Connect a usb drive on android. How to connect a Flash drive to Android devices: problems and solutions

Greetings. Now many people do not know how to connect a flash drive to their phone. Because it simply doesn’t fit or there are other reasons why it can’t be done. In today's article I want to take this issue apart. You will learn how to connect a flash drive to an Android phone (smartphone) and how to view files on it.

I don’t think there’s any need to explain why you need to connect a flash drive to a smartphone. The reasons can be completely different and the most unusual. Maybe there are simply no other devices nearby for reading information from a flash drive, or maybe you decided to transfer music to your phone this way.

How to connect a flash drive to an Android smartphone?

If you are holding an ordinary USB flash drive and your favorite smartphone, you see that there is nowhere to insert it. Because the flash drive has a type USB Type-A, and the smartphone has a connector micro USB Type-B. That's bad luck. (Read more about)

Fortunately, many modern smartphones have technology support USB On-The-Go, allowing them to use most peripheral devices directly without the help of a computer or laptop. You can connect a mouse or keyboard, work with flash drives and much more. But for this you will need.

An OTG cable usually has a full USB Type-A on one side, and a micro USB Type-B on the other side. Therefore, if your smartphone does not have a micro USB connector, then you should take care of an additional adapter to connect a flash drive. Although the likelihood of this is negligible, now almost all smartphones and tablets have a micro USB Type-B connector.

As a result, to connect a flash drive to your phone, need to:

so that your smartphone supported USB technology On-The-Go. Although almost all smartphones now support it, there are nevertheless exceptions. Carefully read the phone's specifications before purchasing if this parameter is important to you.
have in stock. It is inexpensive, so it would be nice if you still have it. You never know when it will come in handy.

Adapter cables for different types of devices

OTG cables need to be selected depending on what connector is available on your smartphone or tablet. It could be microUSB, appleLightning or the most modern USBTYPE-C. The table shows some representatives of these cables.

How to open a flash drive on Android (tablet or phone)?

« How to open a flash drive on a phone, there is no shortcut “ My computer "and nothing similar?- you will be surprised. Naturally, for this we will need some kind of file manager. You most likely have some kind of simple pre-installed file manager. But if it is not there, then you need to install it.

Today, popular file managers on Android OS are: “File Manager”, “ES Explorer”, “ Total Commander", "X-plore File Manager", "File Commander", "ASTRO" and others. There are actually a lot of them. For example, I have been using for a very long time X-plore. I've loved it since the days when smartphones were popular. operating system Symbian (Symbian OS). X-plore - convenient, functional and free manager. What else do you need?

X-plore - file manager

Then simply connect the flash drive to the phone and go to the file manager. There it will be displayed with all the contents. Of course, a completely different question is whether a smartphone can work with all files? It's still not a computer. But he can work with the main ones. There's even special programs to work with Excel tables, but it’s so inconvenient that I don’t even know who these programs were written for.

Why can't my smartphone see the flash drive via an OTG cable?

There may be many reasons why your smartphone does not see the flash drive. Let's look at the most common ones.

The flash drive is also often not visible on the computer, why? Read.

Micro USB flash drives

You may not know this, but there are flash drives that fit into a micro USB connector. This information may be useful to you if you plan to often connect a flash drive to your smartphone, then it makes sense to think about such a purchase.

Micro-USB flash drive

There are also combined flash drives, in which on one side USB output Type-A, and on the other hand – micro USB. You can connect such a flash drive to both a computer and a smartphone. Think maybe this is just what you need.

If you still decide to buy micro flash drive USB, we advise you to pay attention to following models with a large amount of memory. Plus, they can connect to absolutely anyone. USB type connector

Conclusion on connecting a flash drive to the phone

In most cases, you will be able to use a USB flash drive on your phone without any problems. Which is good news. However, if you encounter difficulties connecting a flash drive, do not despair. Many of the problems are resolved fairly quickly. I hope you have learned enough about how to connect a flash drive to your phone. If you have any questions, please ask, we will try to help you.

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Modern Android devices have many hidden functions, unknown to the average user. Among such examples is the possibility of using a phone or tablet with Android OS as a flash drive. The process of editing files, transferring from the device, and recording becomes easier necessary information. To connect your Android as a USB flash drive, there are several methods given in our article.

To determine the sequence of actions, you must take into account the version of Android you are using. To determine information, on the gadget you need to find the “Settings” item, in which (usually at the very bottom of the menu) information about the device is located. Section contains technical specifications, certifications, information about the Android version used.

