The flash drive does not connect to the tablet. Is it possible to connect a regular USB flash drive to a tablet?

Surely you have encountered such a problem when there was a need to connect a flash drive to an Android tablet to copy the necessary files from the media. There will be no difficulties connecting this media to the device, provided that Android 3.1 or its more recent releases are installed on it. This release of Android has acquired the option of a USB host. However, in any case, regarding a device that runs on Android 3.1 or more recent versions, it can be noted that among its equipment there is a host controller, and the device itself provides the function of connecting various equipment via USB. To confirm that the tablet has this function, you should refer to the documentation files or specifications for this device. Most often its name sounds like USB OTG. Sometimes it is also called USB Host. Along with this, you can make sure that the device works with this technology by having the USB OTG Checker application installed. It is offered to everyone free of charge, for which you just need to visit the Google Play application store.

How to open a flash drive on a tablet. Connection methods.

There are often situations when manufacturers are faced with the problem of equipping a tablet with a standard-sized USB port, the reason for which is the form factor of the device. Here, taking into account the size of the device, a microUSB type interface is included in the design. And some manufacturers use their own equipment. The first option involves connecting a flash drive to the tablet using a USB OTG cable. As for the second, here you need to use an adapter with a USB output. Thus, among Samsung and Asus tablets there are samples that are equipped with a special proprietary connector, which, when using the appropriate adapter, turns into a full-size USB port.

How to connect a USB flash drive to a tablet?

To connect a USB drive to a device using MicroUSB, you need to connect the flash drive to the end of the OTG cord, and connect the connector to the microUSB port of the tablet. If the device has the USB Host option (USB OTG), it will automatically detect the presence of a flash drive. An OTG cable is not much different from a branded adapter. The fact is that each of them is designed to provide the owner of the gadget with access to connected devices via a USB port. In other words, thanks to the OTG cable, you can change the slave mode of the device to the master one.

It is already clear to you that the process of connecting a flash drive to a tablet using any of the methods described above is not difficult. To do this, you will need an OTG cable that is compatible with your device. You need to connect a flash drive to it, and then, using the connector, connect to the gadget.

Automatic connection of a flash drive to an Android device

If there are no problems with the connection and identification of the flash drive, the device will be connected automatically, which will be indicated by a sound signal.

How to view a flash drive on a tablet

In order to find out what files are present on the flash drive, you should use a file manager. This application can be built-in or can be additionally installed by the device owner himself. So, ASTRO File Manager can be an option. Also a program that provides this opportunity is ES Explorer. These and similar programs are available for free download to anyone on Google Play.

Thanks to this method, it becomes possible to connect to the gadget, along with a flash drive and mouse, other devices: keyboards, photographic equipment and a number of other devices that can work without installing drivers.

An important point is that owners of Galaxy Nexus models will not be able to connect a flash drive to the tablet using a file manager. Here you need the paid program Nexus Media Importer, which can be replaced by a free analog StickMount (Root rights are required).

How to safely remove a flash drive from a tablet?

Above we looked at the issue of connecting flash memory to a mobile device, now let's look at how to disconnect a flash drive from a tablet. It would seem that it could be difficult to remove, I just stuck it out of the USB and that’s it. However, if you want to extend the life of your small USB device, then it is important to know how to properly remove the flash drive from the tablet.

First of all, you need to go to “Settings” and select the “Memory” tab there.

Next, on the “USB storage” tab, click on “Remove SD card”

Thus, after these steps, the flash drive is safely removed from the tablet.

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 maybe this is 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!

If your tablet does not have enough memory to download high-quality videos or large applications, then you can use a “workaround” option, that is, connect a flash drive (USB drive) to your device. This is exactly what today’s article will be devoted to. There are a couple of ways to connect a flash drive, you will learn about them below.

Connecting to a USB port

This method is the simplest, but it can be used if the device has a USB connector. You just need to insert the flash drive into the port and use the file manager to view its contents. Not all devices have such connectors, so the method will be relevant only for some gadgets.

Connection using an adapter

If the device does not have a USB connector, you can try connecting a Flash drive using another port - micro-USB. For this we need a special adapter. The flash drive is connected to a large connector, and a more compact one is inserted into the corresponding port on the tablet. If everything is done correctly, a corresponding indicator will appear on the device, indicating that the flash drive has been connected. Next, as in method No. 1, you can view files located on the drive using any manager (built-in or third-party).

In this way, you can connect not only a flash drive, but also many other devices. For example, you can control your tablet with a mouse if you connect it using an adapter. Or, for example, you can forget about the built-in keyboard and use its computer version. This will allow you to more comfortably control the device when performing certain actions.
Thus, using a flash drive you can “expand” the memory of your tablet for a while. That is, if, for example, you find a cool movie that weighs 10 GB, then it is clear that it may not fit on every device. In this case, load it onto a flash drive and simply connect it using the above methods. By the way, you can also find out whether the Flash drive is connected correctly by looking at the flash drive (the green indicator will blink).

