Guide to connecting a USB flash drive to an Android and iOS smartphone. Connecting a flash drive to your phone

In this article we will figure out how to connect Android to a computer/laptop via USB as a flash drive and be able to transfer information without using a classic 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.

Before Android 4.4 KitKat, it was possible to connect via USB as a flash drive. The PC saw the device as a removable disk and provided the same rights: the user could also 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 did not work.

Setting up a USB connection

To manage the connection to a computer via USB, you need. To do this, add the “For Developers” section to the Android settings (if it doesn’t exist):

Open settings.
Go to the "About phone" or "About device" section.
"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).

Increase

After the developer section appears in the settings, you can enable USB debugging. The item is called that way, so you just need to move the slider to the “On” position and confirm the resolution.

Increase

Now you can connect the device to your computer via USB and select the operating mode. In the latest versions of Android, the most used ones are:

MTP - transfer any files from computer to phone and vice versa.
PTP - transfer of photos, as well as transfer of files not supported in MTP mode.
Charging only.

Connecting in USB storage mode

If you can't get used to using the media player, go back to using USB storage mode. For this you will need:

USB MASS STORAGE Enabler installed.

Using this method may damage system files. In this case, you will have to reflash Android.

To connect Android to your computer as a drive:

Launch 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".

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Now, when connected to a PC, the phone or tablet will appear as a drive. To connect in MTP or PTP mode, just restart the device. Once you're done with mass storage mode, go back into 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 support the use of MicroSD. We invite you to consider all options for connecting a USB flash drive to gadgets with micro-USB connectors.

First, you need to find out whether your smartphone supports OTG technology. This means the micro-USB port can supply power to external devices and make them visible to the system. This technology has begun 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 completely sure, download the USB OTG Checker application, the purpose of which is to check the device for support of OTG technology. Just press the button "Check Device OS on USB OTG".

If the OTG support check is successful, you will see a picture as shown below.

And if not, you will see this.

Now you can consider options for connecting a flash drive to a smartphone, we will consider the following:

using an OTG cable;
using 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: mouse, keyboard, joystick, etc.

Method 1: Using an OTG cable

The most common way to connect a flash drive to mobile devices involves using a special adapter cable, which can be purchased at any place where mobile devices are sold. Some manufacturers include such cables with smartphones and tablets.

On one side, the OTG cable has a standard USB connector, on the other, a micro-USB plug. It’s easy to guess what to insert and where.

If the flash drive has light indicators, then you can determine from them that the power is on. A notification about the connected media may also appear on the smartphone itself, 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 from USB to micro-USB have begun to appear on sale. This small device has a micro-USB output on one side and USB contacts on the other. Just insert the adapter into the flash drive interface, and you can connect it to your mobile device.

Method 3: Using a flash drive with an OTG connector

If you intend to connect the drive frequently, then the easiest option is to purchase a USB OTG flash drive. This storage medium has two ports at the same time: USB and micro-USB. It's convenient and practical.

Today, USB OTG flash drives can be found almost everywhere where regular drives are sold. At the same time, in terms of price they are not much more expensive.

Method 4: Flash drives for iPhone

There are several special media for iPhones. Transcend has developed the JetDrive Go 300 removable drive. It has a Lightning connector on one side and a regular USB connector on the other. Actually, this is the only really working way to connect a flash drive to iOS smartphones.

What to do if your smartphone does not see the connected flash drive

Team "Unmount" used to safely remove 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 flash drive with micro-USB.

Users of Android smartphones or tablets sometimes encounter the problem that the phone does not recognize the USB flash drive. Now we will try to figure out what this is connected with and what to do.

Why doesn't my phone recognize the USB flash drive?

Devices running the Android operating system allow you to connect external storage devices, 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 high-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 storage device or hard drive via an OTG cable. You need to check whether the device works with this technology:

Go to the Play Market and enter USB OTG Checker in the search bar.
Install the first application from the list of results.

Let's launch it.
If it shows 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 the Android operating system installed starting from version 3.1; USB 2.0 and 3.0 are not supported below.

Reason 3: File system format

Devices on which the official firmware is installed support the following file systems:

exFAT;
FAT32.

Unfortunately, the phone will not work with others. There are two options:

Format your drive for the desired file system.
To install an application that supports other file systems, however, you will need root rights.

Of course, the second method is convenient; you don’t have to delete anything from the drive, but not every user has root rights and not everyone knows how to do this. Therefore, the easiest way is to simply 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

It is rare, 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 is, alas, out of the question.

