protected Volume" and asks me to enter the password for it. But it won't accept the password. I've tried unlocking it numerous times but cannot get it to unlock it. Each time I enter the password, the pop-up dialog disappears and redisplays the "Authentication Required" screen as before and it shows "To view the items in this folder, you need to unlock this disk".

Note!

I have found that powering off/on the iPad while the external SSD is attached, I was able to then successfully Unlock the password protected SSD drive. So something odd seems to be going on perhaps with how the drive is mounted to the iPad.

thanks for your help

Hi domtak,

Please note the following for iPadOS 14 from the site Connect external storage devices to iPad:

"Note: A USB drive must have only a single data partition, and it must be formatted as FAT, FAT32, exFAT (FAT64), or APFS. To change the formatting of a USB drive, use a Mac or PC." (emphasis added)

It is not until iPadOS 16 (Connect external storage devices to iPad) that that section changes to show:

"Note: An external storage device must have only a single data partition, and it must be formatted as APFS, APFS (encrypted), macOS Extended (HFS+), exFAT (FAT64), FAT32, or FAT. To change the formatting of a storage device, use a Mac or PC." (emphasis added)

To access an encrypted APFS formatted drive, you must be using iPadOS 16 and the drive must not be partitioned into more than 1 data partition.

Regards.

Hi,

have you found the solution? In my case it worked and one day just stopped. Now keeps asking me for password and does not unlock. Unfortunately, I haven’t noticed if it was related to any event like the iOS update.

Flies can see the device even if I disconnect it, till iPad restart.

cheers

zetce