Connecting a USB flash drive to an Android smartphone. How to connect a USB flash drive to an Android tablet and smartphone - transfer files using an external flash drive

Tablet computers have quite strong limitations in internal memory. Some models do not have the option to use microSD memory. It follows that many users wondered how to connect a flash drive to a tablet.

Many people were faced with the need to quickly copy information or move various documents. Tablets are increasingly penetrating people's everyday lives. Now it is difficult to imagine modern people who do not use a touch gadget with the following advantages:

1. Compactness, dimensions and minimal weight.
2. Always have a device nearby to perform various tasks.
3. Practicality and convenience.

Full size USB

Certain touch devices are equipped with full-size USB interfaces. This will ensure smooth connection of any peripherals. Such gadgets include Gigabyte, running on Windows 7 OS.

Microsoft's line of Surface tablets have a separate USB port. Most transformers that come with a docking station include a functional connector. If the tablet does not see the flash drive, then the following options are possible:

1. The flash drive has become unusable.
2. Drivers are installed incorrectly, especially for Windows OS.
3. Mechanical damage to the interface.

OTG mode

Quite a useful technology that is used in most devices. This eliminates “dancing with a tambourine” when trying to connect an external flash drive to the gadget. A small lanyard will solve all the problems associated with synchronizing both products to exchange information.

The cost of such an adapter is low, so all owners can purchase and try it. The presence of OTG mode in the gadget is checked in the following ways:

1. You need to purchase a cable and check the operation of the mode.
2. Conducting a detailed study of technical parameters. Manufacturers indicate such information in the description.

If the tablet does not detect a flash drive, then the manufacturer has decided that it is not worth connecting such a drive.

Non-standard connection methods

Owners of tablet computers can rest assured, there are many methods for connecting flash cards. If you spend a little time, you can configure the device.

USB-host

This method is suitable for users who are faced with the problem that the gadget does not have an OTG mode. The essence of the method is that the USB interface uses two-way voltage supply: to and from the tablet. Using this circuit, the flash drive is powered, and the gadget recognizes it.

To create a circuit yourself, you should purchase a two-headed USB cable. A micro-USB is connected to the touch device, a network connection is made via a USB adapter, and a drive is inserted into the third interface.

You can use a USB Hub instead of a cord, but the main condition for the system to operate will be the supply of voltage to the external device. You can connect game joysticks or hard drives in a similar way.

If you still have questions about connecting a flash drive to your tablet, you can use the methods outlined below.

Adapters

Certain manufacturers, for example, Samsung, refuse to use standard micro-USB interfaces in their devices. They are being replaced with proprietary connectors, which adds certain inconveniences for gadget owners.

The cost of such a small adapter is high, and the manufacturer makes good money from it. Users spend time searching for appropriate adapters.

Asus also uses a non-standard power interface, although this is the ancestor of the Transformer tablets.

Software barriers

If the tablet does not detect the flash drive even after the manipulations, then it is necessary to consider software barriers. Such an obstacle may be the inability of the conductor used in the device to recognize external drives. This is due to a normal set of circumstances or a software block.

The free StickMount app only works with pre-rooted devices. In 99% of cases it ensures that the flash drive is configured to work. Additionally, you need to install a regular file manager.

When the application is installed, you can connect a flash drive to the tablet and give the application access to root rights. In a few seconds, a separate folder will be created for using the flash drive.

There are also paid applications tailored for specific gadget models.

Now you can log in using the installed Explorer and gain access to the files located on the drive.

Common Problems

There are software and physical problems when connecting a flash drive to a tablet.

Causes of physical errors:

1. Broken micro-USB interface.
2. Damage to the USB-OTG cable.
3. Flash drive failure.

In this case, physical intervention will be required: repair or replacement. It is easy to restore a flash drive, it is easier to purchase a new cord, and to replace the connector you should contact a service center.

Software problems

Don’t think that you just need to insert a flash drive into the gadget and you can immediately carry out work. It is advisable that the drive be formatted in FAT32, since Android has specific data processing.

You should check the maximum possible storage memory sizes that will be supported by the device. Using a flash drive with a smaller capacity will solve this issue. Another problem may be in a low version of Android, where modules for connecting external devices have not yet been provided.

It is enough to follow the instructions given or watch the video below to solve all the questions about connecting a flash drive to the tablet.