Reason 4: The connector is damaged

The connector where the OTG cable is connected may be faulty, and even if charging goes through it, this 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: The OTG cable is damaged

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 flash drive to it; if the drive goes unnoticed, you need to change the cable.

Reason 5: OTG power controller burned out

Sometimes it happens that an Android smartphone does not supply power or does, but not enough. This can be checked:

In this case, you need to take the device to a service center.

How to connect a USB flash drive to your smartphone

To avoid unnecessary questions, it’s worth writing short instructions on how to connect a USB flash drive to a smartphone:

Take the OTG adapter. It must have a USB connector. To buy an adapter of the required standard, it is better to go to the store with a smartphone, then you will definitely get what you need. If there is an OTG, connect it to the microUSB connector of the phone or tablet.
You need to connect a flash drive to the USB connector of the OTG cable.
Then you should go to the address sdcard/usbStorage in your smartphone’s file manager, the contents of the drive will be there.

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 the OTG function. Unfortunately, there are no smartphones with USB ports, as they are quite large. The only option is to use an OTG adapter; connecting a flash drive to a phone without OTG is unrealistic.

Conclusion

Now you know why your smartphone doesn’t see the flash drive and what to do if it doesn’t have the OTG function. Study this material carefully and everything will become clear.

Not all mobile devices are equipped with sufficient internal memory. Connecting a flash drive solves this problem and allows you to watch large movies on your phone or tablet, move files and perform other operations with data. Several methods can be used to combine a smartphone and an external drive, and support for a certain standard will also be required. Let's take a closer look at how to connect a flash drive to an Android smartphone and solve problems that arise in the process.

How to connect a USB flash drive to your phone?

Before you start connecting a USB storage device to your mobile device, you need to make sure that this option is available. You need to inspect the device for the presence of a Micro-USB connector.

note

Almost all modern phones are equipped with a Micro-USB connector, but sometimes there are those where the manufacturer used its own connection standard.

Even if the desired connector is found on the phone, it is not necessary that it supports OTG technology. Its essence lies in supplying power to the contacts, which makes it possible to connect not only flash drives, external hard drives, but also keyboards and other electronics. This technology has been implemented since Android version 3.1. First, you should check the firmware compliance by visiting the “About the device” section. If the version is higher, then you can proceed to the next check point:

According to the result that the application produces, it will be . You can also look at the information in the technical characteristics of the smartphone by finding them through a search engine.

If all conditions are met, the next step is to purchase a special adapter. At one end there is a Micro-USB output, at the other - a USB input. This small device is connected to the smartphone connector, then a flash drive is inserted into it. Now flash drives with two outputs have already begun to spread en masse.

Now we have considered the most standard connection method, when the phone has all the necessary technologies and connectors to ensure the smooth execution of the procedure. However, this does not always happen. Let's consider other options.

How to connect a flash drive to Android without OTG?

Budget smartphone models, where they try to save on every little detail, sometimes lack OTG technology. This problem can be solved, but additional adapters and devices will be required. In general, the process looks like this:

Take a charger with a USB cable.
Connect it as a power source to the USB-Hub (in other words, a splitter).
Connect the drive to the latter.
Insert the output of the splitter into the Micro-USB adapter.
Connect the latter to your mobile device.

The design will be quite bulky and tied to a constant power source, but using other methods to connect a flash drive and a phone without OTG support will not work.

It is important to know

The smartphone will be able to easily open all files stored on external memory, however, recording may not be supported on some models.

How to connect a flash drive to Android without Micro-USB?

Older smartphones may not have a Micro-USB connector because each manufacturer used a different input standard at the time. A special adapter will help you cope with this problem. The easiest way to look for such devices is in online stores, since the product is specific and may often not be available in regular retail outlets.

When performing a search, you should indicate the full name of the phone or tablet in order to get exactly the adapter that fits the existing connector.

