In modern conditions, USB flash drives are one of the most popular ways to store and transfer data. USB flash drives have gained such popularity mainly due to their versatility. Nowadays, a USB flash drive can be connected to almost any electronic device.
In this article we will talk about connecting a flash drive to an Android smartphone. This process is slightly different from connecting a flash drive to a computer and therefore causes some difficulties.
Step No. 1. Check the Android version.
First, you need to check the Android version on your smartphone. You must have Android 3.1 or a newer version of Android. Otherwise, you won’t be able to connect the flash drive.
In order to find out the Android version, you need to open the settings and find the “About device” (or “About smartphone”) section there.
In this settings section, you can view the Android version, as well as other technical information about your smartphone.
Step No. 2. Buy an OTG cable.
If you look at any Android smartphone, you will not see the usual USB input there. Instead, smartphones use a microUSB input. Therefore, to connect a flash drive to an Android smartphone, you need an adapter. This adapter is called an OTG cable (photo below). This cable can be purchased at any store with mobile equipment.
Step No. 3. Connect the flash drive to the smartphone.
The process of connecting a flash drive is extremely simple. The OTG cable needs to be plugged into the microUSB input on the Android smartphone, after which the flash drive needs to be connected to the OTG cable (photo below).
Once the flash drive is connected, its files can be accessed using a file manager (for example, you can use the free ES Explorer application). Files from the flash drive will be available in the mnt/sda/sda1 folder.
But, if you have a Google Nexus smartphone, then instead of a file manager, you need to use the free Nexus Media Importer application to access files.
It should be noted that in addition to USB flash drives, you can also connect other USB devices to your Android smartphone using an OTG cable. For example, you can connect a USB modem, mouse or keyboard this way. Moreover, mice and keyboards can even be non-wired.
The process of connecting other devices to a smartphone is no different from connecting a flash drive. First, you need to connect an OTG cable to your smartphone, after which you can connect USB devices to it.
Bulky USB connectors are not entirely appropriate on compact smartphones. But this does not mean that flash drives cannot be connected to them. Agree that this can be very convenient in many situations, especially when the phone does not support the use of MicroSD. We invite you to consider all options for connecting a USB flash drive to gadgets with micro-USB connectors.
How to connect a USB flash drive to your phone
First, you need to find out whether your smartphone supports OTG technology. This means the micro-USB port can supply power to external devices and make them visible to the system. This technology has begun to be implemented on devices with Android 3.1 and higher.
Information about OTG support can be found in the documentation for your smartphone or simply use the Internet. To be completely sure, download the USB OTG Checker application, the purpose of which is to check the device for support of OTG technology. Just click the "Check Device OS on USB OTG" button.
If the OTG support check is successful, you will see a picture as shown below. And if not, you will see this. Now you can consider options for connecting a flash drive to a smartphone, we will consider the following:
- using an OTG cable;
- using an adapter;
- using a USB OTG flash drive.
For iOS, there is one way - using special flash drives with a Lightning connector for iPhone.
Interesting: in some cases you can connect other devices, for example: mouse, keyboard, joystick, etc.
Method 1: Using an OTG cable
The most common way to connect a flash drive to mobile devices involves using a special adapter cable, which can be purchased at any place where mobile devices are sold. Some manufacturers include such cables with smartphones and tablets.
On one side, the OTG cable has a standard USB connector, on the other, a micro-USB plug. It’s easy to guess what to insert and where. If the flash drive has light indicators, then you can determine from them that the power is on. A notification about the connected media may also appear on the smartphone itself, but not always.
The contents of the flash drive can be found along the path
To do this, use any file manager.
Method 2: Using an adapter
Recently, small adapters from USB to micro-USB have begun to appear on sale. This small device has a micro-USB output on one side and USB contacts on the other. Just insert the adapter into the flash drive interface, and you can connect it to your mobile device.
Method 3: Using a flash drive with an OTG connector
If you intend to connect the drive frequently, then the easiest option is to purchase a USB OTG flash drive. This storage medium has two ports at the same time: USB and micro-USB. It's convenient and practical. Today, USB OTG flash drives can be found almost everywhere where regular drives are sold. At the same time, in terms of price they are not much more expensive.
