Modern flash drives can hold a huge amount of information, whose weight will reach up to 256 GB and even more. That's just due to the lack of the required connector, it is problematic to “synchronize” with a smartphone and come to the rescue adapters. Today we will find out how to connect a USB flash drive to Android via OTG and what is needed for this.
What is OTG
OTG cable is a special adapter, allows you to connect devices with a standard USB connector to phones and tablets. In a word, this is an adapter, one end of which is connected to a smartphone, and an accessory is inserted into the other.
You can connect both with mice and keyboards, and with any external drive.
You can buy an adapter at any store., which specializes in electronics and gadgets for it. We also note that some phones already come with OTG. For example, this detail was seen on Samsung and Sony smartphones.
How to Check Android and OTG Compatibility
Unfortunately, Not all smartphones can boast support for the OTG protocol. But how can you find out in advance whether the device will be able to recognize an additional gadget? The easiest - it's a visual definition. If the phone has standard microUSB, most likely, and in this case it will connect to the adapter without problems.
But for a better test, we recommend using a special program, namely USB OTG Checker. This is a very useful application with a minimum of functions that perfectly performs the main option - recognizing OTG support or lack of it in an Android smartphone.
USB OTG Checker App
The utility can be easily downloaded from . After installation, we launch it and after a few seconds we see either a green square or a red one on the main screen. Everything is very clear here : green means successful further synchronization, red - inability to connect to the adapter.
Below is a table with some information about the device, which shows the phone model, its name and ID. On this, in principle, the entire functionality of the application ends.
If the result is negative - There are two options to solve this problem. Perhaps the flash drive is simply not recognized by the built-in Explorer. For this, there are special utilities, which we will discuss below. Or the OTG protocol is generally blocked in the device. Then, unfortunately, nothing can be done, only to purchase a new Android phone.
The connection procedure itself is very simple: insert the accessory into the adapter, and connect the adapter to your smartphone. If the flash drive is successfully recognized by the operating system, a corresponding notification should appear on the screen, on which you should click "Allow". The external flash drive is recognized by the device, but how can I read information from it now?
File managers will help here, they are also called explorers. These are applications that allow you to view all the information stored in the memory of a mobile device and drives attached to it.
On some phones, for example, from Xiaomi, there is already a built-in "Explorer".
But you can also install any third-party manager, the best option is ES Explorer, which we discussed in detail in the article. We start the program go to the root menu and the external drive should be displayed there. Click on it and a list of materials will appear. Thus, you can view images, videos, read documents and work with archives. All information stored on a flash drive is available from a smartphone.
But what to do if the drive is not recognized? The only way out is specialized utilities. For example, an excellent program is Media Explorer, available for download from Google Play. Unfortunately, it is paid, and there is no trial beta version.
StickMount (Root)
Don't want to spend money? Don't despair, there is also a free alternative - stickmout app, requesting . If you are already a “Superuser”, you can easily adapt to the program, but otherwise you will either have to buy a tool or get root, otherwise you will not be able to work with a flash drive.
Possible problems why the phone / tablet does not see the flash drive via OTG
You bought an adapter, downloaded the necessary file manager, happily connected a USB flash drive, but it is not readable by the device - what is the reason? Let's discuss the most common factors that prevent successful synchronization:
- Invalid flash drive format. android not reading filesystems NTFS and ExFat. Suitable only FAT32.
- Wrong software or operating system. It can be in the firmware, and in special drivers, and in the Android version. To avoid such troubles - test the phone in advance via USB OTG Charge.
- Dirty connectors due to which there is no contact. This can also be attributed faulty flash drive or adapter.
- A flash drive holds too much information. For example, if you connect a 256 GB drive to a smartphone with only 4-8 GB of permanent memory, problems may occur. Similarly, with RAM less than 1 GB.
Video instruction: how to connect USB to a smartphone without OTG support
As you can see, it is quite easy to connect a USB flash drive to Android via OTG, for this you just need to clearly follow the instructions and have the necessary tools at hand. Good luck!
In this article, we will figure out how to connect Android to a computer / laptop via USB as a USB flash drive and be able to transfer information without using a classic USB flash drive.
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.
Prior to Android 4.4 KitKat, it was possible to establish a USB connection like a USB flash drive. The PC saw the device as a removable disk and provided the same rights: the user could, and perform other actions.
Then, in new versions of Android, the USB mode was replaced by MTP, in which only the data transfer function remained, and the same formatting does not work.
Setting up a USB connection
To manage the connection to a computer via USB, you must. To do this, add the “For Developers” section to the Android settings (if it is not there):
- Open settings.
- Go to About Phone or About Device.
- "Build Number" or "MIUI Version".
- Press (click) on this item until you see a message that you have become a developer (usually 7-10 clicks are enough).
After the developer section appears in the settings, you can enable USB debugging. The item is called so, so you just need to move the slider to the “On” position and confirm the permission.
