Is it possible to connect a USB flash drive to the phone? How to connect a USB flash drive to an Android device using a special OTG cable: solving reading and recognition problems

Owners of smartphones with large amounts of memory do not have to worry about the size of the downloaded content and the number of stored photos.

If your phone has little memory, you don’t have to go to the store and buy a new device, because almost any Android smartphone can work with regular USB flash drives. We tell you why such a “union” is needed and how to connect a USB drive to a smartphone.

Why do you need to connect a flash drive to your smartphone?

Let's start with the main one - the question of why you need to connect a USB drive to your phone. This feature can be useful in everyday life:

• It is necessary to expand the memory of your smartphone.
• Quickly transfer information from your computer to your smartphone and back.
• Download movies “on the road” without filling up the phone’s main memory

Connecting a USB flash drive to your phone

Some smartphone models can work with USB flash drives out of the box. To connect, you only need an adapter, which can be purchased at any mobile electronics store.

Thus, the OTG cable simply connects the USB flash drive and the smartphone.

You can also use a special flash drive with a microUSB connector for a smartphone on one side and a classic USB (2.0 and 3.0) on the other. When you connect a flash drive in Explorer on your smartphone, you can select removable media and then use it at your discretion. You can copy data from a flash drive to a smartphone, or vice versa - “reset” all accumulated photos and other files from the phone, launch any media file or document.

Some smartphones can initially work with an additionally connected flash drive, but due to the stripped-down file manager, it can be difficult to access data from the memory card. In such cases, the solution to the problem will be simple - you need to install a third-party file manager from Google Play (for example, ES Explorer).

Developer mode and enabling OTG

Sometimes the smartphone does not detect the flash card after connecting. In this case, you need to do two things:

• Open developer mode - that's it.
• Enter developer mode and activate the OTG function.

Sometimes, after obtaining developer rights, you also need to check the box next to the item.

Root rights to connect a flash drive to the phone

If the phone still does not detect the flash card when connected, more complex manipulations are required. First, you need to have and install a special application for working with a flash drive.

For each smartphone, obtaining root rights requires different steps. In general, the process is similar to flashing a smartphone. If you do not have the necessary skills to do this, contact a service center. To configure your phone yourself, you need to find instructions for a specific smartphone model on w3bsit3-dns.com.

If you don’t want to understand complex settings, you can immediately install an application that will allow you to connect USB flash drives to your smartphone. One such application is StickMount. Root rights are required for this program to work.

When you turn it on for the first time, the program will ask for root access - you need to agree to the program's request. When you connect a flash drive, the program will prompt you to always use it “by default” to access files. The files on the flash drive will be available in the sdcard/usbStorage directory. If you have an additional memory card, it will also be available while working with an external flash drive, so you can copy data from anywhere convenient.

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.

Definition of OTG support

Read also: TOP 12 Best USB flash drives for all occasions: for music, movies and backup data storage

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.

After the program tests your smartphone, it will display one of two messages.

First- 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:

If your mobile device does not support the OTG function, you will see the following information 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.

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.

Connecting a flash drive in OTG mode

Read also: TOP 12 Best memory cards for smartphones, cameras and DVRs | Review of popular models + Reviews

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:

• Check out the technical specifications provided by the manufacturer.
• Having purchased a suitable device, check its performance in practice.

If the gadget is not able to see the flash drive, we can say that the manufacturer, for his own reasons, 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)

Connecting a flash drive using USB

Read also:SIM card and memory card - How to install in one slot?

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 micro connector 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 an Android device using StickMount

Read also:Formatting MicroSD, write protection and how to remove it - All methods

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 application StickMount(if you wish, you can use the paid Pro version, which is also available on Google Play).

After connecting the gadget, open StickMount and give this application superuser rights.

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.

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.

USB Media Explorer

Read also:How to remove write protection from a USB flash drive - Solving basic problems

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.

Read also:How to connect a modem to a tablet on Android (Android) The easiest ways in 2018

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. Such an 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.

From this article you will learn how to quickly connect a flash drive to an Android phone. This process causes slight difficulties for many users, as it differs from connecting a flash drive to a PC.

