On a smartphone, you will not find a full-fledged USB port into which you can insert a USB flash drive. Therefore, connecting a USB flash drive to Android has to be done using additional equipment.
Drive connection
In order for your phone to see and open devices connected via USB, it must have On-The-Go (OTG) support. The essence of the technology is that a mobile device supplies power to external equipment via a USB connector. The function is implemented in Android 3.1 and higher, so before trying to connect a USB flash drive to Android, you need to make sure that this is even possible. First of all, check the OS version:
To make sure there are no problems with the connection, install the USB OTG Checker application. This small program will check OTG support and if it is available, it will issue a confirmation. 
The next step is to purchase a special adapter (the cost of equipment is from 100 rubles). The smartphone has a microUSB port, the flash drive cannot physically fit in it. Therefore, you need to expand the port with an OTG adapter, which can be bought at any mobile equipment store. Some phones, like tablets, come with a native OTG cable, so manufacturers also assume that external drives and other USB devices will be connected to their devices. 
The connection procedure itself is extremely simple: one end of the adapter is installed in the microUSB connector on the phone, and a flash drive is inserted into the USB port at the other end. 
Now you can find universal flash drives with USB and microUSB, which do not need an adapter to connect. 
So far this is a rarity, but it is quite possible that over time the ports will become universal, and users will be able to abandon adapters and other additional equipment.
To open a flash drive on a tablet or smartphone, it is usually enough to have a file manager installed on the device. The flash drive must be formatted in FAT32, data from NTFS on Android will not be read. This primarily applies to the latest models of smartphones from Samsung: just connect a USB flash drive via an OTG adapter and find the drive using any file manager. The data will be in the /sdcard/usbStorage directory. 
However, the procedure does not always go so smoothly: even if the device supports OTG, the question of how to open a connected flash drive on Android is difficult. The problem is that not all mobile devices automatically mount external equipment, be it a flash drive, camera or mouse.
You can eliminate the drawback using the paid USB Media Explorer application, which allows you to copy music, video photos, documents from flash drives connected to Google Nexus smartphones and other devices with Android 4.0 and higher. 
The application has two drawbacks: it is paid and correct operation is guaranteed only on Nexus phones and tablets, although the developers claim support for other devices. Of the advantages - support for the NTFS file system, that is, you do not have to format the USB flash drive in FAT32 before connecting.
If you don't want to spend money on an application to copy data, or your device basically cannot install USB Media Explorer due to the lack of support for the model, then the only way to access the data recorded on the flash drive is to use superuser (root) rights.
For each model, it is better to look for your own separate instructions for obtaining superuser rights. There are also universal methods, such as using the Kingo Root program, but it should be borne in mind that obtaining root rights is a potentially dangerous operation, as a result of which the mobile device is voided from the warranty. In addition, performing the procedure incorrectly can damage the system.
If your phone is rooted, you can use the free StickMount app to detect a connected flash drive on Android.
- Launch StickMount.
- Connect the flash drive to your phone.
- Set StickMount to open automatically when this drive is connected and give the application superuser rights.
You can view and copy the contents of the flash drive after mounting through any file manager. The information will be in the sdcard/usbStorage directory. 
Connecting a flash drive to a smartphone is easy. To do this, you only 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 data backup
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 an 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 variant with a positive result, you need to purchase a special adapter from the retail network 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 branded OTG cable.
If you want to connect several external drives or other devices to your smartphone at once, you will have to use the USB HUB.
Nowadays, 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 refuse to use an OTG cable.
Connecting a flash drive in OTG mode
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It is 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 that everyone can easily purchase and try it. Here are two ways to check for OTG mode:
- Check out the specifications provided by the manufacturer.
- Having bought 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 a bonus)
Connecting a flash drive using USB
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Many modern devices running the 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 the On-The-Go technology is loaded. Manufacturers have been implementing a similar function in the gadget since the latest version.
Usually, 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 it is not there, you will have to purchase it at a digital technology 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 you will have to use several cables to successfully connect an additional device. However, this is the only way to connect 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 the file manager is missing, it will have to be installed.
As for Android smartphones, the most common are Total Commander and FX File Explorer. The user can choose the application he likes.
Connecting a flash drive to an Android device using StickMount
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If the user has access to a mobile device, then he can automatically install a USB flash drive with access to it from any file manager.
You can use the free app for this. stick mount(if you wish, you can use the paid Pro version, which is also available on Google Play).
DownloadAfter connecting the gadget, open stick mount and give this application superuser rights.
After these steps, the user will have access to the files downloaded to the USB flash drive, which will be located in the appropriate 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.
Quite often different file systems from Linux are 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. That's just downloading them for a fee. Further, they will be discussed in more detail.
