Saving Console Files to USB

You built the plot at the airport. You're at the desk. The console wants a USB drive. Here's how to get the file from your phone or tablet onto that drive, by platform.

Why this is fiddly

Phones and tablets weren't designed around USB drives. The OS treats USB as a "special" location that has to be accessed through the system file picker. load·in can write the file, but the OS decides where the user can put it. The instructions below are the actual paths the OS gives you on each platform.

If you can spare two minutes

Bring a USB-C drive if you have an iPad or modern Android. iPadOS 13+ and Android 11+ both show USB drives directly in the file picker. iPhones with Lightning ports work too but need a Lightning-to-USB adapter.

iPad with USB-C drive

This is the cleanest path. iPadOS treats external USB-C storage as a first-class location in the Files app.

Plug the USB drive into the iPad's USB-C port (or via a USB-C hub).
In load·in, build your plot, then tap Files → Export to Console and pick the console (X32, Yamaha CL/QL, dLive, etc.).
The iOS share sheet opens. Tap Save to Files.
In the Files picker, tap Browse at the bottom (if needed), then look under Locations — your USB drive appears there with its name (e.g. SANDISK 32GB).
Tap the drive, choose a folder, tap Save.

The file is now on the USB drive. Eject from the iPad (Files app → long-press the drive → Eject), unplug, plug into the console.

iPhone with USB drive

iPhones with a USB-C port (15 series and later) work the same as iPad above. For Lightning-port iPhones, you need a Lightning-to-USB adapter (Apple sells one, the Camera Adapter, that works for storage devices).

Plug the USB drive into the iPhone using your USB-C port or Lightning adapter.
In load·in, export your console file via Files → Export to Console.
Tap Save to Files on the share sheet.
In Browse, your USB drive should appear under Locations. Tap it, pick a folder, save.

If the USB drive doesn't appear

Some older USB-A drives draw too much power for an iPhone to recognize them. A powered USB-C hub or a more modern USB-C drive almost always solves it. Many touring crews carry a small powered hub for exactly this reason.

Android phone or tablet

Android handles USB OTG (On-The-Go) drives natively in modern versions. The flow goes through the Storage Access Framework picker.

Plug the USB drive in (USB-C direct or via an OTG adapter for USB-A drives).
In load·in, export your console file. The export downloads to your phone's Downloads folder.
Open Files (or your device's file manager).
Navigate to Downloads, find the file, long-press it and tap Move (or Copy).
Pick your USB drive as the destination — it appears at the top of the file manager when connected.

On Samsung devices, the My Files app has an explicit "USB storage" section. On stock Android (Pixel), the Files app shows the drive under Storage.

Desktop (Mac, Windows, Linux)

On a laptop or desktop, the load·in PWA exports through your browser, which downloads to your configured Downloads folder.

In load·in, export your console file.
Open Finder (Mac) / File Explorer (Windows) / your file manager (Linux).
Drag the exported file from Downloads to the USB drive.

If you're at the desk with the laptop

You can change your browser's default Downloads folder to point directly at the USB drive while it's plugged in. In Chrome: Settings → Downloads → Change. In Safari: Settings → General → File download location. This way export-then-it's-there with zero extra steps.

PWA vs installed iOS app

The behavior is slightly different depending on whether you're using load·in in a browser or as an installed app.

Installed iOS / iPadOS app (from App Store)

Tapping Export opens the iOS share sheet, which includes Save to Files and lets you pick the USB drive directly. Cleanest path.

PWA in Safari (iOS / iPadOS)

The file downloads to Safari's downloads, which on iOS lives at Files → On My iPhone/iPad → Downloads. From there, long-press and move to the USB drive.

Installed Android app (from Play Store)

Coming soon. For now, use the PWA in Chrome — same Storage Access Framework either way.

PWA in Chrome / Firefox (Android)

Download goes to /Downloads. Move to USB via the file manager. Two extra taps but always works.

The fastest path overall

If you find yourself doing this every show, the fastest path by far is:

iPad with USB-C drive: ~3 taps, no laptop needed. Install the load·in app, plug in the drive, export → Save to Files → pick drive. This is the venue-day workflow we built around.
Laptop with browser Downloads pointed at USB: 1 tap. The file just appears on the USB drive when you export.

Either of those is faster than typing channel names into the desk by hand.

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