Android OS tablets today are positioned as full-fledged workplaces. It's no joke, they actually already know a lot, including working with numerous USB peripherals. Mice, keyboards, printers, game controllers and many other devices are connected to tablets using a special cable. But, without a doubt, the most familiar and popular USB device, familiar to everyone, is a regular USB flash drive. In today's article you will learn how it is easier to “make friends” of your tablet with absolutely any flash drive.

Brief Introduction to USB-OTG

What is USB-OTG? This technology appeared back in 2001 and was intended for the same thing it is used for now: connecting USB devices to gadgets like mobile phones and wearable media players. The key feature of OTG is that the head device (in our case, a tablet) can operate in both “host” and “client” modes.

In other words, through the same port, our tablet can not only work with a flash drive, but also act as one itself when connected to a PC via the appropriate cable.

How it works

But how exactly does this all work? Surprisingly, the technology has not undergone any significant changes since its invention. In order to switch the tablet to the “host” mode, the OTG cable is equipped with a special jumper, which is not included in the regular USB cable included in the kit. Thanks to this jumper, the tablet “understands” that this particular cable is connected and “gives” energy to the flash drive, rather than receiving it, for example, for charging. Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it?

Schematic diagram of OTG operation

By the way, at the moment there are devices that allow tablets to work with OTG and charge at the same time, which is incredibly convenient for several reasons. Instead of a jumper, they use a resistance (resistor) and the voltage from the charger is supplied not only to the tablet itself, but also to the flash drive connected to it. Unfortunately, not all tablets support this function yet.

Possible problems when connecting OTG

Sometimes it happens that your cable is working properly, but for some reason the tablet stubbornly refuses to “see” the external device. We'll look into why this might happen below.

Your tablet does not support OTG at all. It is worth noting that this happens extremely rarely. However, before purchasing an OTG cable, it is better to read the documentation for the device and make sure that the tablet supports this interface. Sometimes (as in this screenshot, for example) it is indicated as “USB-host support”.

Example of a device with OTG

The flash drive is not formatted correctly. Most Android devices do not support NTFS file system layout by default. There are two solutions to this problem: format the flash drive into FAT32 markup that is understandable for the tablet or teach it to see NTFS. Read below about how to do this.

You are trying to connect a portable hard drive. Unfortunately, without unnecessary manipulations this is only possible with a limited number of hard drives. The fact is that portable HDDs require much more energy than regular USB flash drives. The tablet simply does not have enough “strength” to spin up the disks inside the HDD. There is only one solution - external power supply.

Various hardware problems. There's not much to talk about here. It happens that even in new tablets OTG does not work. Such copies are considered defective and can be replaced under warranty without any problems.

What to do if OTG does not work

If you have read the list and know why OTG does not work, let's try to find several solutions to your problem.

If OTG is not supported by hardware, flash drives with WiFi can help, such as the SanDisk Connect™ Wireless Flash Drive. They are completely autonomous and connect to the tablet via the WiFI protocol, which is included in every tablet. Not exactly OTG, of course, but you must agree, it’s better than nothing, and besides, it’s very convenient. A separate plus is that you can connect several devices to such flash drives at the same time, be it a tablet, PC or smartphone.

SanDisk Connect™ Wireless Flash Drive

Regarding the drive layout. As noted above, the FAT file system is more “familiar” for Android. It is used by default on most flash drives. You can check your flash drive on your PC by simply clicking “properties” on the letter of the corresponding drive in Windows Explorer. In the window that appears, among other things, the storage capacity and its file system will be indicated.

Media in NTFS

If your flash drive is formatted in NTFS, you can easily change the file system to FAT32. To do this, the flash drive must be formatted, which will erase all data on it. You just need to find the corresponding item in the tablet’s memory settings (usually located in the “memory” submenu) or simply do it on a PC.

Formatting the drive

However, it often happens that the capabilities of FAT32 become insufficient. The fact is that this file system has one significant drawback - it does not support working with files larger than 4 GB. This drawback can be very critical for those who like to watch movies in high resolution on their tablet. NTFS does not have such a problem, and this is where the question arises of how to teach our tablet to work with this file system. There are several ways to do this. The simplest is to install programs that allow you to mount NTFS on any device running Android OS. The most common one among them is “Paragon NTFS & HFS+”. It is distributed free of charge and allows you to mount not only NTFS, but also HFS+, which Apple uses in its Macs. The program is very convenient and simple. Its only drawback is that you need ROOT rights to work with it.

As for portable HDDs. As noted above, most of them will not work with tablets due to higher power consumption. How can we deal with this problem?