The methods described in this manual are suitable for most modern tablets, so you can safely use them. The most important thing is to do everything exactly as described in the instructions to avoid mistakes. Then, after a few minutes, you will be able to view the data stored on the flash drive using your gadget.

Android smartphones and tablets are becoming popular, and the functionality of the devices is expanding. Users use gadgets to surf the Internet, edit work documents, and watch movies. And often there is a need to connect a removable flash drive to an Android device. Manufacturers offer this opportunity using USB On-The-Go (OTG) technology.

How to connect using an OTG cable

USB OTG is a technology that allows you to transfer power to external devices via the MicroUSB smartphone charging connector. The technology is supported by smartphones and tablets with Android 3.1 and higher.

OTG cables are sold in computer stores and cellular stores. Before purchasing a cord, make sure that your device supports USB On-The-Go. To do this, download the USB OTG Checker application from the Play Store, open and click the Check Device OS on USB OTG button. After a while you will see the result of the check.

In addition to checking the system, the program allows you to test the OTG signal level, as well as view files on the connected media.

An OTG cable is a cord with a MicroUSB plug at one end and a USB connector at the other end where a flash card is connected. In the system, data from a flash drive can be found using a file manager.

If your smartphone or tablet supports OTG technology but does not have a corresponding connector, use an adapter.

Via MicroUSB connector

Using an OTG cable is inconvenient in a crowded place or at an event, because to connect, the user needs to find a flash drive, take out the cable and connect it to a smartphone or tablet. Manufacturers offer a solution to the problem - double-sided drives with USB connectors for PCs and MicroUSB for smartphones and tablets. They look like regular flash drives and work with OTG technology.

Video: connecting a flash drive to Android

Applications for correct operation of OTG on a smartphone or tablet

If you connect a flash drive to a smartphone or tablet, and information about the removable drive does not appear in the file system, the device probably does not support auto-detection of external drives. To enable the device to “see” the memory card, download one of the applications from Google Play:

Stick Mount;
USB OTG Helper;
Nexus Importer;
Nexus USB OTG FileManager.

Instructions for using the apps are provided later in the article.

Stick Mount

Stick Mount is a program that automatically mounts removable drives. For auto-detection of the drive to work, install the program and connect the flash drive to your smartphone. You will see a pop-up window confirming the launch of Stick Mount. Click OK. If the window does not appear, open the application and click the Mount button. A new section “Removable disk” (USB Storage) will appear in the file manager.

To safely remove the memory card when finished, reopen the program and click Unmount.

Stick Mount app is free but requires root access. Works with Android systems versions 4.0 and higher.

Nexus Importer

Nexus Media Importer, a program originally developed for connecting flash drives to Nexus smartphones and tablets, today supports devices from Samsung, Sony, Motorola, and HTC. Instructions for use:

Install the application and connect the USB flash drive to the gadget.
The system will open a window asking “Open Nexus Media Importer when connecting a USB device?” Click OK.
The data will be imported and the file manager will open, where you will see all the information previously saved on the drive.

The application is paid, but does not require root access. Analogue - Nexus USB OTG FileManager. Does not work correctly on some devices with Android 4.3 - automatically disables the flash drive. To prevent this from happening, just change the application language to English. In Android 4.4 the problem is solved.

Root rights are a superuser account, access to which expands the functionality of an Android device. Using root rights voids the warranty of the owner of the smartphone or tablet.

USB OTG Helper

The application works similarly to the previous ones. Download the program from the Google Market, install it on your smartphone or tablet and connect the USB flash drive. Auto-detection will work, and the data from the drive will be displayed in the file manager. The program is free and requires Superuser rights.

How to get root access for Android

If you do not want to purchase applications for the correct operation of OTG for money, use free options after first obtaining root rights. To get root access, use the free Kingo Root Android program:

Download the application from the Play Store and install.
Connect the gadget to a laptop or personal computer in debugging mode. Check the device settings first - in the “Applications” section the checkbox next to the “Allow installation from unknown sources” item should be checked.
Drivers for your smartphone or tablet will be automatically installed on your computer.
In the program window, click the Root button.
Superuser rights will be set.

If the root installation process fails, try using similar applications.

Table: problems with the operation of the OTG adapter and their solution

Common problems that users encounter when connecting flash drives via USB, and solutions for each, are shown in the table.

Problem	Solution
The flash drive folder cannot be found.	Install and open a file manager (for example, ES Explorer). Follow one of the following paths: /mnt/usb/system_usb /mnt/sda4/ /sdcard/usbStorage/xxxx/
The tablet or smartphone does not detect the flash drive, although it finds other similar devices.	The problem is insufficient voltage supplied to the Micro USB port. Use drives that the device works with. The second option is an excessively large amount of card memory. Use smaller drives.
The flash drive is not detected due to incorrect formatting.	Using a computer, format the drive as FAT32. Many devices do not support NTFS.