· Let's check the device version. It must be from Android 3.1 and higher. Otherwise, connecting the flash drive becomes impossible. Open settings and go to the section "About the smartphone" . Among the various options, you can see information about your Android version. Other specifications are available.

· Buy an OTG cable . If you look closely at mobile devices, you will notice the absence of a classic USB input. Therefore, every phone uses a microUSB port. To connect a flash drive, you need to get an adapter called an OTG cable. It is available for sale in any specialty store.

· Connect the flash drive to the smartphone . It's very easy to do. Take the cable and plug it into the microUSB connector. After this, the flash drive will be connected. Thanks to any file manager, all the data on it will be available. They are in the folder mnt/sda/sda1 .

However, if you have a Google Nexus smartphone, you will need to download the application Nexus Media Importer. It's completely free.

Unfortunately, not all Android smartphones make everything so simple. There are times when the connection has already been made, but there is no access to the phone. This occurs for various reasons. One of the most popular is the inability to mount an external drive. To fix the problem, you will need to install the application Stick Mount. It works with all types of equipment, including video cameras and cameras.

To install, you must have Administrator rights (ROOT). After this, the screen will pop up whether you agree to the terms of use. Click “Yes”, after which the drive will be automatically detected and mounted. It will be available at /sdcard/usbStorage/sda1 . Remove the flash drive in safe mode by pressing "Unmount" .

There are other reasons why the device does not see the drive. For example, a number of file systems are simply unreadable. Among them may be NTFS. To fix this, reformat the drive to FAT32 format on your PC.

Thanks to the OTG cable, you can connect various devices, not just USB flash drives. These include:
· keyboard;
· mouse;
· USB modem.

The first two devices can also be wireless.

Greetings. Now many people do not know how to connect a flash drive to their phone. Because it simply doesn’t fit or there are other reasons why it can’t be done. In today's article I want to take this issue apart. You will learn how to connect a flash drive to an Android phone (smartphone) and how to view files on it.

I don’t think there’s any need to explain why you need to connect a flash drive to a smartphone. The reasons can be completely different and the most unusual. Maybe there are simply no other devices nearby for reading information from a flash drive, or maybe you decided to transfer music to your phone this way.

How to connect a flash drive to an Android smartphone?

If you are holding an ordinary USB flash drive and your favorite smartphone in your hands, you see that there is nowhere to insert it. Because the flash drive has USB Type-A, and the smartphone has a micro USB Type-B connector. That's bad luck. (Read more about)

Fortunately, many modern smartphones support this technology. USB On-The-Go, allowing them to use most peripherals directly without the help of a computer or laptop. You can connect a mouse or keyboard, work with flash drives and much more. But for this you will need.

An OTG cable usually has a full USB Type-A on one side, and a micro USB Type-B on the other side. Therefore, if you do not have a micro USB connector on your smartphone, then you should take care of an additional adapter to connect a flash drive. Although the likelihood of this is negligible, now almost all smartphones and tablets have a micro USB Type-B connector.

Eventually, to connect a flash drive to your phone, need to:

• so that your The smartphone supported USB On-The-Go technology. Although almost all smartphones now support it, there are nevertheless exceptions. Carefully read the phone's specifications before purchasing if this parameter is important to you.
• to have in stock. It is inexpensive, so it would be nice if you still have it. You never know when it will come in handy.

Adapter cables for different types of devices

OTG cables need to be selected depending on what connector is available on your smartphone or tablet. It could be microUSB, appleLightning or the most modern USBTYPE-C. The table shows some representatives of these cables.

How to open a flash drive on Android (tablet or phone)?

« How to open a flash drive on a phone, there is no shortcut “ My computer "and nothing similar?- you will be surprised. Naturally, for this we will need some kind of file manager. You most likely have some kind of simple pre-installed file manager. But if it is not there, then you need to install it.

Today, popular file managers on Android OS are: “File Manager”, “ES Explorer”, “Total Commander”, “X-plore File Manager”, “File Commander”, “ASTRO” and others. There are actually a lot of them. For example, I have been using for a very long time X-plore. I have loved it since the days when the Symbian OS operating system was popular on smartphones. X-plore is a convenient, functional and free manager. What else is needed?