Method 4: Flash drives for iPhone
There are several special media for iPhones. Transcend has developed the JetDrive Go 300 removable drive. It has a Lightning connector on one side and a regular USB connector on the other. Actually, this is the only really working way to connect a flash drive to iOS smartphones.
What to do if your smartphone does not see the connected flash drive
- Firstly, the reason may be the type of file system of the drive, because smartphones work exclusively with FAT32. Solution: format the flash drive by changing the file system. How to do this, read our instructions.
Lesson: How to low-level format a flash drive
- Secondly, there is a possibility that the device simply cannot provide the necessary power for the flash drive. Solution: try using other drives.
- Thirdly, the device does not automatically mount the connected drive. Solution: Install the StickMount app. What happens next is:
- when you connect the flash drive, a message will appear asking you to run StickMount;
- check the box to start automatically in the future and click “OK”;
If everything works out, the contents of the flash drive can be found along the path
The "Unmount" command is used to safely remove media. Please note that StickMount requires root access. You can get it, for example, using the Kingo Root program.
The ability to connect a USB flash drive to a smartphone primarily depends on the latter. The device must support OTG technology, and then you can use a special cable, adapter, or connect a micro-USB flash drive.
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It's easy to connect a flash drive to your smartphone. To do this, you just need support for a special protocol and several programs.
Contents of this article:
Transfer files to free up smartphone storage
Few people like it when their smartphone runs out of space to store files. microSD memory cards and cloud storage can come to the rescue. But not all smartphones have support for memory cards and not all have fast and unlimited Internet access. Wouldn't it be easier to use a flash drive, connect it to your smartphone via USB and save the files? This can be done if you have USB OTG, this is where the adapter comes to the rescue.
Definition of OTG support
To connect an external drive to a mobile device, you must first make sure that your smartphone supports OTG (On-The-Go) technology, which allows you to supply power to the external device via a USB port.
It is worth noting that this function is implemented only in Android systems starting from version 3.1.
In order to make sure whether your mobile device supports the OTG function or not, you can use a small program called USB OTG Checker.
USB OTG Checker window
After the program tests your smartphone, it will display one of two messages.
The first is in case of a positive result, implying that the device supports OTG technology.
In this case, you will see the following message on the monitor screen:
Positive Result Window
If your mobile device does not support the OTG function, you will see the following information window:
Negative Result Window
In the case of a positive result, you need to purchase a special adapter from a retail chain that allows you to connect an external drive (flash drive) to the Micro USB socket of your mobile device.
Some manufacturers took care of this in advance and equipped their smartphones with a proprietary OTG cable.
If you want to connect several external drives or other devices to your smartphone at once, you will have to use a USB HUB.
USB HUB appearance
Currently, it is quite possible to find a flash drive on sale that has both a USB and a Micro USB plug. It is quite convenient, as it allows you to avoid using an OTG cable.
Flash drive with USB and micro-USB connectors
Connecting a flash drive in OTG mode
It’s impossible not to talk about such a useful technology as connecting a flash drive in OTG mode. Among its advantages is the fact that it is supported by most devices.
So the user does not have to suffer for a long time trying to connect an external flash drive to the gadget.
With one small cable, you can easily synchronize your existing devices for fast data transfer.
Such an adapter is inexpensive, so anyone can easily purchase it and try it. Here are two ways to check for OTG mode:
If the gadget is not able to see the flash drive, we can say that the manufacturer, for its own reasons, has deprived the device of such an ability.
VIDEO: How to connect a flash drive (disk) to NTFS via OTG on Android
How to connect a flash drive (disk) to NTFS via OTG on Android
Connecting a flash drive to a smartphone: Four ways (plus bonus)
What do you need
Have the right mobile
The first and important requirement is that our mobile phone supports this technology in any or all of its variants. We can find this out by examining the technical specifications of the device, either in its manual, or in the box, or on the manufacturer's website, or in the files we create on our website, and even in the device settings. In all these cases, we will need to find a reference to "Reverse Charge", "Reverse Charge" or "Reverse Charge". Another mobile phone, that is, one that receives a charge, does not need this technology, at least in the wired version, since it will only receive a charge as if it were a plug or power bank.