Increase Now you can connect the device to the computer via USB and select the operating mode. In the latest versions of Android, the most used are:
- MTP - transfer of any files from a computer to a phone and vice versa.
- PTP - transfer photos, as well as transfer files that are not supported in MTP mode.
- Only charging.
Connecting in USB mass storage mode
If you can't get used to using the media player, switch back to using the USB mass storage mode. For this you will need:
- Installed program USB MASS STORAGE Enabler.
Using this method may corrupt system files. In such a case, you will have to reflash Android.
To make Android connect to your computer as a storage device:
- Run USB MASS STORAGE Enabler.
- Grant superuser rights and agree to change how Selinux works.
- If the device is supported, the main application menu will open.
- Click "Enable USB MASS STORAGE".
Increase Now, when connected to a PC, the phone or tablet will be displayed as a drive. To connect in MTP or PTP mode, just restart the device. Once you're done with mass storage mode, go back to the app and disable USB MASS STORAGE.
Bulky USB connectors are not entirely appropriate on compact smartphones. But this does not mean that flash drives cannot be connected to them. Agree that this can be very convenient in many situations, especially when the phone does not provide for the use of MicroSD. We suggest you consider all options for connecting a USB flash drive to gadgets with micro-USB connectors.
First you need to find out if your smartphone supports OTG technology. This means that the micro-USB port can supply power to external devices and make them visible in the system. This technology began to be implemented on devices with Android 3.1 and higher.
Information about OTG support can be found in the documentation for your smartphone or simply use the Internet. To be sure, download the USB OTG Checker application, the purpose of which is to check the device for OTG technology support. Just press the button "Check Device OS on USB OTG".
If the check for OTG support was successful, you will see a picture as shown below. 
And if not, you will see this. 
Now you can consider the options for connecting a flash drive to a smartphone, we will consider the following:
- using an OTG cable;
- use of an adapter;
- using a USB OTG flash drive.
For iOS, there is one way - using special flash drives with a Lightning connector for iPhone.
Interesting: in some cases, you can connect other devices, for example: a mouse, keyboard, joystick, etc.
Method 1: Using an OTG cable
The most common way to connect a flash drive to mobile devices involves the use of a special adapter cable, which can be bought at any place where mobile devices are sold. Some manufacturers include such cables with smartphones and tablets.
On the one hand, the OTG cable has a standard USB connector, on the other, a micro-USB plug. It is easy to guess what and where to insert. 
If the flash drive has indicator lights, then you can determine from them that the power has gone. On the smartphone itself, a notification about the connected media may also appear, but not always.
The contents of the flash drive can be found along the path
/sdcard/usbStorage/sda1
To do this, use any file manager. 
Method 2: Using an adapter
Recently, small adapters (adapters) from USB to micro-USB began to appear on sale. This small device has a micro-USB output on one side, and USB contacts on the other. It is enough to insert the adapter into the flash drive interface, and you can connect it to your mobile device. 
Method 3: Using a flash drive for an OTG connector
If you intend to connect the drive frequently, then the easiest option is to purchase a USB OTG flash drive. Such a storage medium has two ports at the same time: USB and micro-USB. It is convenient and practical. 
Today, USB OTG flash drives can be found almost anywhere conventional drives are sold. However, they are not much more expensive.
Method 4: Flash drives for iPhone
There are several special media for iPhones. Transcend has developed a removable drive JetDrive Go 300. It has a Lightning connector on one side, and a regular USB on the other. Actually, this is the only really working way to connect a flash drive to iOS smartphones. 
What to do if the smartphone does not see the connected flash drive
team "Unmount" used to safely eject media. Please note that StickMount requires root access. You can get it, for example, using the program.
The ability to connect a USB flash drive to a smartphone primarily depends on the latter. It is necessary that the device supports OTG technology, and then you can use a special cable, adapter or connect a USB flash drive with micro-USB.
Almost all the latest (and not so) flagship Android models are equipped with chic widescreen displays with a decent diagonal and high ppi. On such screens it is quite convenient to watch movies and series on the road, but where to record them? Google has a bad tradition of not installing memory card slots in its Googlephones. If this is not so critical for the Galaxy Nexus (16 GB on board), then the younger Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 are already suffering, because you cannot record a lot of video content on 8 GB, and not only Google phones are guilty of this. It remains to use removable external media. But how to connect it to a smartphone and tablet? Very simple.
What you need
- Smartphone or tablet to which we want to connect the USB storage
- Removable USB disk
- USB OTG cable
The USB On-The-Go cable is an adapter that connects to the smartphone's micro USB port at one end, and a standard removable disk USB port is plugged into the other end. Cool DIYers can solder it themselves (maybe they will send us instructions with screenshots, we will publish them with pleasure), the rest can go to the Internet or the nearest specialized store and buy such an adapter there for very funny money. This posting actually opens up a lot of opportunities. With it, you can connect joysticks, keyboards and other devices with a USB interface, as long as your smartphone or tablet understands them.