USB Media Explorer
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Among the main features of USB Media Explorer (formerly Nexus Media Importer) is the fact that free memory for user information is limited.
But it is able to quickly stream the content of any flash drives that are connected to the USB cable to the device in use in the form of conductors.
Please note that this may cause possible problems in the process of applying the add-on on Android 3.x.
For this device to work properly, you need the following:
- A gadget controlled by the Android O system. The corrupted 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.
Please activate the license before using NMI without internet connection.
To do this, when the Internet is connected, you just need to run the installed application.
Read also:How to connect a modem to an Android tablet (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 the USB port.
As a result, the user will be able to work with documents, not only in the internal memory, but also on the USB gadget.
He will be able to edit the names of various files, as well as add and remove the necessary folders.
A similar application was developed by the creators of Nexus products equipped with an On-The-Go port. An example is the Nexus 5 and 7.
However, this program is able to work with any other devices, including different versions of Android.
Also, this add-on has a large number of new features. So, it can open the necessary files directly from USB and does not transfer data to the Internet.
Thanks to Advanced More, the user gets access to all documents from his device.
Advanced users will surely appreciate this feature. Such application is the property of Google.
Also, with the help of this application, the user can easily download various modern games for android. They can be downloaded from sites that specialize in games.
Working with this program is a real pleasure and satisfies the needs of the user.
Despite the support of an Android smartphone or tablet with 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.
To do 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 “flash drives” 32-128 GB in a bag.
How to connect a flash drive to an Android gadget via OTG
OTG is a USB to microUSB adapter, a replacement for a USB cable with a Card Reader. It takes up little space - no more than a standard flash drive. In this case, the flash drive must be formatted in FAT32 - with the NTFS file system for the Android operating system, not everything is going smoothly yet.
There is a more difficult way: install a special Android application that allows a smartphone or tablet to work with NTFS media. So, it can be exFAT/NTFS for Total Commander, Paragon NTFS & HFS+ and their analogues.
You need OTG with a socket, not with a plug for USB drives
Select USBdisk folder
If the flash drive is not readable, special Android applications are needed. 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 "custom" firmware with unattached Root access.
View the contents of a flash drive on an Android smartphone or tablet using third-party applications
USB Media Explorer App
Those who want to simplify the process of accessing a USB flash drive can use the paid USB Media Explorer application. The old name of the program is Nexus Media Importer; it was originally developed for Nexus gadgets, but quickly expanded the range 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.
Solutions based on StickMount
The StickMount app is one of the most famous and requires Root rights. Works in conjunction with any Android file manager, such as ES File Explorer. Both applications are in the Play Market.
Confirm request
Confirm by pressing the Grant key
Displaying information about the load of the flash drive
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 firms, 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 narrowly standardized connector without a special OTG adapter. Look on the same Ebay or AliExpress for an OTG adapter that meets the standard of the interface socket of your smartphone or tablet. Further steps to gain programmatic access to your flash drives are the same.
Other ways to connect a USB flash drive to an Android smartphone or tablet
There are the following ways:
Video: Connecting additional devices to a smartphone and tablet, including flash drives: problems and solutions
By connecting flash drives and other drives to an Android-based smartphone or tablet, you free your hands in the matter of organizing the storage of data you carry with you. This can be of great help to you on business trips and travels. Good luck!
Users of Android smartphones or tablets sometimes face the problem that the phone does not see the USB flash drive. Now we will try to figure out what this is connected with and what to do.
Why the phone does not see the usb flash drive
Devices running the Android operating system allow you to connect external drives, for example, a USB drive, a hard drive. This is done using a special cable called OTG. So, let's look at why the phone does not see the USB flash drive.
If you need a quality and inexpensive USB flash drive, order it.
Reason 1: The device does not support OTG
To connect external drives to the device, it must support On-The-Go technology. Its essence is that the phone supplies power to the drive, hard drive through the OTG cable. You need to check if the device works with this technology:
- We go to the Play Market, in the search bar we prescribe USB OTG Checker.
- Install the first application from the list of results.
- Let's launch it.
- If it says that everything is fine, you can connect the OTG cable and the drive.
This is one of the reasons why the phone does not see the USB flash drive through the OTG adapter.
Reason 2: Android version
The phone must have an Android operating system starting from version 3.1, below it does not support USB 2.0 and 3.0.
Reason 3: File system format
Devices on which official firmware is installed support file systems:
- exFAT;
- FAT32.
With others, alas, the phone will not work. There are two exits:
- Format your drive for the desired FS.
- Install an application that supports other file systems, but you will need root rights.
Of course, it is the second method that is convenient, you don’t have to delete anything from the drive, but not every user has root rights installed and not everyone knows how to do this. Therefore, the easiest way, simply, is to format the drive through a computer. This is done quite simply:
Please note that during the formatting process, all data on the drive will be destroyed.