X-plore - file manager

Then simply connect the flash drive to the phone and go to the file manager. There it will be displayed with all the contents. Of course, a completely different question is whether a smartphone can work with all files? It's still not a computer. But he can work with the main ones. There are even special programs for working with Excel spreadsheets, but it is so inconvenient that I don’t even know who these programs were written for.

Why can't my smartphone see the flash drive via an OTG cable?

There may be many reasons why your smartphone does not see the flash drive. Let's look at the most common ones.

The flash drive is also often not visible on the computer, why? Read.

Micro USB flash drives

You may not know this, but there are flash drives that fit into a micro USB connector. This information may be useful to you if you plan to often connect a flash drive to your smartphone, then it makes sense to think about such a purchase.

Micro-USB flash drive

There are also combined flash drives that have a USB Type-A output on one side and a micro USB output on the other. You can connect such a flash drive to both a computer and a smartphone. Think this might be just what you need.

If you still decide to buy a micro USB flash drive, we recommend that you pay attention to the following models with a large amount of memory. In addition, they can connect to absolutely any type of USB connector.

Conclusion on connecting a flash drive to the phone

In most cases, you will be able to use a USB flash drive on your phone without any problems. Which is good news. However, if you encounter difficulties connecting a flash drive, do not despair. Many of the problems are resolved fairly quickly. I hope you have learned enough about how to connect a flash drive to your phone. If you have any questions, please ask, we will try to help you.

Did you read to the very end?

Was this article helpful?

Not really

What exactly did you not like? Was the article incomplete or false?
Write in comments and we promise to improve!

Now we will look at the reasons and what to do in a situation where your Android does not see a flash drive or hard drive via a USB OTG cable.

This article is suitable for all brands that produce phones on Android 9/8/7/6: Samsung, HTC, Lenovo, LG, Sony, ZTE, Huawei, Meizu, Fly, Alcatel, Xiaomi, Nokia and others. We are not responsible for your actions.

You can connect a flash drive and even an external hard drive to an Android device via an OTG adapter, but this is not always possible to do this the first time. The reasons may be different, from an incorrect file system to partial damage to the connector on the smartphone.

Most often, you can fix the problem yourself, but in severe cases you have to contact a service center.

Attention! In the comment there is another piece of advice from a reader with experience in solving this problem. Don't forget to check it out.

Reasons why Android does not see via OTG adapter

If you are trying to understand why Android does not see a USB flash drive, then the first thing you need to do is make sure that your smartphone can work with USB Flash at all.

To do this, it must support USB On-The-Go technology. It means that microUSB supplies power to the external drive via an OTG cable, so that it becomes visible in Android, just like in Windows 7/10/XP.

To make sure that the hardware characteristics allow you to connect a modem, flash drive, keyboard or any other USB device to your phone, install the application on Android.

If the program shows that the phone is ready to work with external devices through the hub, then you can connect the OTG cable and establish a connection with the flash drive through it.

Increase

In addition to the lack of support for USB On-The-Go technology, there are other reasons why Android does not see the flash drive through the cord, even if the indicator is on:

• Inappropriate OS version. To work with equipment that supports USB 2.0 and USB 3.0, the device must have Android version 3.1 or higher.
• The volume of the connected storage device is too large.
• If there is connection sound, but the equipment cannot be detected (or it is just charging), make sure that its file system is in the appropriate Fat32 format. NTFS and ExFat are not readable on Android.
• Flash drive malfunction. Try connecting it to your computer to make sure the drive works.
• Damage to the connector on the phone/tablet. Even if, this does not mean that the connector is completely intact - the contacts responsible for data transmission may be damaged.
• Damage to the OTG cable or adapter. To make sure it is working properly, connect another flash drive to another phone that is known to be suitable for this task.

In some cases, you will not be able to connect your device without root. This occurs if a specific phone model cannot automatically mount an external drive. To eliminate the shortcoming, you need third-party software - for example, an application that can work with flash drives, modems, cameras and other devices.

When connecting equipment via an OTG cable, the program will automatically detect and mount it. You can find the contents of the drive in the /sdcard/usbStorage/sda1 folder. To safely remove the drive, you must select the “Unmount” option in StickMount.