Applications for reading flash drives for android. Connect android as a flash drive for storage: all ways

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.

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.

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!

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 should be noted that this function is implemented only in 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 in the distribution 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 own with a proprietary 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

Read also: TOP 12 Best Memory Cards for Smartphones, Cameras and DVRs | Overview of popular models + Reviews

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 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 .

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 and. The user can choose the application he likes.

Connecting a flash drive to an Android device using StickMount

Read also:MicroSD formatting, write protection and how to remove it - All methods

If the user has access to a mobile device, then he can automatically install a 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).

After 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

Read also:How to remove write protection from a usb flash drive - Solving basic problems

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 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 .

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.

Safely remove a flash drive from a smartphone

Also, many users are interested in such an important question as how to properly remove a USB flash drive from a mobile device. The fact is that this factor affects the life of the drive.

There are several options here. The standard way is this: go to the settings and, by going to the subsection "memory" , select an item "disable memory card" .

If this method of removing a USB flash drive is not suitable for the user, then you can simply turn off the smartphone beforehand to safely remove the drive.

Connecting a USB flash drive to a mobile device is very simple if you follow a certain procedure. Also remember the rules for safely removing a flash drive.

The principle of working with files on a flash drive

To successfully view, copy and transfer files, you must use the file manager. If it is not downloaded, download it from .

It is best to install, as it is considered one of the popular file managers for Android.

Many users prefer to install standard file managers, which will show the basic principles of working with files as an example.

By launching programs to view the file, the user will see that his flash drive has become available for viewing and editing the files in use.

Few consumers know that a mobile device running on the Android operating system, unlike other portable devices, can be used as a flash drive. In Lenovo smartphones on Android, the manufacturers initially incorporated functions that allow them to be used as a flash drive and used for their intended purpose. Thanks to this, the user can record the necessary information, delete files from the device that are not used, but at the same time take up a lot of space in it.

Using an android phone as a flash drive, there is no need to connect it to a computer, to constantly carry a cable with you, which is necessary to connect with a laptop, that is, to perform a lot of manipulations that take a lot of time.

Ways to connect a mobile device like a flash drive

Consider how to connect the phone as a USB flash drive. To do this, you need to do a number of simple sequential steps:

1. Select "Menu" on your device and find "Settings".
2. Immediately after that, a list will appear on the screen, you should find the line “SD Card” in it. Depending on the version of Android, it can be found through applications or memory .

1. In order for the smartphone to recognize the PC as a USB flash drive, you need to check the box next to the line labeled "Data storage device" in the displayed list. Or click on the inscription "Connect SD-card".
2. As soon as the smartphone is connected to the computer, an icon will appear in the status bar of the device, which indicates that the USB flash drive is in working order.

If you lower the curtain in the menu, you will see the connection of the phone via the USB port as a USB flash drive. If you need to turn off the drive, you must also lower the shutter and click on the appropriate inscription.

Options for connecting a phone with different versions of Android

Consider how to connect your phone as a flash drive, depending on the version of Android that is installed on the device. First you need to find out which operating system is installed on your smartphone. To do this, go to "Settings" and find the item "About phone" or "About device". Usually it is the last one in the list that opens.

If Android OS 2.1 - 2.3.7 take the following steps:

• The device is connected to the PC using a USB cable;
• The computer itself should detect a new device. If this does not happen, you need to disconnect the smartphone from the PC, go to "Settings" → "Applications" → "For Developer" → "USB Debugging". After that, connect to the PC again.
• The drive icon will appear on the device, it remains to click "Connect via USB", which must be done as a media device.

If the Android operating system with version 4 and higher is installed on the phone, you need to connect to a PC, do the following: “Menu” → “Settings” → “Memory” → “Connect to SD card” .

Android does not see the memory card

There are situations in which the flash drive in the smartphone is not detected. In order to find it, it is recommended to use a file manager - ES Explorer or its equivalent. With the help of such programs, you can find almost everything. In their functions, they resemble the program "My Computer".

In order to recognize the memory card, you need to launch the ES File Explorer by prematurely downloading it to your device. After starting, a menu will appear on the left side of the screen, in which the memory card (SDcard) is located. All you have to do is click on it. It has been discovered and is open to work.

Having done simple steps, anyone, even a novice user of a mobile device, will be able to find a memory card in it. The reasons why the computer does not see the SDcard may be different. You may need to upgrade the operating system on your PC or install the MediaTransferProtocol (MTP) for Windows XP

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Android perfectly knows how to work with USB flash drives, some devices even have a full-fledged USB port. But not everyone is so lucky. Basically, the devices are equipped with a microUSB connector. What if you need to connect a flash drive to a smartphone or tablet equipped with only a microUSB port?