How to connect Android as a flash drive with version up to 4.0:

Using a USB cable, connect your device to the computer.
It takes a little time to recognize the device; you should not perform any manipulations with the phone (tablet) during the process.
A USB connection icon will appear on the gadget’s screen and may offer a choice of connecting as a media device. We have no use for these functions now.
If the PC stubbornly does not “see” the device, it is necessary to debug it manually. To do this, in the “Settings” menu you need to find the “Applications” item. In it we also find the “For Developer” section, after which we select the “USB debugging” button from the list. After this procedure, there are usually no more problems with connection.

More modern devices with Android version 4.0 and higher are connected using the previous algorithm. The only difference is that if connection is impossible, debugging is carried out in the “Settings” section, where the “Memory” item is selected. Here is the “Settings” category, in which the USB connection is debugged. IN in this case you need to select the device to work as a media device.

How to choose usb android connection mode

On new versions of the Android operating system, the capabilities of this function have been slightly expanded. When connecting to a computer, a notification window usually automatically pops up on the device screen, allowing you to select the connection mode.

Android as a flash drive operates in the following modes:

“MTP” - exchange of a removable device and a PC with any type of data, video and media files.
"RTR" - moving photos and videos if such a function was impossible in the "MTP" mode.
Only the device is charged.

New models of Android phones and tablets are better adapted to connecting via a computer, including via Bluetooth. Usually problems arise with outdated models. If, after all possible manipulations, the computer still fails to establish a connection with the gadget, you may need the help of a specialist, including an “examination” of both devices.

Setting up a USB connection

When connecting to a PC, the data transfer mode is usually automatically selected. To prevent this from happening, and to ensure that the phone itself works like a flash drive, you need to make the following settings.

How to switch flash drive mode on Android:

In the main menu on the phone, select the “NGastroyki” item.
IN different models adjustment may be in different folders, so we are looking for the name “SD Card” or similar.
Next, select the “Connect SD card” command.
After that, connect the device to the computer via a USB cable.
After the manipulations have been completed, the computer will automatically recognize the phone as a flash drive.

Disabling the phone from this mode is much easier. To do this, lower the “curtain” top menu and find an icon indicating that the device is working as a flash drive. To stop this option, just click on the signal icon, after which the connection will proceed as normal.

If you have connection problems

As mentioned earlier, modern devices are usually easily recognized by the system and do not require installation additional programs and drivers. However, you can often encounter various situations when the connection cannot be established via for unknown reasons. Provide for everything possible solutions problems are extremely difficult, but the information provided can help.

Types of connection problems and methods for solving them:

On Android it is difficult to find the location of the memory card. To make your search easier, you can download special application according to the type of ES conductor. With its help, the CD card can be easily displayed, and connecting to the computer will become much easier.
In some cases, it helps to change the USB port, cable, or restart the device and/or computer. Such manipulations are solved by non-critical systemic problems and provide good connection when connected.
If the computer stops seeing the device after updating or installing new software, this may be the problem. The same rule applies to the telephone. Some applications may make it difficult to synchronize devices, so be sure to disable running programs, as well as Internet messages.
Resetting to factory settings and saving the data first may also help solve the problem. Please note that in some cases it is impossible to resolve connection failures on your own, so you have to contact a service center.

Few of the owners modern devices knows that it can easily connect Android as a flash drive, saving time when transferring data. In addition, this function makes it possible to install necessary programs to your tablet or phone without using wireless connections. The features and algorithm of this procedure are discussed in detail in our information.

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.

To Android versions 4.4 KitKat it was possible to establish a USB connection as a flash drive. The PC saw the device as removable disk and provided the same rights: the user could also perform other actions.

Then in new versions of Android 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 to Android settings section “For Developers” (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 latest versions Android most used 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:

Installed USB program MASS STORAGE Enabler.

This method may cause 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".

Increase

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.

USB (Universal Serial Bus)– literally “universal serial bus”. This serial interface for data transmission, which is widely used in electronics and computer technology, and mobile devices based on the operating system Android systems– is no exception. However, everything does not always go smoothly enough; certain problems may arise.

