Some users of the new iPad Camera Connection Kit have reported receiving the error message “USB Device not supported,” after connecting a camera or SD Card adapters. Here are some troubleshooting steps to take when encountering this issue.
Ensure Proper Connection
If you’re using a case with your iPad, ensure that the case isn’t hindering the USB connection. Try removing the case from the iPad, then give it another go.
Format SD Card in Camera
You must use an SD card that was formatted by your camera. Insert the SD Card into your camera, then perform the steps required to format (Steps vary. See hardware manufacturer documentation for this). A format will wipe all data from the card, so be sure to back it up first.
Create DCIM Folder
This problem can sometimes be caused by the lack of a DCIM folder on the SD card. To remedy this issue, simply insert your SD card into an adapter and connect it to your computer, then create a folder named DCIM at the root level of the SD card. Place any photos you’d like to transfer into this folder, then reconnect the card to the iPad using the Camera Connection Kit.
I hope these steps have helped you solve the iPad Camera Connection Kit “USB Device not supported” error. Shoot me a comment below if you still have problems.
Obsessed with tech since the early arrival of A/UX on Apple, Sudz (SK) is responsible for the original editorial direction of AppleToolBox. He is based out of Los Angeles, CA.
Sudz specializes in covering all things macOS, having reviewed dozens of OS X and macOS developments over the years.
In a former life, Sudz worked helping Fortune 100 companies with their technology and business transformation aspirations.
If that doesnt work, try conecting ur card to its adapter, then to a card reader , followed by usb connection of camera connection kit (cck)….. Strangely its the only way my cck works on my ipad.
I didn’t have to do this step. When I got the message: “not supported” I went straight to the photos app and the camera card was there. Worked right away.
So if the SD card doesn’t have the proper directory, you have to go to another computer to create one? Why can’t the iPad find the photos wherever they are? Clearly Apple users are not expected to know what a file name or a directory structure is. You can’t even browse to the right place. Only Apple would leave off the USB in the first place and then when they allow you to add one, it’s not even compliant to real USB specs.
I have an ipad1, it was marvellous for connecting via the usb adaptor direct to my Sony camera, and i could place all my pics on the ipad1,
I last did this process about two months ago, it worked fine.
In the last two months i have NOT connected the ipad to a pc or itunes for updating, but tonight i tried connecting the Sony camera, and i get the usb not supported message.
Talk about apple being a bunch of absolute interfering barstards.
My biggest issue is i am severly vision impaired and find much difficulty in doing a lot of things that involve technical and detail. I do not understand this DCIM fix thing, can someone please explain simply how to do it.
All a want to do is upload my digi pics to the ipad so i can see what i took pics of.
I cant even see the little screen on back of camera to see them due to vision issues
Just wait till i march back onto the nerdy geeks at my local apple store. Useless bunch of carnty blighters. Yes i’m peeved off alright!
Thank you so much for this tip. I have spent about an hour trying tofigure out why I can’t import pictures on my SD card. as soon as I created the folder, it worked immediately. Greatly appreciate the help.
I have a shiny new iPad2 and no other computre, (I mean, isn’t the iPad a computer) and ohsohelpful NOT Apple says “simply connect your SD card to your computer” and THEN have the audacity to ask jauntily “Did you enjoy this post?” No I […multi expletives deleted…] didn’t you bunch of […multi expletives deleted…]
Like thousands of other iPad owners I have an iPad and I have a camera. The camera takes SD cards. I expected, once I had the comer connection kit, to be able to take the SD card out of the camera, stick it in the little thing, connect up and go.
This is just one of many practicality issues for something which is sold as being *the answer*. No wonder that Apple has $70bn in the bank. Their attention to practicality issues for their customers is below the scale.
Incidentally, please note that the only difference between an iPad 16 GB and the 32 GB is that you’re paying $100 for an extra internal 16GB flash drive — the equivalent of which you can buy just about anywhere else in the world for about $10 (!!!!) — unfortunately, the iPad doesn’t have a direct USB port to make use of an external flash drive. The reason is obvious: money. Why not let consumers actually choose to use a 32 or 64 GB external flash drive so they can keep using the iPad when it fills up?… Wait, choice only exists in the rest of the world. You can connect a USB flash drive through the connection kit, but you can’t do anything but transfer files to the iPad. Now you can’t can’t use most flash drives on the market because Apple’s cut back on the power limit — and you aren’t even given the mature option of selecting whether or not YOU want to switch between a 20 mA or 100 mA limit (so it’s certainly NOT about preserving battery life). Just some thoughts.
