To get your mobile phone to read a USB drive, you will need to use a USB On-The-Go (OTG) cable. This cable has a micro-USB connector on one end, and a standard USB connector on the other, which allows you to connect a USB drive to your phone.
Once you have connected the USB drive to your phone with the OTG cable, you should be able to access the files on the drive just as you would with files stored on the phone’s internal storage. You may need to install a file manager app from the app store to access the files, depending on the phone manufacturer, but this is usually not necessary. Also, not all mobile phone have the capability to read USB drive, You should check your phone’s specifications or consult the manual to ensure that it supports USB OTG.
What is a USB On-the-go cable
A USB On-The-Go (OTG) cable is a type of cable that allows USB devices to act as a host, allowing other USB devices to be connected to them. This allows devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and cameras to connect to USB devices such as flash drives, keyboards, and mice without the need for a separate computer.
The cable has a Micro-USB connector on one end and a USB-A connector on the other end. The Micro-USB connector plugs into the device that supports USB-OTG, and the USB-A connector allows other USB devices to be connected to it. This allows the host device to read and write data to the connected USB devices, and also enables the host device to use the connected USB device’s capabilities. The USB-OTG standard is also providing power to the peripheral devices as well.
It is also worth noting that not all mobile devices support USB-OTG and also devices like flash drive should also be formatted in a way that it support USB-OTG.
How to check if your mobile device support USB-OTG
There are a few ways to check if your mobile device supports USB On-The-Go (OTG):
- Check the device’s manual or specifications: The manual or the specification sheet for your device should indicate whether it supports USB OTG.
- Check for a USB OTG app: You can search for a USB OTG app in the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store to check if your device is compatible. Many apps will indicate if your device is compatible with the app.
- Plug it in: You can purchase a USB-OTG cable and attempt to connect a USB device to your mobile device to check if it is compatible.
- Check the developer options: Some devices also have USB OTG options in the developer options of their settings. You can check if your device has this option by going to Settings > System > Developer options and look for the USB OTG option.
It is worth to note that having USB-OTG support enabled in the device’s firmware does not guarantee the USB drive used is also compatible with USB-OTG.