Using an OTG cable, you can connect not only a flash drive, but also a printer and a digital camera to your Android smartphone and tablet. Modern devices can work with a keyboard, mouse, speakers and joystick for games, performing the functions of a full-fledged computer.

Users of mobile devices, from time to time, wonder how to connect a flash drive to a phone or tablet. This convenient and useful function is needed for opening files from a flash drive directly on a smartphone or tablet, or for transferring files to a mobile device or USB flash drive.

Is it possible to connect a flash drive to a smartphone? The most convenient way to exchange data: direct connection between a smartphone and a USB flash drive. In this case, no additional device is required: a computer that acts as an intermediary when transferring data between the smartphone and a USB drive.

Many smartphones have limited memory space due to the fact that the Android operating system itself, applications, user files, etc. take up a significant amount of space. Because of this, it is irrational to store all the necessary files on the device, as they will take up a lot of space.

You can use a USB flash drive as file storage. Place the necessary files on the flash drive. To access files on a USB device from a mobile phone, you will need to connect a flash drive to your Android smartphone.

After connecting to the phone, the user will be able to open a document, listen to music, play a video, watch a movie, etc., and perform other necessary actions with files located on external media. The main condition: the Android operating system must support the file types that the user works with.

Please note that the connected device uses power from your phone or tablet, so the battery will drain faster if the mobile device is not connected to an electrical outlet via a charger.

Necessary conditions for connecting a flash drive to a smartphone

But, unfortunately, not everything is as simple as it seems at first glance. To fully use a flash drive on a smartphone or tablet running the Android operating system, several suitable conditions must be present:

Support for the USB Host function by a mobile device, Android operating system, support for the function in the firmware from the manufacturer of the mobile device.
Some devices will require root rights.
A special OTG cable with two ends on which there is a USB connector and another port that has one connector: microUSB or USB Type-C.
The USB storage file system supported by the Android device.

First of all, make sure that USB Host is supported on your mobile phone. This can be done using the free USB OTG Checker app from the Google Play Store.

Android 5.0 and higher operating systems have a built-in USB Host function, so this function should work without problems on any device. Some device manufacturers may disable this functionality in the firmware of their device.

On mobile phones up to Android 5.0, you will need to enable root rights (superuser) to be able to work with USB flash drives from your smartphone.

To connect, you need a USB OTG (USB On-the-Go) cable, used as an adapter, which has suitable connectors for connecting between both devices: a flash drive and a phone. In a USB OTG device, the host and peripherals are determined, depending on which connector is responsible for power.

At one end of the cable there is a USB connector (USB Female, “mother”), to which a flash drive is connected, and at the other end of the cable there is a micro USB or USB Type-C connector that connects to a mobile device.

In addition to a flash drive, you can connect an external hard drive, mouse, keyboard, camera, joystick, printer, etc. to your smartphone or tablet.

If you connect an external hard drive that has additional power, problems will not arise, but an external hard drive without additional power may not open due to a lack of power supplied from the mobile device.

On smartphones, flash drives with the FAT32 file system can be opened without any problems, and for example, USB flash drives with the NTFS file system can only be used with the help of third-party file managers installed on the mobile device that support this file system.

How to connect a flash drive to a smartphone

Now let's see practically how to connect a USB flash drive to a smartphone or tablet.

To do this, follow these simple steps:

Connect the micro-USB connector to your smartphone or tablet, and insert a USB flash drive into the other end of the OTG adapter.

The mobile device will detect the flash drive and offer to perform any actions with it.

In general, the flash drive will open in Explorer, the default file manager. If a third-party file manager is used on your smartphone, then you will receive a request to work with a USB device from this program.

If the flash drive is detected, but it is impossible to work with it, pay attention to the following circumstances: the flash drive has an unsupported file system, the USB flash drive is divided into several partitions, there is not enough power.

Connecting a flash drive on an old Android smartphone

In older versions of the Android operating system, the USB Host function does not work. Therefore, you need to use third-party software, to use which you need to obtain root rights on Android, for example, using the Kingo Root program.

Two paid programs: Nexus Media Importer and Nexus USB OTG FileManager, work without root rights on the device. Before installation, you need to make sure that these programs will work on your device.

In other cases, you will first need to obtain superuser rights, and then use applications to mount the flash drive, such as the free programs StickMount or USB OTG Helper.

Conclusions of the article

The user can connect a flash drive to a smartphone or tablet to access data on a USB drive. Connections between devices are made using a special USB OTG adapter; certain conditions must also be met: support for the USB Host function on the mobile device, a supported file system on the flash drive.