Android has USB On - To - Go technology (loosely translated: plug and play). Its essence is that the device is able to supply power to external media connected via microUSB. Thanks to this, the user has the opportunity to work with flash drives directly from his tablet or smartphone.

This onetechnology definitely have all devices with Android 3.1 and higher. As for the rest - you need to check. Use the program from the Google Play Market for this.

Device check with USB OTG Checker

To check for OTG on your device, simply run the USB OTG Checker. It will test the device and show you the result.

Connecting an OTG cable

So, your device is modern enough to support this simple technology. Now you need a USB to microUSB adapter. This cable is also called an OTG cable.

It looks like any ordinary adapter: on the one hand, there is a flat plug for the microUSB connector, on the other, a USB port covered with plastic.

Connect one end of the OTG cable to your smartphone or tablet, and insert a flash card into the other. If everything is fine, a corresponding message will appear on the device screen. You will be prompted to open a file manager to view the data from the USB drive.

StickMount: if the device does not see the flash drive through the adapter

Unfortunately, it's not always that easy. On some devices, a USB drive may not be recognized even if OTG is available. If you exclude the possibility of damage to the flash drive (check it by connecting it to a computer), then your smartphone / tablet may not automatically detect external media. In this case, the program will help. You can download it from the Google Play Market.

1. Download and install the program.
2. Try inserting the flash drive again.
3. Android will now prompt you to launch StickMount. Agree. The flash drive will be detected, and you can view the files installed on it.

Please note that StickMount requires root access.

How to get root access on the device

How can I connect a USB flash drive to an android using an adapter - video

How to view data from a flash drive

In order to work comfortably with an external drive, you will need good file managers. If you have root access, then you can choose any of the many options. But if you are the owner of a Nexus device, then there are at least two applications in the Play Market that allow you to do without root.

These are not the only ones, but perhaps one of the best. Alas, both are paid. In general, they can work on other devices, you need to check here. You can do this using the Nexus Photo Viewer program.

Thus, to connect a flash drive to an Android device, you will need a USB to microUSB adapter and several programs. In addition, to fully work with removable media, you need good file managers that can only be installed on a smartphone or tablet with root access.

Not all mobile devices are equipped with sufficient internal memory. Connecting a flash drive solves this problem and allows you to watch large-volume movies on your phone or tablet, move files, and perform other data operations. 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 USB flash drive to an Android smartphone and solve problems that arise in the process.

How to connect USB flash drive to phone?

Before connecting a USB storage device to a 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 the supply of power to the contacts, which makes it possible to connect not only flash drives, external hard drives, but also mice, keyboards, and other electronics. This technology has been implemented since Android 3.1. First you need to check the compliance of the firmware 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 will give out, it will be . You can also see 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 USB flash drive is inserted into it. Now flash drives have already begun to be massively distributed, where there are two outputs at once.

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

How to connect a flash drive to Android without OTG?

In budget models of smartphones, where they try to save on every little thing, sometimes there is no 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 to the latest drive.
• Insert the output of the splitter into the Micro-USB adapter.
• Connect the latter to your mobile device.

The design will turn out to be quite cumbersome and tied to a constant power source, but by other methods it will not work to connect a USB flash drive and a phone without OTG support.

It's 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 be equipped with a Micro-USB connector, since at that time each manufacturer used its own standard for inputs. A special adapter will help to cope with such a nuisance. It is easiest to search for such devices in online stores, since the product is specific and often may not be available in ordinary retail outlets.

When searching, you should specify the full name of the phone or tablet in order to get exactly the adapter that fits the existing connector.

Possible problems and solutions

There may be other problems with connecting flash drives that are not related to connectors and supported technologies. Let's analyze the most common problems and how to fix them:

• The flash drive is not mounted automatically. When you are sure that OTG is present, but the USB drive is still not displayed in the file manager, it means that the device does not have the necessary function. Most often, trouble occurs on devices of the Nexus line and those on which it is installed. 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. Two options can be taken as a solution:
  • Re-formatting the flash drive to FAT format. You can do this both on a computer and on a smartphone. Please note that all data will be deleted during the process. Therefore, it is recommended to transfer them to another medium in advance.
  • Installation . Using the program, you can open a flash drive in NTFS format and manage its contents. There is other software of a similar plan, but in most cases it requires root access to function.
• Too much external memory. Devices with poor performance may have difficulty connecting large drives. This manifests itself in the absence of recognition or freezes when used. Only changing the flash drive will help.
• Damage. This includes failures of the drive, adapters and connectors. To accurately identify the cause, one element should be replaced one by one and the correct operation should be checked.

The presented material describes in detail how to connect a USB flash drive to a smartphone on Android. You can fulfill your plans even if there is no Micro-USB input and OTG support, and special applications will help you recognize incompatible drives.