At the initial stage, this is enough. Now we need to find out if our mobile device wants to be friends with removable media without additional manipulations. Smartphones and tablets from one manufacturer allow you to connect USB drives out of the box. Let's connect and watch. If it was not possible to access the repository, then we go further.
Easy option
If you don’t feel like messing around, then go to the Google Play Store and buy the Nexus Media Importer application there (it works not only with Nexuses) for $3. That's enough.
If your device is rooted, you don't have to pay. Download the free StickMount application (only works with root) and along the way any file manager if you don’t have it installed for one reason or another (we like ES Explorer).
It remains to connect a removable drive and allow StickMount root access.
A corresponding message will appear in the notification area stating that the storage has been successfully connected and has the /sdcard/usbStorage address.
We go to this folder through the file manager and enjoy.
Today, modern devices play a huge role in our lives. We are not talking about computers or laptops, which are already starting to fade into the background. Smartphones and tablets are portable computers that have almost all the functions, just like laptops. Unfortunately, these modern devices are not suitable for office work. Typing text on a tablet is quite difficult, not to mention regular phones.
People began to think about how to connect a flash drive to an Android smartphone or a keyboard, mouse and other useful devices. It turns out that this can be done. However, not everyone knows how to connect an additional device to their smartphone. Let's look at this using an ordinary flash drive as an example. As a rule, it is this device that many people try to connect to their device.
How to connect a flash drive to an android smartphone
Modern devices running the Android operating system have a standard microUSB connector. For a USB flash drive to work on your device, it must have USB On-The-Go technology installed. Manufacturers have started to implement this feature in the Android OS since version 3.1.
As a rule, in modern tablets, and even more so in phones, a USB connector is not installed. Therefore, you will need a USB-OTG cable. Some manufacturers include an adapter for a flash drive in the kit, if you don’t have one, you will have to buy it at any store that sells digital equipment.
The smartphone does not have a micro-USB port.
If you did not find a microUSB connector on your smartphone, then you will need to purchase a USB-OTG cable first, and then an adapter to it. Of course, this is quite inconvenient: if you need to connect an additional device, you will have to use several cables. But this is the only way that will allow you to connect a USB flash drive.
How to view the contents of an external drive
So, we looked at how to connect a USB flash drive to an Android smartphone. Now let's move on to opening an additional device. How to do it? We need to download a file manager. Perhaps you already have it, since the manufacturer installs a certain set of programs in some devices. Of course, if you don't have a file manager, you'll have to install it. For Android smartphones, ES File Explorer, FX File Explorer and Total Commander take the lead. You can choose the application that you like best.
How to open a flash drive on Android
As we have already found out, we will need it. After installing it, we can go into this utility and find a USB flash drive. If you can't find the external device, try entering the file path (/sdcard/usbStorage). After successfully opening the flash drive, you can view, copy and move files as you would on a regular computer. Now you know how to connect a flash drive to an Android smartphone and open it, but, unfortunately, there are problems on some devices. Let's look at them and try to find ways to solve them.
"Android"-tablet or smartphone does not see the USB flash drive
If you have reached this point, then you are having problems connecting the flash drive to your smartphone. This may be for various reasons. Now we will consider the most common of them.
First. If the file manager should help him. Now there are applications that can solve this problem. The most effective program is paid, so we will look at a free alternative. Unfortunately, it requires root rights. StickMount works not only with flash drives, but also with other additional devices.
If you have installed the necessary utility, you can connect an external device. When connecting, you must agree to the rules of StickMount, after which it will automatically start and see the flash drive. How to find the device? You can go to /sdcard/usbStorage/sda1 in the file manager. Do not forget to properly disconnect additional devices so that there are no problems with them in the future. To do this, go to the program and click on the "Unmount" button.
It is worth noting another high-quality application - Helper, which works on a similar principle.
The second reason. Before installing additional programs and root rights, you should make sure that the problem is not in the flash drive. What is it connected with? Your device simply does not see the flash drive, as it may be configured for a different file system (perhaps NTFS).
Let's say you don't have a laptop or a computer: how then to connect an additional device? You need to download Paragon NTFS & HTS+, an application that supports the required format for reading text data. Unfortunately, this app requires root access. You can get them using the King Root program. However, superuser rights can not be obtained on all devices. Remember: you do this at your own peril and risk. Due to this application, your smartphone may start to work not quite correctly. If the device is still under warranty, then you do not need to get root rights, since the warranty will be lost in this case.
Conclusion
So, we looked at how to connect an external flash drive to an Android smartphone and described some of the problems associated with the connection. As practice shows, issues arise on older devices. If you have a new device, there should be no problems. To use a flash drive, keyboard, mouse or other applications on your device, you must follow the rules and do everything carefully.