Possible problems and their solutions

When connecting flash drives, other problems may arise that are not related to connectors and supported technologies. Let's look at the most common problems and methods for resolving them:

The flash drive is not mounted automatically. When you are sure that OTG is present, but the USB drive still does not appear in the file manager, it means that the device lacks the necessary function. Most often, the problem occurs on devices of the Nexus line and those on which . The solution is to install the StickMount application (requires superuser rights to work).
Invalid file system format. A flash drive in FAT format is connected to an Android smartphone via micro-USB. If the drive was formatted to the NTFS standard, then it will not be possible to recognize it using standard OS tools. As a solution, two options can be taken:
- Re-format the flash drive to FAT format. This can be done both on a computer and on a smartphone. Please note that this process will delete all data. Therefore, it is recommended to transfer them to another medium in advance.
- Installation . Using the program's tools, you can open a flash drive in NTFS format and manage its contents. There is other similar software, but in most cases it requires root access to function.
The amount of external memory is too large. Devices with weak specifications may have difficulty connecting large storage devices. This manifests itself in a lack of recognition or freezes during use. Only changing the flash drive will help.
Damage. This includes malfunctions of the drive, adapters and connectors. To accurately identify the cause, you should replace one element one at a time and check for correct operation.

The presented material describes in detail how to connect a flash drive to an Android smartphone. You can accomplish your plans even in the absence of a Micro-USB input and OTG support, and special applications will help you recognize drives of incompatible formats.

Powerful smartphones that can satisfy all the needs of their owners have long appeared on the shelves of electronics stores. The user gets at his disposal a smartphone that not only has enormous computing power, but can also take photographs or have a long battery life.

Compared to a computer, a telephone has serious differences. For example, this is memory. Modern computers will not surprise anyone with several terabytes that are available to the user for storing data. Most inexpensive phones have 32 or 64 gigabytes of internal memory.

Of course, it can be increased using a regular memory card. This is exactly what many users do. What should those whose phone does not have a slot for a memory card do? In this case, resourceful users can connect a storage device to their phone. It is clear that it is not convenient to walk around with it, but sometimes it is quite possible to connect it to access a not very important file. Moreover, flash drives have long been able to have a capacity of 128 GB. and even more! This allows you to store quite a lot of information on it.

There are also frequent cases when you need to view information on a flash drive, but there is no way to connect it to a regular computer or laptop. In such cases, connecting a flash drive to a smartphone can be considered a competent and simple solution.

It is clear that this is not so easy to do. The problem that users face when connecting a flash drive is that a regular phone does not have the required USB connector. Regular phones only have micro USB connectors. You won’t be able to connect an external drive using the standard accessories that come with your smartphone. To connect we need an OTG cable or adapter. Unfortunately, manufacturers very rarely equip their devices with such a device.

What is an OTG cable, adapter

The essence of this simple device is that a cable is inserted into the micro USB connector of the phone, the other end of which has the required USB connector for connecting the drive.

OTG cables are different.

Of course, everyone is more concerned about the cost of this simple device. It is quite low and often such adapters or cables are even cheaper than regular USB. This is explained, of course, by the simple design of the adapter, and therefore its low cost.

The process of connecting a flash drive to a mobile device

Important! Not every smartphone supports the ability to connect a flash drive to it. The ability to work with OTG is relevant for mid- and high-end smartphones. When you connect a flash drive to some smartphones, you simply won’t see anything. Therefore, it is important to check whether your smartphone supports OTG connection.

How to check if your smartphone works with OTG

If you haven’t found it, then don’t despair, you can read the review of your phone, perhaps it will mention OTG support.

Interesting! Using an OTG cable and a regular USB, you can charge one smartphone with another. If you switch the cable side, the other phone will start charging.

Connecting a flash drive to an iPhone

Everyone knows that the currently popular iPhones do not have the ability to insert a memory card or otherwise increase space. And sometimes, especially when traveling, you want to download movies and music to a flash drive or memory card and enjoy them. We hasten to please you, you can also connect a flash drive to your iPhone. Only for this you will need a special adapter, one end of which will be Lightning and the other end will be USB.

Other extremely useful OTG features

In addition to a flash drive, you can connect a hard drive or card reader to your smartphone. The latter is extremely convenient to use, for example, for viewing photos from a camera. By the way, your phone can be connected to most modern cameras and controlled using a special application.

An OTG cable is useful for connecting to well-known peripherals - mice and keyboards. They make typing much more convenient, and game lovers will appreciate the familiar controls in their favorite games.

Cloud storage

If you don't have enough space on your phone, you don't have to connect a flash drive to it. In this case, cloud storage can come to the rescue, storing tens of gigabytes of data completely free of charge. This volume may well be sufficient for most users. The advantages of this method include the fact that no equipment will be connected to the smartphone, therefore, it will not interfere in any way, as is the case with OTG.