Enable the feature in settings
This technology requires that it be activated in the settings of our mobile phone before use. Wired OTG charging or wireless charging streaming are usually available in the connection or battery settings, depending on the device.
Connecting a flash drive using USB
Many modern devices running Android OS have a standard micro-USB connector. So connecting a flash drive to a smartphone is very simple.
The flash drive will work on the device if On-The-Go technology is loaded. Manufacturers have been introducing a similar function into the gadget since the latest version.
Typically, modern mobile devices have a micro USB connector, so the user cannot do without a USB cable and an adapter for a flash drive.
Most manufacturers include adapters for flash drives. If you don't have it, you'll have to purchase it from a digital store.
If you cannot find a microconnector on the device, then most likely you will need to purchase not only a cable, but also a special adapter.
Of course, this will be quite inconvenient, since to successfully connect an additional device you will have to use several cables. However, this is the only option for connecting a USB flash drive in this case.
It is also worth mentioning the opening of an additional device. You can cope with this task by downloading one of the file managers.
Often it is already installed by the manufacturer along with a certain set of programs. If there is no file manager, you will have to install it.
As for Android smartphones, the most common ones are Total Commander and FX File Explorer. The user can choose the application he likes.
Connecting a USB flash drive to Android
ASUS Transformer Book T100HA 2Gb 32Gb dock
Transformable tablet from ASUS. There is only one USB port, it is located in the keyboard that comes with the kit. We are talking about USB 3.1 Type-C.
Screen diagonal - 10.1 inches, screen resolution - 1280x800 pixels, processor - 4-core Intel Atom x5 Z8500, 32 GB of main memory, 2 GB of RAM. There is support for a memory card, as well as a micro HDMI output.
There are two cameras, the rear resolution is 5 MP, there is a speaker and microphone, and a headphone input.
- Screen diagonal: 10.1 inches
- Screen resolution: 1280×800
- Weight: 580 g
- Processor: Intel Atom x5 Z8500
- Memory capacity: 32 GB
- RAM capacity: 2 GB
- Battery capacity: 3950 mAh
- Main camera: 5 MP
- Memory card support: yes
- Data transfer: Wi-Fi 802.11n
Connecting a flash drive to an Andro-based device >
If the user has access to a mobile device, then he can automatically install a flash drive with access to it from any file manager.
To do this, you can use the free StickMount (if you wish, you can use the paid Pro version, which is also available on Google Play).
After connecting your gadget, open StickMount and grant this application superuser rights.
Connecting a flash drive to Android using StickMount
After these steps, the user will have access to the files downloaded to the flash drive, which will be located in the corresponding folder in the file manager.
Support for a variety of file systems is affected by the device and its firmware. Most often this is fat or etxt2.
Various file systems from Linux are often used. Be sure to take this into account when connecting a flash drive.
It is worth mentioning that you can also read files from a USB flash drive using the Nexus Media Importer and Nexus File Manager applications.
To work with them, you do not need root rights on the device. It's just that downloading them is paid. Further, they will be discussed in more detail.
Create your own DeX station
Of course, this will not be a full-fledged Samsung DeX Station device, but if you have a USB hub, you can get an analogue of a personal computer by connecting a keyboard and mouse. Using the hub, you can connect different USB devices at the same time, allowing you to type text faster and more conveniently.
This can be useful in instant messengers and working with long text documents, but the unofficial implementation has many drawbacks. Although the mouse pointer will appear on the screen, you must use the smartphone's home page in portrait orientation and cannot switch to landscape mode. It's not as versatile a system as the DeX Station or the new DeX Pad, but it can come in handy in critical situations.
USB Media Explorer
Among the main features of USB Media Explorer (formerly Nexus Media Importer), it is worth highlighting the fact that free memory for user information is limited.
But it is capable of quickly streaming the contents of any flash drives that are connected to a USB cable to the device used in the form of conductors.