However, everything is in order. First, let's figure out what types of USB connectors exist. There are five of them in total:

From left to right: microUSB, miniUSB, B-type, A-type “mother”, A-type “father”.

microUSB– the smallest of the connectors, used in miniature electronic devices like smartphones, phones, tablet computers, e-books and so on. IN lately has become most widespread among Android devices due to its versatility, practically displacing miniUSB.

miniUSB– somewhat larger than microUSB, but also used in small electronic devices. Today it is practically not used in branded tablets and smartphones on Android, although it was previously widespread. However, it is found in Chinese devices; moreover, due to their cheapness and simplicity, some more famous Chinese manufacturers return to miniUSB after some period of installing microUSB in their devices. Most often found in cameras, camcorders, and so on.

B-type– a connector that can most often be found in printers, scanners and other computer peripherals when size does not really matter.

A-type“mother” (receiver) – a connector that is installed on personal computers and sometimes on tablets to connect an A-type connector. This type of connector can also be seen in USB extension cables and USB OTG cables.

A-type“male” (connector) – for connecting to the corresponding A-type receiver.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the extension of the USB 2.0 specification - USB OTG (USB On The Go), which is designed for easy connection of peripheral USB devices among themselves. This is especially true for tablet computers, smartphones, e-readers and other devices with Android based, since with the support of this specification and with the appropriate USB OTG extension adapter, you can directly connect flash drives, cameras, external USB HDD and so on.

There are also a number of proprietary USB connectors that are created by individual companies, but gradually this practice is becoming a thing of the past - the market as a whole is leaning towards universal connectors, and this is a definite plus.

Now let's figure out what to do if, when you connect an Android device via a USB cable to a computer, the mobile device is not detected, but only charged (the latter indicates the functionality of the connector as a whole - power is supplied to it).

First, let’s double-check whether the checkbox is checked in “Settings” - “Connecting to a PC” - “Ask”. If it is installed, try removing it and installing it again.

If this does not help, we try to use another USB cable (miracles of the Chinese industry are especially prone to failure), connect it to another USB port on the computer (it is strongly recommended to use the ports that are located on the back system unit, if we are talking about a desktop PC, since these ports are directly, without extension cables, soldered to motherboard), in the end - try another computer to connect, if possible. If none of the above helps, you can try replacing the flash card with another one. It is also not recommended to use any unnecessary adapters or extension cords - very often they are the cause of the problem.

Still having problems connecting to your PC via USB? No problem, he moves on. We disable or remove Task Killer if it is installed, or add “Synchronization with PC” to the list of exceptions – this application may simply prohibit the device from synchronizing with the computer. You can also try enabling " USB Debugging». This item located in the menu “Settings” - “Applications” - “Development”:

If the problematic device is a mobile gadget from Samsung, and the computer “does not see it” either through Kies or through Odin, then you should try to completely remove Kies, all old ones Samsung drivers and Samsung PC Studio, then install Kies again. The same applies to HTC devices with a proprietary program HTC Sync.

Manually selecting the driver for the USB device may also help. To do this, go to “Device Manager” in the “Control Panel” of Windows. We are looking for the problematic device - it will be displayed with exclamation point. Click on it right click mouse and select “Update driver” - “Select driver installation from computer” - “Select drivers from those already installed.” Select universal from the list USB controller– a composite USB device (sometimes a driver from Microsoft may also work). After this, the system will automatically install the selected driver and the device can be used in USB flash drive mode. If you suddenly get an error with the “Blue Screen of Death”, you need to restart your computer safe mode without turning off the device. After Windows boot in safe mode, look for our mobile device in the “Device Manager”, right-click on it and remove the driver. After this, you can try to “slip” another driver into the system to work with the device connected to the USB - after which it may be detected normally.

Alternatively, you can install Android USB Driver. Also, most programs for synchronizing an Android device with a personal computer, such as HTC Sync or Samsung Kies, install their drivers. Important - we recommend turning it off antivirus programs on computers during driver installation.

Sometimes resetting to factory settings (the so-called wipe) through the settings of the mobile device, or through Recovery mode. Reset will delete everything user installed application and restore the default factory settings.

Drivers for devices, before reinstalling them, it is also very advisable to correctly remove them from personal computer. They are often hidden in the Device Manager as soon as the device is turned off or sends a command to hide. Often, drivers of the same name can conflict due to version mismatches. So let's start cleaning up the list. unused devices, which can often be the reason why an Android gadget does not work when it is connected via USB. First, disconnect all external USB devices from the computer. Create an environment variable DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES with a value of 1. To do this, right-click on “My Computer”, select “Properties”, “Advanced”, click “ Environment Variables" In the window that opens, click the “Create” button at the top. In the “Variable name” field enter:

DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES

In the “Variable value” field, enter, respectively, 1. Click “OK” twice to close the menu.

