A USB hub for iPad has one job that matters more than the rest: add ports without stealing power from the tablet. The Gitfos C1 works with every iPad Apple currently sells — iPad Pro (M5), iPad Air (M4), iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad (A16) — because it runs on its own 65W adapter instead of drawing from the iPad's single USB-C port. What it will not do is drive a monitor. Below is a model-by-model compatibility list, the real speed ceiling for each iPad, and the limits worth knowing before you buy.
Quick answer: The Gitfos C1 powered USB-C hub works with all four current iPads: iPad Pro (M5), iPad Air (M4), iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad (A16). It puts twelve ports across the front — eight USB-A and four USB-C — and runs on an included 65W adapter, so drives stop dropping out mid-copy. A rear USB-C PD port keeps the iPad charging while it stays connected. No port on the C1 outputs video; the C1Pro is the model with HDMI.
Choosing a USB hub for iPad: which models work with the Gitfos C1
Every iPad Apple sells in 2026 works with the C1, but the speed you get is set by the iPad, not by the hub. All four current models have a USB-C port and iPadOS handles USB hubs natively, so there is nothing to install. The difference between them is bandwidth, and on the entry-level iPad that difference is large enough to change which workflows make sense.
| iPad model | Chip | USB-C port speed | Works with C1 | What that means in practice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPad Pro 11" / 13" | M5 | Thunderbolt / USB4, up to 40Gb/s (USB 3 at 10Gb/s) | Yes | Full 10Gb/s on the C1's fast ports. Best fit for video work off an external SSD. |
| iPad Air 11" / 13" | M4 | USB 3, up to 10Gb/s | Yes | Same 10Gb/s ceiling as the Pro on this hub. No practical difference for file transfer. |
| iPad mini | A17 Pro | USB 3, up to 10Gb/s | Yes | Fast transfers from a small tablet. Useful as a field ingest station. |
| iPad | A16 | USB 2.0, 480Mb/s | Yes | Every port works, but everything moves at USB 2.0 speed. Fine for keyboards, mice, and audio; slow for video files. |
Current Apple iPad models as of September 2026. Port speeds are Apple's published figures.
What the C1 actually fixes on an iPad
The C1 solves four specific iPad problems, and none of them is about adding ports for the sake of it.
One port, three jobs
An iPad has a single USB-C port, so charging, storage, and accessories all compete for it. Plug in a portable SSD and the iPad stops charging. Plug in a charger and the SSD comes out. The C1 ends that by putting twelve ports behind one connection, so a keyboard, a mouse, an SSD, a USB card reader, and an audio interface can all stay connected at the same time.
Charging the iPad while everything stays plugged in
The rear USB-C PD port removes the choice between charging and connecting. Plug your iPad's own USB-C charger into that port and the power passes through the To Host cable to the tablet, so the iPad charges while the hub keeps running your drives and accessories. The port supports up to 100W of passthrough, but the amount your iPad actually receives comes from the charger you plug in, not from the hub's 65W adapter — an iPad Air draws around 30W at most, so the 20W brick in the box works and a 30W or larger one is faster. The 65W DC adapter is a separate input and powers the hub itself.
Drives that drop out mid-copy
Bus-powered hubs fail on iPads because the iPad supplies very little power to accessories, and a portable SSD writing at full speed can ask for more than the tablet is willing to give. The result is a drive that unmounts halfway through a copy, sometimes with a warning that the accessory needs too much power. The C1 is a powered hub: it ships with a 65W (20V/3.25A) DC adapter, and connected devices draw from that adapter instead of from the iPad. This is the single biggest reason to use a desk hub rather than a pocket dongle with an iPad.
Charging everything else without draining the iPad
Two of the C1's USB-C ports are dedicated charging ports rated at up to 45W on a single port, or 20W each when both are in use. That is enough for an iPhone, a second iPad, AirPods, or a camera battery, and the power comes from the wall adapter rather than from your tablet's battery. Gitfos notes that these two ports are not intended for charging laptops or other high-draw machines.
Port list: what you get with the C1
The C1 is a 15-in-1 data-and-power hub with no video output anywhere on it. Twelve ports sit on the front for everyday plugging and unplugging; three connectors sit on the back and stay put once the desk is set up.
| Side | Port | Count | Specification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front | USB-A, data and charging | 2 | 5Gb/s data, or 7.5W charging |
| Front | USB-A, data only | 5 | 5Gb/s |
| Front | USB-A, data only | 1 | 10Gb/s |
| Front | USB-C, data | 2 | 10Gb/s |
| Front | USB-C, charging only | 2 | 45W on one port, or 20W each when both are used |
| Back | USB-C PD | 1 | Power passthrough to the connected iPad or laptop, up to 100W |
| Back | DC power in | 1 | For the included 65W adapter |
| Back | To Host | 1 | USB-C connection to your iPad, Mac, or PC |
In the box: the C1 hub in an aluminum housing, a 3.3ft (about 1m) USB-C host cable, a 65W DC power adapter with a 98.5-inch (about 2.5m) cable, and a user manual. No drivers are required on iPadOS, macOS, or Windows.