The first option is an active USB hub. This is a regular USB hub, but with external power, allowing you to connect more devices without losing speed. The disadvantage of this method is that not all tablets support hubs, plus an additional occupied outlet.

Example of an active USB hub

The second option is HDD with external power supply. It’s not only tablets that lack the “strength” to spin up external HDDs. Some laptops also cannot cope with this task, so you can often find HDDs with two USBs on sale. One goes into the tablet, the second goes into the charger.

But the HDD with external power supply

Don't forget that almost all HDDs are formatted in NTFS, so before connecting the hard drive to the tablet, you should take care of this too.

The basics of working with external drives

So, we connected the flash drive to our tablet, what next? All modern file managers support USB-OTG. The most popular and functional is “ES Explorer”. In order to “get” to the flash drive, you need to select the appropriate item in the main menu. Now you can view files on it, edit them, copy, delete and perform any actions with them, just as you do with a microSD card or the memory of the tablet itself.

Main menu of the ES Explorer program

USB drive opened in the program

If it is not possible to install a file manager, you can find a flash drive connected to the tablet through the manager built into the firmware. Some standard FMs are capable of displaying external flash drives in the main menu, like “ES Explorer,” while others require you to independently search for external drives. You can find a USB flash drive at the following address - root of the tablet memory (root) - storage - usbdisk.

And here is the flash drive itself

The read/write speed depends both on the flash drive itself and on the characteristics of your tablet. New devices that support USB 3.0, for example, allow you to work with external drives at speeds that are in no way inferior to internal memory.

You can test a flash drive for read/write speed on Android, for example, using the “A1 SD Bench” program.

A1 SD Bench program

Is it possible to “make friends” between two Android tablets via OTG?

Surely, this is a question that interested many after reading this article. There are situations when you need to transfer a large amount of information from one tablet to another. For example, a folder with photos, a large game or a movie of a gigabyte or two. Of course, even if the tablet has the latest version of Bluetooth, you will have to wait more than one hour. This, of course, is not an option. This begs the question, is it possible to connect two Android tablets or smartphones to each other via OTG? The answer is yes. However, there are some limitations. With the latest versions of Android, Google is gradually moving away from mounting device memory as USB drives. Now most Android devices are connected using the MTP protocol, that is, as media devices, since this is more secure from a corporate point of view.

Smartphone connected via MTP

What does this mean? And the fact that Android does not currently support MTP connection to it. You can get around this by switching your smartphone or tablet to standard storage mode using the corresponding item in the settings. If there are no such settings, you can try to do this using special programs. Unfortunately, these programs are not a panacea and will not work with every tablet.

If the tablet does not work as a drive

As a result, if your tablet does not work as a storage device, you have only one outlet for transferring a large amount of information - WiFi. The essence of such a transfer is the following - one device is the host and opens the access point, and the other is the client, which, in fact, connects to this point. Today, many programs allow such transfer, for example, the same “ES Explorer” or the MiDrop function of Xiaomi. But the most convenient program is SHAREit

Although it was copied from the Transfer application in MIUI (they even connect without problems), it is supported by all Android devices and provides enormous data transfer speeds. There is no comparison with Bluetooth. In addition to this, it looks nice, is very easy to use and allows you to transfer data even to Apple products. In general, this is truly a “must have” for any Android device.

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.

Despite the support of an Android smartphone or tablet for SD cards up to 32 GB, sometimes you need to connect external “storage” - portable hard drives and flash drives.

The essence of the problem with USB-Flash drives on Android devices

Modern Flash drives have a capacity of up to 128 GB. This amount of memory is not superfluous, especially when the owner of a smartphone or tablet downloads and distributes many films, music, programs, etc. at once. Additional memory is needed. The essence of the problem is as follows.

For this you need to connect additional “flash drives” via microUSB. An ideal option for those who often go on business trips or travel is to carry a tablet and several 32–128 GB flash drives in your bag.

How to connect a flash drive to an Android gadget via OTG

OTG is a USB-microUSB adapter, a replacement for a USB cable with a Card Reader device. Takes up little space - no more than a standard flash drive. In this case, the flash drive must be formatted in FAT32 - not everything is going smoothly with the NTFS file system for the Android operating system.

There is a more difficult way: install a special Android application that allows your smartphone or tablet to work with NTFS media. So, these can be exFAT/NTFS for Total Commander, Paragon NTFS & HFS+ and their analogues.