Glancing across the internet, it appears the underlying problem is that Apple has limited the power output for devices to 20 mA in the “upgraded” OS in place of the previous 100 mA. Hence, this DCIM fix is useless for many devices — including many of Apple’s OWN devices!
My guess, if I had to make one since Apple apparently won’t remark on this, is that Apple wants to limit access of non-image and non-video files from entering their OS (you can transfer files like PDFs, DOCs, XLS, …and so on — potentially damaging to the OS — using any USB flash drive formatted to FAT32 and putting a folder named “DCIM” on it!) The only real fix is to get a USB hub that will power the flash drive or leave your camera ON to power the file transfer — completely defeats the utility of the Camera Connection kit since MANY cameras have power requirements > 20 mA!! (Again — this INCLUDES many APPLE components like keyboards, etc.) Good luck with that. Too much control. Too little knowledge.
I also got the “Device requires too much power” error message, what a bummer! I traveled to China with the iPad Camera connection kit, the iPad, and a camera in order to keep it lightweight, but this happened and I couldn’t share any photos. Is there a solution?
I have a fujifilm camera with xd card. When I connect diresct to camera kit I get message USB device not supported. My card has a DCIM folder but then a subfolder Fuji which hold all pictures. Should The pictures be directly in the DCIM FOLDER for the kit to work?
I have purchased a combined camera connection kit to save
carrying around 2 devices but I get the “Device reuires too much
power” message when I insert an SD card. Does anyone know if the
iOS 4.2.1 with its restrictive power availability will be revised
to allow devices other than Apple to connect. Microsoft got taken
to court over restrictive marketing practices with its software and
this is just the same. No wonder Apple have a small share of the
market if they restrict their users so much.
I have a Canon 5D Mk II and all the images are stored on a
Compact Flash Card inside a DCIM folder and when I connect the iPad
tells me that this accessory is not supported by iPad. No what do I
do?
I was on a trip with only my ipad and camera and was disappointed I couldn’t upload my pix from my camera. I have done this before several times with no problem (same camera). I am home now and see that there is indeed a DCIM folder (as well as a MISC and MSSONY folder), but all the photos are in the subfolder DCIM/100MSDCF. Do the photos need to be immediately in the DCIM folder?
All of you that are happy with this whole DCIM folder thing, DO NOT update to OS 4 or it will never for again. Please do not upgrade if using a camera kit for SD/SDHC cards are important to you
I’m sure this works just fine unless the point of purchasing the camera connection kit is to use it to download photos from an sd card while you are not within reach of a computer!
I have field photos taken off a digital camera with no USB output. I have an SD card that captures the pictures in a folder that is not DCIM. I was hoping to be able to use the iPad to check these SD cards from the great outdoors. The hope was to replace the need to carry a laptop! The camera connection kit doesn’t solve this. A fix for SD cards without DCIM would be appreciated.
Thank you bro. You are the man. I thought my connector kit was already broken. I was about to return it til I read your post.
Apple was not able to prepare on this. They should not always expect that all SD cards have DCIM folder. Unlike digital cameras, if it doesn’t find a DCIM folder, it creates a new one, but, it doesn’t say “USB device is unsupported.”
Thanks for your SIMPLE BUT VERY EFFECTIVE ‘SOLUTION’; creating DCIM directory worked very well. Thanks for your valauble suggestion & time. God bless you.
Many Thanks !! This remedy solved my frustrating problem works on all cards & flash drives inserted via the Ipad adaptor(s) A simple flaw solved , but difficult if you didn’t know the remedy Cheers !!!! 🙂
Unbelievable because I can’t believe Apple ASSuME that all storage cards comes with this folder. I would expect they should at least document it in the user manual.
shankar says
Hi
Great, i can use the SD card after creating DCIM folder, thanks lot for the woderfull information and uplaoded your idea for sharing.
Shankar, India
Monasib says
If that doesnt work, try conecting ur card to its adapter, then to a card reader , followed by usb connection of camera connection kit (cck)….. Strangely its the only way my cck works on my ipad.
Luis says
I didn’t have to do this step. When I got the message: “not supported” I went straight to the photos app and the camera card was there. Worked right away.