By creating this variable, Device Manager will show all drivers installed on the system, including hidden ones or those that have ever been connected to a personal computer.

Go to “Device Manager”, in the “View” menu item, select “Show hidden devices”. Now you can start cleaning the operating system from various “junk”. First, open the section “ Disk devices" The nuance is that every time you connect new flash drive put for her new driver, and it is installed even if you connect the same flash drive, but into a different USB port. Drivers of all disabled removable media You can safely delete them, since when you connect them to your computer, the drivers for them will be reinstalled. Among these drivers, you can also find the driver of your Android device, possibly installed incorrectly, and perhaps even more than one. These entries can also be safely deleted, as they can cause problems - in any case, when you reconnect an existing Android device, the driver for it will be reinstalled or the user will be prompted to install it. In the “Hidden” devices section, you can delete absolutely all hidden (gray) devices, since these are nothing more than unsuccessful attempts to install a driver for a device, and they are definitely not needed in the system. In the “Storage volumes” section, you can also delete all hidden (gray) entries, since these are “letters” assigned to previously connected flash drives - in any case, when the flash drive is connected again, they will be assigned again. In the section "Universal Serial Controllers" USB bus» You can remove all hidden (grayed) devices. After cleaning the operating system from unnecessary drivers reboot the computer. After the reboot, connect the Android device, it will be detected by the operating system Windows system as a new device, and drivers will be automatically installed for it, or you can install necessary drivers manually. After another reboot of the computer, all problems with conflicting drivers should be a thing of the past.

A mobile device that runs on Android OS, unlike others portable gadgets, can be connected to a computer as a flash drive. Many smartphones and tablets on Android are initially equipped with functions that allow them to be used as flash drives.

This allows the user to record necessary information, remove files from the product that are not used, but at the same time take up a lot of space in it.

Using Android mobile device in the form of a flash drive, there is no need to constantly carry the drive with you. Now you don’t need to carry out a lot of manipulations with connecting to a laptop or computer, spending a lot of time on it.

Options for connecting a mobile gadget as a flash drive

Let's look at how to connect mobile device like a flash drive. To do this, you need to perform certain sequential actions:

If you lower the curtain in the menu, it will display USB connection in the form of a flash drive. If you need to turn off the drive, you must also lower the curtain and click on the corresponding inscription.

Connecting the product with different versions of Android

Now let's look at ways to connect a tablet or smartphone as a flash drive, depending on the version used Android. First, we determine which operating system is on the device. To do this, go to “Settings”, select the “About device” or “About phone” section. Often it is located last in the list that opens.

OS Android 2.1 - 2.3.7

If the Android operating system 2.1 - 2.3.7 is installed, you must complete the following steps:

You need to connect the gadget to your PC using USB cable.
The computer should automatically detect the new device. If this does not happen, you need to disconnect the smartphone from the computer, go to “Settings”, select “Applications”, click on “For Developer”, then “USB Debugging”. Now you need to connect it to your PC again.
A drive icon will appear in the gadget. You need to click on “USB Connection”, and the connection itself should be made as a media device.

Android OS version 4 and higher

Since version 4.4 KitKat, Android does not use USB storage mode; a tablet or smartphone can be used as Media Transfer Protocol(MTP). But you can make the gadget work as a storage device.

You need to use a special application that will help you connect Android with MTP as a USB drive in a few steps. To do this you will need:

Install on Android Root rights.
Download and install the special application “USB MASS STORAGE Enabler”.

Then you need to do the following:

Launch “USB MASS STORAGE Enabler”. It will be displayed in the menu as a USB activator.
Must be provided Root rights. You will be prompted to change how Selinux works. It needs to be resolved.

If this device is supported, the application will go to the main menu.

In order for “flash drives” to be activated in Android, you need to click on “Enable USB MASS STORAGE”.

After using Android as a USB drive, you need to disable this mode. For this it opens program“USB MASS STORAGE Enabler” and press the corresponding button there. To connect a mobile device in a different mode, you need to restart Android.

Android does not detect memory card

There are situations when the flash drive in the device doesn't work. To find it, you can use the ES Explorer file manager or similar application. By using similar programs you can find almost everything. In its functionality it is similar to the My Computer program.

To recognize the memory card, you should launch ES Explorer. After launching it, a menu will appear on the left side of the screen where the SDcard (memory card) will be located. All you have to do is click on it. After this, the memory card will be detected and available for use.