If the flash drive is not readable, you need special Android applications. Some of them require Root rights.

How to get Root access

Applications that allow you to get Root access without using a computer: FramaRoot, Universal Androot, Visionary+, GingerBreak, z4root, BaiduRoot, Romaster SU, Towelroot, RootDashi, 360 Root, etc.

Applications that “hack” Root via PC: SuperOneClick, Unrevoked, GenoTools, vRoot, MTKDroidTools, etc.

Remember that by obtaining Root rights, you lose the supplier’s warranty and risk harming your gadget.

Another way is to change the licensed Android firmware to a “custom” one with unattached Root access.

Viewing the contents of a flash drive on an Android smartphone or tablet using third-party applications

USB Media Explorer app

If you want to simplify the process of accessing a flash drive, use the paid USB Media Explorer application. The old name of the program is Nexus Media Importer; it was initially developed for Nexus gadgets, but quickly expanded the line of supported Android smartphones and tablets. Root rights are not needed, the program is paid.

If this solution does not suit you, you will have to work a little harder.

Solutions based on the StickMount program

The StickMount application is one of the most famous and requires Root rights. Works in conjunction with any Android file manager, for example, ES Explorer. Both applications are available on the Play Market.

The flash drive is read/write.

All your files are now available

Connecting USB flash drives to devices that do not have miniUSB/microUSB

A number of companies, not as well-known as ZTE, Huawei, Sony and their other competitors, install non-standard interface connectors. OTG adapters with miniUSB/microUSB are absolutely not suitable for gadgets with a highly standardized connector without a special OTG adapter. Look on Ebay or AliExpress for an OTG adapter that matches the standard of the interface socket of your smartphone or tablet. Further steps to obtain software access to your flash drives are the same.

Other ways to connect a flash drive to an Android smartphone or tablet

There are the following methods:

Video: Connecting additional devices to a smartphone and tablet, including flash drives: problems and solutions

By connecting flash drives and other storage devices to an Android smartphone or tablet, you free up your hands when it comes to organizing the storage of the data you carry with you. This can be very useful to you on business trips and travel. Good luck!

Owners of modern tablets often face the problem that if they store a lot of movies and music on it, there is simply not enough memory on the device. Especially if the device is not too expensive and has a small amount of internal memory. You can, of course, install a memory card and store everything on it, but situations often arise when you need to transfer several files at once from a computer or other tablet.

There are situations when you need to connect an external flash drive to a mobile device

A USB flash drive has long been the gold standard for quickly storing personal files and documents. Bulky disks have sunk into oblivion and have been replaced by compact drives. Some users were probably surprised to learn that connecting a drive to a mobile device may not be so easy. But in fact, you can connect it without any problems if you have a special cable or adapter. We bring to your attention detailed information on how to connect a flash drive to a tablet.

Connect the flash drive to the tablet

The information in the article is relevant for owners of Android and iOS devices. If you have a Windows tablet, then connect a flash drive, just like on a computer or laptop - you can simply plug the drive into a USB port and view its contents.

Android

All modern devices have hardware support for the so-called USB-OTG technology. It is thanks to it that you can connect a flash drive to the device. The board has a controller that recognizes external drives and other devices that do not require additional drivers for their operation.

What will you need for this?

1. tablet,
2. flash drive,
3. special OTG cable.

If everything is clear with the first two accessories, then the third requires additional explanation. Given the small thickness of tablets, developers are abandoning full-size USB, equipping models with microUSB or proprietary connectors. Some companies provide devices with their own adapters, but in most cases you will have to spend money on a third-party accessory.

Its design is as follows: on the one hand, there is a microUSB or a proprietary interface for connecting to a tablet, and on the other, a regular USB for connecting to a flash drive. Connect the cable to the tablet and insert the drive. Now you can launch the file manager to view the files stored on it. The flash drive will appear as a USB drive or USB Storage.

iPad

If you have an iPad, connecting a USB flash drive is much more difficult. Apple does its best to prevent this and, in fact, prohibits connecting external storage media. However, you can connect. What will be required in this case?

1. iPad,
2. flash drive,
3. Lightning to USB Camera Adapter or similar adapter.

There are third-party adapters that are superior in capabilities to the standard one. The features of the adapter are that you can only view photos and videos, and you can only record from a flash drive. You will have to make sure in advance that the file structure matches the one on the camera. In this case, the system will display all files in the standard gallery. Reformat video files into mp4 format, and photos into jpg, transfer them to the created DCIM folder.