Please note that this may cause possible problems when applying the add-on on Android 3.x.
For this device to work correctly, you need the following:
- A gadget controlled by the Android O system. The damaged lists of such devices include Google Nexus 5 and Moto X. It also consists of Galaxy Nexus and Motorola Xoom. Try the free Nexus Motorolla Xoom first if your device is not on this list and is not supported due to hardware limitations.
- You can't do without a USB cable, which costs about $10.
- You will also need a card reader with a built-in memory card. Before connecting an external hard drive or other device, be sure to go to the official website and read the instructions.
Before using NMI without an Internet connection, activate the license.
To do this when the Internet is connected, you just need to launch the installed application.
Nexus Media Importer
Using an external microphone
Why use large microphones and laptops when you have a smartphone, an OTG connector and a USB microphone? You can stream podcasts, take part in video conferences, or travel with audio equipment. This will strike the right balance between sound quality, size and ease of use.
The Galaxy S9 has a decent microphone, but it doesn't have the same omnidirectional capabilities as real microphones. Instead of accepting the shortcomings, try using your smartphone with an external microphone.
Installation is simple - connect the microphone to the OTG connector and to the smartphone. Open the notification panel and tap the notification you want. In the USB usage menu, click “Connect as MIDI device” and the microphone will be used as an input device. After that, open the application you need and use the microphone in it.
Nexus USB OTG File Manager
Using the Nexus USB OTG File Manager application, you can easily copy files to a storage device that is equipped with the FAT 32 file system. To do this, you need to use a USB port.
As a result, the user will be able to work with documents not only in the internal memory, but also on a USB gadget.
He will be able to edit the names of various files, as well as add and remove necessary folders.
A similar application was developed by the creators of Nexus products equipped with an On-The-Go port. As an example, we can cite Nexus 5 and 7.
However, this program can work with any other devices, including different versions of Android.
This add-on also has a large number of new features. So, it can open the necessary files directly from USB and does not transmit data to the Internet.
Thanks to Advanced More, the user has access to all documents from his device.
Advanced users will certainly appreciate this feature. This application is the property of Google.
Also, using this application, the user can easily download various modern games for Android. They can be downloaded from websites that specialize in games.
Working with this program is a real pleasure and satisfies the user's needs.
Nexus USB OTG File Manager
Connecting a wired controller for games
The smartphone is a computer in your pocket, but many games were ported to it from PCs and consoles and they were not designed for touch screens. Because of this, operation may be inconvenient. You can buy a Bluetooth controller, then controlling games will become much more convenient.
True, this option is not suitable for all games, since some were created exclusively for touch control. For example, you can't play Clash of Clans with a joystick, but you can play classics like Sonic the Hedgehog or GTA: Vice City. A controller will allow you to enjoy these games much more. For this review, we tested a controller from the Xbox 360 game console in the game Sonic 2 and it worked perfectly without additional settings. You can also use a service like Moonlight to stream computer games to your smartphone, after which you can use a controller to control it.
If you have a Gear VR head-mounted device, you can use the OTG connector with the same controller in virtual reality games. You just need to connect the connector to USB and connect the controller to it.
However, there may be problems with this configuration. Since the OTG connector uses a USB-C connector, it is impossible to charge the smartphone's battery at this point, which may lead to battery drain during heavy gaming. You need to make sure that the battery charge remains at a sufficient level during games.
Safely removing a flash drive from a smartphone
Also, many users are interested in such an important question as how to properly remove a flash drive from a mobile device. The fact is that this factor affects the service life of the drive.
There are several options here. The standard method is this: go to settings and, going to the “memory” , select “disconnect memory card” .
If this method of removing a USB flash drive is not suitable for the user, then you can simply turn off the smartphone first to safely remove the drive.
Connecting a USB flash drive to a mobile device is very simple if you follow a certain procedure. Also remember the rules for safely removing a flash drive.