Charles V. Stancampiano says
So if the SD card doesn’t have the proper directory, you have to go to another computer to create one? Why can’t the iPad find the photos wherever they are? Clearly Apple users are not expected to know what a file name or a directory structure is. You can’t even browse to the right place. Only Apple would leave off the USB in the first place and then when they allow you to add one, it’s not even compliant to real USB specs.
Peeved off says
I have an ipad1, it was marvellous for connecting via the usb adaptor direct to my Sony camera, and i could place all my pics on the ipad1,
I last did this process about two months ago, it worked fine.
In the last two months i have NOT connected the ipad to a pc or itunes for updating, but tonight i tried connecting the Sony camera, and i get the usb not supported message.
Talk about apple being a bunch of absolute interfering barstards.
My biggest issue is i am severly vision impaired and find much difficulty in doing a lot of things that involve technical and detail. I do not understand this DCIM fix thing, can someone please explain simply how to do it.
All a want to do is upload my digi pics to the ipad so i can see what i took pics of.
I cant even see the little screen on back of camera to see them due to vision issues
Just wait till i march back onto the nerdy geeks at my local apple store. Useless bunch of carnty blighters. Yes i’m peeved off alright!
SomeOne says
ok this is annoying, i have both the flash USB and the SD card formated as FAT32 and they have DCIM folder but still it’s not working………..
Ross says
Thank you so much for this tip. I have spent about an hour trying tofigure out why I can’t import pictures on my SD card. as soon as I created the folder, it worked immediately. Greatly appreciate the help.
SpiritfreeInnerlight says
I have a shiny new iPad2 and no other computre, (I mean, isn’t the iPad a computer) and ohsohelpful NOT Apple says “simply connect your SD card to your computer” and THEN have the audacity to ask jauntily “Did you enjoy this post?” No I […multi expletives deleted…] didn’t you bunch of […multi expletives deleted…]
Like thousands of other iPad owners I have an iPad and I have a camera. The camera takes SD cards. I expected, once I had the comer connection kit, to be able to take the SD card out of the camera, stick it in the little thing, connect up and go.
This is just one of many practicality issues for something which is sold as being *the answer*. No wonder that Apple has $70bn in the bank. Their attention to practicality issues for their customers is below the scale.
Nigel says
My card already has the folder DCIM on root but still does not work 🙁
JB says
I spent an hour trying to figure this out. Thank goodness for google search and this post!!!!
TJ says
Incidentally, please note that the only difference between an iPad 16 GB and the 32 GB is that you’re paying $100 for an extra internal 16GB flash drive — the equivalent of which you can buy just about anywhere else in the world for about $10 (!!!!) — unfortunately, the iPad doesn’t have a direct USB port to make use of an external flash drive. The reason is obvious: money. Why not let consumers actually choose to use a 32 or 64 GB external flash drive so they can keep using the iPad when it fills up?… Wait, choice only exists in the rest of the world. You can connect a USB flash drive through the connection kit, but you can’t do anything but transfer files to the iPad. Now you can’t can’t use most flash drives on the market because Apple’s cut back on the power limit — and you aren’t even given the mature option of selecting whether or not YOU want to switch between a 20 mA or 100 mA limit (so it’s certainly NOT about preserving battery life). Just some thoughts.
TJ says
Glancing across the internet, it appears the underlying problem is that Apple has limited the power output for devices to 20 mA in the “upgraded” OS in place of the previous 100 mA. Hence, this DCIM fix is useless for many devices — including many of Apple’s OWN devices!
My guess, if I had to make one since Apple apparently won’t remark on this, is that Apple wants to limit access of non-image and non-video files from entering their OS (you can transfer files like PDFs, DOCs, XLS, …and so on — potentially damaging to the OS — using any USB flash drive formatted to FAT32 and putting a folder named “DCIM” on it!) The only real fix is to get a USB hub that will power the flash drive or leave your camera ON to power the file transfer — completely defeats the utility of the Camera Connection kit since MANY cameras have power requirements > 20 mA!! (Again — this INCLUDES many APPLE components like keyboards, etc.) Good luck with that. Too much control. Too little knowledge.
Marlayne says
I also got the “Device requires too much power” error message, what a bummer! I traveled to China with the iPad Camera connection kit, the iPad, and a camera in order to keep it lightweight, but this happened and I couldn’t share any photos. Is there a solution?
Henry Lloyd says
I have a fujifilm camera with xd card. When I connect diresct to camera kit I get message USB device not supported. My card has a DCIM folder but then a subfolder Fuji which hold all pictures. Should The pictures be directly in the DCIM FOLDER for the kit to work?