Reason 3: Lack of nutrition
Rarely, but it still happens that the phone does not provide enough power to operate a flash drive or external hard drive. In this case, there is only one way out - to use an active USB hub, to which external power is connected.
In this case, mobility, alas, is out of the question.
Reason 4: Damaged connector
The connector where the OTG cable is connected may be faulty, and even if charging through it does not mean that it is working. The contacts responsible for data transfer may not be working. In this case, you need to go to the service center.
Reason 4: Damaged OTG cable
One of the reasons why the phone does not see a flash drive connected via an OTG cable is a malfunction of the cable itself. You need to connect it to another device and connect a USB flash drive to it, if the drive goes unnoticed, you need to change the cable.
Reason 5: OTG power controller burnt out
Sometimes it happens that an Android smartphone does not supply power or supplies, but not enough. This can be checked:
In this case, you need to carry the device to a service center.
How to connect a USB flash drive to a smartphone
In order to avoid unnecessary questions, it is worth writing a brief instruction on how to connect a USB flash drive to a smartphone:
- We take an OTG adapter. It must have a USB port. To buy an adapter of the required standard, it is better to go to a store with a smartphone, then you will definitely get what you need. If there is an OTG, we connect it to the microUSB connector of the phone or to the tablet.
- You need to connect a USB flash drive to the USB connector of the OTG cable.
- Then you should go to the address sdcard / usbStorage in the smartphone's file manager, there will be the contents of the drive.
Here's how to connect a USB drive to your smartphone.
If there is no OTG function
Some users are wondering how to connect a USB flash drive to a smartphone if it does not have an OTG function. Alas, there are no smartphones with USB ports, as they are quite large. The only option is to use an OTG adapter, it is unrealistic to connect a USB flash drive to a phone without OTG.
Conclusion
Now you know why the smartphone does not see the flash drive and what to do if it does not have the OTG function. Study this material carefully and everything will become clear.
Need to unload the smartphone's memory, transfer files to temporary storage? We tell you how to connect a regular USB flash drive to a smartphone and what you need for this.
Smartphones have long ceased to be exclusively means of communication. Their performance is enough for both heavy online games and work tasks that were previously only available from the desktop.
One of the important limitations, according to which an Android smartphone could not replace a laptop a few years ago, was that it was impossible to connect a regular USB flash drive to it.
Today, most smartphones on the Android operating system support the connection of external USB drives. In this article, we will figure out how to determine whether it is possible to connect a USB flash drive to the phone via usb, and what is required for this.
How to connect a flash drive to a smartphone
First, it is necessary that the phone has USB Host support, which is relevant for most modern models. You can check whether this mode is supported on your device on the manufacturer's website or on any website with a list of the main characteristics of the device. You will also need a special adapter (or cable) OTG (“on-the-go” - “on the go”) with a micro-USB connector on one side and an input for a USB drive on the other, these are sold in most mobile equipment and accessories stores, their price is about 100 rubles.
You can buy a flash drive with the ability to connect to a smartphone directly, then it should have two connectors at once: microUSB and USB, there are already quite a lot of them on sale, but having an adapter that takes up almost no space in your pocket or bag, you can connect to your device absolutely any storage. This can come in handy when you urgently need to receive or send files from someone's flash drive.
If your smartphone has a USB Type-C connector, then you can only use a flash drive with such a connector, but there are not so many of them yet and the average cost is much higher than that of conventional flash drives.
On some smartphone models, when you connect a USB drive, the file manager is automatically launched, with which you can immediately view, copy or move files on the USB flash drive. If this does not happen on your device, you need to open the notification panel, where there will be a message about connecting a new device, the contents of which you can view using a standard or third-party file manager.
As a nice bonus, the OTG cable can be used to connect other USB devices to your device, such as a keyboard, mouse or gamepad.
For correct display and work with files on a flash drive, it must be formatted in FAT32, although some Android devices also support the exFAT file system, but it is better to clarify this before connecting. If the drive uses the NTFS system, then Android simply does not recognize it.
Connecting a USB flash drive to an old smartphone
Some Android devices support OTG, but mounting connected drives in the system does not, that is, the flash drive will not appear in the list of storage devices. This is typical for devices with an outdated version of the mobile OS. In this case, you will need root to connect the USB drive. After that, you need to download and install the StickMount application and grant root access. After that, you can connect the USB flash drive, the StickMount notification will appear on the screen that a new device is connected, and you can view the content through the file manager. Then you need to "unmount" the flash drive via StickMount and remove it from the OTG adapter.
Of course, using an OTG cable is not always convenient, and the construction of a smartphone, cable, and flash drive can be quite cumbersome, but, for example, on the road, when watching movies at home, or in other cases when you have to work with files on removable media, such a solution becomes optimal.