It is important to remove the flash drive safely
ASUS Transformer 3 T303UA i5 8Gb 256Gb
This is generally one of the most expensive tablets on the market. Of course, for a reason - its characteristics are impressive. Thus, the screen diagonal is 12.6 inches with a resolution of 2880×1920 pixels. The processor is a 4-core Intel Core i5 6200U, 256 GB of main memory (!) and as much as 8 GB of RAM.
There are two cameras, with a 13 MP rear camera, stereo sound, a keyboard included, USB 3.0 Type A and USB 3.1 Type-C, an HDMI port and much more.
- Screen diagonal: 12.6 inches
- Screen resolution: 2880×1920
- Weight: 790 g
- Processor: Intel Core i5 6200U
- Memory capacity: 256 GB
- RAM capacity: 8 GB
- Battery capacity: 39 Wh
- Main camera: 13 MP
- Memory card support: yes
- Data transfer: Wi-Fi 802.11ac
The principle of working with files on a flash drive
To successfully view, copy and transfer files, you must use a file manager. If it is not downloaded, download it from the Play Market.
It is best to install ES File Explorer, as it is considered one of the popular file managers for Android.
Many users prefer to install standard file managers, which will show the basic principles of working with files.
By launching programs to view the file, the user will see that his flash drive has become available for viewing and editing the files in use.
For some, the flash drive is defined as U disc. Other users call it differently.
It is also worth mentioning that flash memory is based on the following special properties of conductors:
- Non-volatile does not require additional energy to successfully store various information; it is only needed for recording.
- Rewritable allows changes to the stored information.
- Semiconductor does not contain mechanical moving parts - a regular hard drive or devices built on integrated circuits.
In other words, flash memory cells do not contain capacitors, as do many other types of semiconductor memory.
They are just transistors with a special architecture that is capable of storing information.
Connecting a USB flash drive to iPad
For iPad owners, connecting a flash drive is a little more difficult. The fact is that Apple is trying to prevent users from doing this and prohibits the connection of external storage media.
However, connection is possible. To do this you will need the following:
- iPad;
- Flash drives;
- Various adapters, for example, Lightning USB.
Alternatively, you can use third-party adapters, which are superior in capabilities to standard ones.
Among the features of the adapter, it is worth highlighting the ability to watch videos and photos, as well as recording only from a flash drive.
So the user must take care in advance to match the file structure available on the camera. Otherwise, the system will display files in the standard gallery.
But a full exchange will not be possible, because the flash drive requires power to function properly.
If it comes from the USB port, then the iPad will not output it, which means the flash drive will not work.
But small-volume drives are guaranteed to work and do not require a large amount of energy.
If the connection is successful, the gadget will see all the files that can be viewed in the gallery.
USB cable for connecting a flash drive to an iPad
StickMount
Nexus Media Importer
Nexus USB OTG File Manager
| Connection methods | pros | Minuses |
| Low cost adapter, supported by most devices | Lack of a micro-USB port on some gadgets | |
| Quick access to all files on the flash drive | Limitation of features in the free version | |
| Fast reading of flash drives | Limited memory for user information | |
| Quickly copy files to an external device | None |
VIDEO: How to connect a USB flash drive to a tablet
How to check if my smartphone supports OTG?
- The easiest way is to look at the information on the manufacturer's official website.
- The second way is to pay attention to the Andro version > Subtleties of connecting various devices
Earlier in the article, we talked about various devices that can be connected to your smartphone through this technology, but some devices have their own characteristics and corresponding software, without which correct and stable operation is impossible. We described them all especially for you!
HDD
Portable drives often have problems connecting via OTG, not only due to lack of power, but also due to the file system. If there are no problems with FAT32, then sometimes there are failures with NTFS. To solve this problem, we recommend using the StickMount utility, just keep in mind that it requires root rights.
Game joystick
Gamepads from Xbox work without problems, since they do not require any additional software, providing everything out of the box, but with PS 3, PS 4 you will have problems. The connection can only be made if you have root rights.
Mice and keyboards
Most of the gadgets in this category work great with smartphones, but we recommend choosing those that work as a common receiver, that is, a keyboard + mouse. If it is not possible to purchase such a kit, you will have to look for a USB hub to ensure continuous operation of both devices.