Your iPad's port sets the speed ceiling, not the hub
A 10Gb/s port on the hub cannot make a 480Mb/s port on the iPad any faster. This matters most on the entry-level iPad (A16), whose USB-C port runs at USB 2.0 speed. Copying a 20GB folder of 4K clips from an SSD moves at roughly twenty times the speed on an iPad Pro, iPad Air, or iPad mini than it does on the A16 iPad, even with the same hub and the same drive. If your reason for buying a hub is fast media ingest, the model of iPad you own matters more than the model of hub.
Bandwidth is also shared. The C1 presents its ports through a single USB connection to the iPad, so an SSD copying at full speed and a card reader importing at the same time will split the available throughput between them rather than each getting the full figure.
What the Gitfos C1 cannot do for an iPad
Four limits, stated plainly, because finding them out after delivery is worse than reading them now.
- No video output, from any port. None of the C1's USB-A or USB-C ports carries a display signal, and an adapter will not change that. Because your iPad's only USB-C port is occupied by the hub, connecting the C1 means giving up external display output entirely. If you want a monitor, the Gitfos C1Pro has a 4K@60Hz HDMI port and the same powered design.
- The 65W adapter is mandatory. The C1 does not fall back to a bus-powered mode. If the DC adapter is not plugged in, the hub does not work. This is a desk hub, not a travel dongle.
- No SD or microSD slot and no 3.5mm audio jack. Photographers can plug a USB card reader into one of the eight USB-A ports, and USB-C or USB-A headphones work, but there is no built-in reader or analog audio port on this model. The C1Pro adds an SD slot, a TF slot, and a 3.5mm jack; the trade is one fewer 5Gb/s USB-A port.
- iPadOS decides what each accessory can do. External drives appear in the Files app, and keyboards, mice, USB microphones, and Ethernet adapters generally work without setup. Devices that need vendor drivers — some printers, scanners, and audio interfaces — depend on iPadOS or app-level support, which is an Apple limitation rather than a hub limitation.
Before you buy: a six-point check
- Confirm you do not need an external monitor from this hub. If you do, choose the C1Pro instead.
- Check which iPad you have. On the A16 iPad, expect USB 2.0 speeds regardless of what you plug in.
- Make sure you have a power outlet at the desk. The 65W adapter is required, and its cable is about 2.5m.
- Keep your iPad charger. It goes into the rear USB-C PD port if you want the tablet charging while it is connected.
- Count your USB-A devices. Eight USB-A ports is generous, and most people plug in fewer than they think.
- If you shoot on SD cards, add a USB card reader to your order.
FAQ
Does the iPad support USB hubs?
Yes. Every current iPad supports USB hubs over its USB-C port with no driver installation. External drives show up in the Files app, and keyboards, mice, Ethernet adapters, and USB audio devices work natively in iPadOS.
Why does my external SSD keep disconnecting from my iPad?
The most common cause is power. An iPad supplies limited current to accessories, and a portable SSD can exceed that during sustained writes, which makes the drive unmount. Moving the drive to a powered hub with its own adapter, such as the C1, removes the iPad from the power equation.
Will a USB-C hub give my iPad a second screen?
Only a hub with a video port will, and the C1 does not have one. External display support on an iPad runs over DisplayPort Alt Mode through the iPad's USB-C port, so the hub you connect has to carry a video signal through to HDMI or DisplayPort. The C1Pro does; the C1 does not.
Can I charge my iPad while it is plugged into a USB hub?
Yes, if the hub has a power passthrough port, which the C1 does. Your iPad charger goes into the rear USB-C PD port and the power reaches the tablet over the same cable that carries data. Without a passthrough port, an iPad's single USB-C connector can only do one job at a time, which is the usual reason people give up on cheaper hubs.
Does the Gitfos C1 work with the iPad (A16)?
Yes, every port works. The caveat is speed: the A16 iPad's USB-C port runs at USB 2.0, 480Mb/s, so file transfers are much slower than on the iPad Pro, iPad Air, or iPad mini, all of which run at 10Gb/s.
How many watts does a USB hub need for an iPad setup?
Enough to cover every connected device plus any charging ports in use, which is why the C1 ships with a 65W adapter rather than relying on the host. A bus-powered hub connected to an iPad has only the tablet's limited accessory power to share among everything plugged in, which is where dropouts start.
Can I use the C1 with an iPad and a Mac at the same time?
No. The hub has one host connection, so it serves one computer or tablet at a time. Moving it between an iPad and a Mac mini means unplugging the host cable and plugging it into the other machine.
The bottom line
If your iPad is a work machine and you keep running out of port, the C1 is the straightforward fix: twelve ports on the front, its own 65W power supply, passthrough charging for the iPad, and no driver setup on any current iPad. If a monitor is part of the plan, buy the C1Pro instead and get the HDMI port. Either way, the powered design is the part that matters on an iPad, because it takes the tablet out of the job of feeding your drives.
See the full specification on the Gitfos C1 product page, compare it against the rest of the range in Hubs & Charging, or check setup and troubleshooting guides in the Gitfos Support Center. Every Gitfos product carries a 12-month warranty, extendable to 36 months by registering within 30 days of purchase.