How to Use an iPhone Disk

by Dan Eash
Turn your iPhone into an external USB drive.

Turn your iPhone into an external USB drive.

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Apple's iPhone 4 has a storage capacity of 16 to 32 gigabytes but some users don't have enough photos, musics and videos to fill up that space. If you're one of them you're probably looking for a way to use your iPhone as a USB drive so you can transfer files from one computer to another. iPod owners can do this by selecting "Enable disk use" in iTunes but it's not that easy on an iPhone. The quickest way is to buy an application like Phone Disc, PhoneView, iPhone Explorer or DiscAid but you can get the same result for free with a little more work. The process requires you to have a "jailbroken" iPhone on which you can install apps that have not been approved by Apple.

Step 1

Click the "Cydia" button on your iPhone Springboard and select the "Manage" tab at the bottom of its launch screen. Now click on the "Sources" button and select "Edit," then "Add." Type http://apt.dmytro.me into the popup field that appears and click the "Add Source" button. When Cydia has finished updating your sources press the "Return to Cydia" button, then click "Done."

Step 2

Highlight the "apt.dmytro.me" source in your sources list and choose "USB Drive" from the list of packages. Now click the "Install" button and press "Confirm" to install your package. When the installation finishes, click the "Return to Cydia" button then press the "Home" button to go back to your iPhone Springboard.

Step 3

Press the "USB Drive" button in your iPhone Springboard and select "Create Disk" from the screen that appears. Use the keypad to give your virtual disk a name and move the slider to select its size. Now format the disk by clicking on the "Create" button in the upper right part of the screen.

Step 4

Specify a USB mode. Your three choices are "Drive + iTunes," which replaces the PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol) interface with a Mass Storage interface, "Default," which retains the PTP interface and doesn't change your USB settings and "Drive Only," which modifies your iPhone's USB product ID and prevents iTunes synchronization to make USB Mass Storage compatible with any operating system. Choose the mode you want to select it.

Step 5

Reboot your iPhone. After you select a USB mode a popup will indicate that you need to reboot to apply the changes. Click the "Reboot" button to confirm and your virtual disk will be ready to use when your iPhone restarts.

Tip

  • There's a free iTunes alternative called CopyTrans Manager at http://www.copytrans.net/copytransmanager.php that lets you bypass iTunes synchronization limitations.

Warning

  • Although it is legal to jailbreak your iPhone, it will void your Apple warranty. Additionally, new releases of the iOS may make a jailbroken iPhone unsuable. Proceed with the jailbreaking option at your own risk.

About the Author

Dan Eash began writing professionally in 1989, with articles in LaHabra's "Daily Star Progress" and the "Fullerton College Magazine." Since then, he's created scripts for doctor and dentist offices and published manuals, help files and a training video. His freelance efforts also include a book. Eash has a Fullerton College Associate of Arts in music/recording production and a Nova Institute multimedia production certificate.

Photo Credits

  • Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images