Recording Directly to External Storage: A Game-Changer

I'm constantly running out of space on my iPhone because I record a lot. And sure, I upload to iCloud, but that's another monthly fee I have to pay for. The storage problem has been a real pain point, especially for longer recordings. But that's why I'm excited to share that Detail now supports recording directly to external SSDs.

I'm using a Samsung T9 2TB drive, and honestly, I don't think there are many users crazy enough to buy a 2TB iPhone—those things are super expensive. With this new feature, you can record directly to your Samsung or any SSD out there. There are actually some pretty cool rigs available where you can mount your SSD on the back of your phone and even power your phone at the same time. The long recording issue and the storage issue are hopefully solved with this update.

The only requirement is that you need an iPhone or iPad that supports USB-C.

How to Set Up External Recording

Setting up external storage recording is straightforward, but there's one critical thing you need to be cautious about: if you're recording to your SSD, you absolutely don't want the connection to lose because your recording might get messed up. This is something you need to factor in if you're doing a long recording. You really don't want this SSD to be disconnected.

Here's how to set it up:

1. Connect your SSD—the LEDs will start flashing
2. Go to your library and tap on settings
3. In storage, you can select an external drive
4. Create or select a folder (I like to organize my recordings in folders like "2026 Video" rather than just dropping files on the root)
5. Once you open that folder, the default recording space will be set to your SSD

Please be mindful that if this thing disconnects, your recording might be lost. Mount it. Make sure the SSD is not going anywhere. Be sure it's stable because if your recording fails, that will be a shame.

The Big Advantage: Easy File Transfer

The cool thing about recording on an SSD is that if the files get bigger, you can easily transfer them. You don't need to upload them. Even with a slower internet connection, you can still hand over the files to somebody else to edit them. Or, for example, you want to record on your iPhone but edit on your iPad—that's all possible.

Moving Existing Projects

What about older projects that are already on your iPhone? Maybe your iCloud is full or your iPhone storage is low. How can you offload them?

It's actually really simple:

1. In the library, long press on any project
2. Hit select
3. A new menu appears on the bottom with options to move to Files, iCloud, or external storage

If a project is already on your iPhone and you want to move it to iCloud, just tap the iCloud button. It'll ask if you're sure, and then it uploads. For a small project with a reasonably fast internet connection, it takes maybe a couple of seconds to two minutes.

Once a project is in iCloud, you can long press it again, hit select, and move it back to the SSD or external storage. It'll download and place it on the SSD, which basically frees up space in your valuable iCloud storage or your iPhone. This is a really nice way to select multiple projects and move them to an SSD.

Perfect for Long-Form Content

I think this is super handy, especially for those longer podcast recordings. If you've offloaded your project from iCloud to the SSD, you can see a small icon in the bottom corner that indicates it's been downloaded and offloaded to the SSD. It's a super neat feature just to keep things tidy.

The ability to record directly to external storage and easily move projects around means you're not locked into expensive iPhone storage upgrades or constantly managing iCloud subscriptions. For anyone doing serious video or podcast work on their phone, this is a game-changer.

Let me know if you have any questions, and happy creating!