Dwillpunkie says
I had tried but still not working. I’m currently using OS 4. Anyone know how to fix this problem?
Ewen says
Great tip, I was on the verge of throwing this iPad out of the window, thanks a million!
Barry McGill says
I have purchased a combined camera connection kit to save
carrying around 2 devices but I get the “Device reuires too much
power” message when I insert an SD card. Does anyone know if the
iOS 4.2.1 with its restrictive power availability will be revised
to allow devices other than Apple to connect. Microsoft got taken
to court over restrictive marketing practices with its software and
this is just the same. No wonder Apple have a small share of the
market if they restrict their users so much.
Lawrence Hrusovsky says
I have a Canon 5D Mk II and all the images are stored on a
Compact Flash Card inside a DCIM folder and when I connect the iPad
tells me that this accessory is not supported by iPad. No what do I
do?
Diana says
My ad has this folder but still doesn’t work. Any more
ideas? I bought my iPad to store photos and now this doesnt
work…frustrated.
Wayne says
I was on a trip with only my ipad and camera and was disappointed I couldn’t upload my pix from my camera. I have done this before several times with no problem (same camera). I am home now and see that there is indeed a DCIM folder (as well as a MISC and MSSONY folder), but all the photos are in the subfolder DCIM/100MSDCF. Do the photos need to be immediately in the DCIM folder?
ScottG says
All of you that are happy with this whole DCIM folder thing, DO NOT update to OS 4 or it will never for again. Please do not upgrade if using a camera kit for SD/SDHC cards are important to you
Lisa L says
Amazing! It worked as described… many thanks!
Jeremy says
I’m sure this works just fine unless the point of purchasing the camera connection kit is to use it to download photos from an sd card while you are not within reach of a computer!
I have field photos taken off a digital camera with no USB output. I have an SD card that captures the pictures in a folder that is not DCIM. I was hoping to be able to use the iPad to check these SD cards from the great outdoors. The hope was to replace the need to carry a laptop! The camera connection kit doesn’t solve this. A fix for SD cards without DCIM would be appreciated.
KACE says
My GOD it worked!
Thank you bro. You are the man. I thought my connector kit was already broken. I was about to return it til I read your post.
Apple was not able to prepare on this. They should not always expect that all SD cards have DCIM folder. Unlike digital cameras, if it doesn’t find a DCIM folder, it creates a new one, but, it doesn’t say “USB device is unsupported.”
Again, many thanks man. 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
CLIVE says
DCIM File on the ard and it worked a treat
Ade says
This tip is most useful and should be in the Apple documentation.
I was stuck for a while until i found this tip!
Thiri says
Thanks for your SIMPLE BUT VERY EFFECTIVE ‘SOLUTION’; creating DCIM directory worked very well. Thanks for your valauble suggestion & time. God bless you.
Donna says
Your tip worked out so well for a problem I’ve been trying to resolve for over a week. Thank you so much.
Richard says
Many Thanks !! This remedy solved my frustrating problem works on all cards & flash drives inserted via the Ipad adaptor(s) A simple flaw solved , but difficult if you didn’t know the remedy Cheers !!!! 🙂
Kjn says
Didn’t help me…in correct folder but still not recognizing. I have d300 with current software.
Bundit C says
Many Thanks for the tip. It solved my Unbelievable problem.
rich says
Thanks a bunch. I went through every USB stick in the house (4) and none of them worked until I tried this. Now no problem.
It’s amazing that Apple isn’t getting flooded by returns over this issue.
Randy says
I was fighting with this problem all day, thanks
Jerry says
Thanks for this, it solved my problem immediately.
Jeff says
Thanks so much for the tip! I was attempting to import videos instead of using iTunes to a new iPad and this made it all possible!
Hans says
Unbelievable but it works! THANKS.
Unbelievable because I can’t believe Apple ASSuME that all storage cards comes with this folder. I would expect they should at least document it in the user manual.
Jeff Clow says
Solved my problem as well….many thanks for posting this. The camera connection “manual” doesn’t mention this IMPORTANT fact.
John Brady says
Thanks for the DCIM tip. I screwed around with trying to transfer images all day. Your tip was what I needed!
Dawn Woodward says
Having this problem too – it used to work but since the update on the Apple it hasn’t. I have the DCIM on my cards but still isn’t working.