Advertisement USB drives are convenient, but you can’t use one with your phone. Well, unless you have an Android phone and know what USB OTG is. Dominik winter on twitter: tygem guide for mac 2017. USB On-The-Go (OTG) is a standardized specification that allows a device to read data from a USB device without requiring a PC. The device basically becomes a USB host, which isn’t an ability every gadget has. You can do a lot with this, For example, you might connect a USB flash drive to your phone, or use an old video game controller with a tablet. USB OTG is not an Android-specific feature.
But since that’s its most popular use, we’ll focus on using it with Android. Check If Your Android Supports USB OTG The easiest way to check if your phone or tablet supports USB OTG is to look at the box it came in, or the manufacturer’s website. You’ll see a logo like the one above, or USB OTG listed in the specifications.
Another easy method is to use a USB OTG checker app. There are plenty of such free apps on the Google Play Store, but some are loaded with ads. Is a reliable app for this. Download and run it, and you’ll know if your phone supports USB OTG.
Not every Android device supports USB OTG; it’s something the manufacturer has to enable. If you find out your phone isn’t compatible when you use USB OTG Checker, this unfortunately won’t work for you.
What You Need to Use USB OTG Your Android device has a standard micro-USB or USB-C port. However, most USB devices require a full-size USB port. You can resolve that with a converter/adapter. Once you’re ready with USB OTG for your Android device, a world of opportunities opens up. Here are some of the most popular uses. Connect Flash Drives and External Hard Drives Unsurprisingly, external storage is at the top of this list. Just plug a drive in and you’ll be ready to go.
You can then transfer all kinds of files. Flash drives are the easiest to connect; external hard drives may or may not work. Portable hard drives that draw power from the phone won’t always work, but external drives with their own power source should work just fine.
You’ll need these drives to be in FAT32 format, as NTFS doesn’t work properly with Android. For more, we have a full guide on Want to add more storage to your Android device using a USB flash drive? We can show you how to do that, step by step.
Play With Video Game Controllers Android Pie and newer natively support the Xbox One controller. But the older Xbox 360 controller also works with Android devices via USB OTG. It’s as simple as plug-and-play to start gaming with a controller. Of course, you need to play games that compatible with a controller. If you have, you can also connect PlayStation controllers. With this, you could connect a PS2 controller! Control Android With Keyboard and Mouse Android’s open nature makes it easy to connect just about anything.
If you want to Want to use your Android tablet as a laptop replacement? Here is your comprehensive guide to the necessary hardware and software., a keyboard and mouse is integral to the experience. You’ll be happy to know that Android works well with most wireless and wired keyboards and mice. We recommend getting a wireless keyboard and mouse set with a unified receiver, since you only have one available USB connection. I haven’t seen a functional USB hub working over USB OTG. You should buy a standard plug-and-play wireless set that is compatible with all platforms.
However, make sure you don’t buy something that requires accompanying software, like some Logitech devices that require the SetPoint software. As noted in our detailed guide to Ever wanted to use a real keyboard on your Android device? Lucky for you, it's actually pretty easy to set up., the OS defaults to QWERTY. You’ll need a special keyboard app for other layouts, like Colemak or DVORAK.
Print Directly From a Printer Much like keyboards, printers with a standard plug-and-play USB work well with Android devices. These let you start printing without requiring a wireless connection or having to transfer anything to a PC first.
Android hasn’t supported USB Mass Storage mode for some time. Thus, if you want to print photos and documents, you’ll need to use the PTP or MTP modes for your USB connection. Of course, it’s easier if your printer has Wi-Fi support.
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What are the features to look for? Control Your DSLR Camera Photographers will love this one. You can wire your Android device up to your DSLR camera and turn it into a giant live screen, complete with the ability to capture, focus, control shutter speed, and much more. It’s one of the most Have an Android tablet? You'll enjoy these creative uses for it!
You will need the app, and ideally a Canon camera. It works with some Nikon and Sony cameras, but they aren’t officially supported. It’s a hefty $8 for the app, but quite useful for enthusiastic DSLR owners. The Other Big Android USB Learning about USB OTG and its many uses opens up a host of new tricks for Android devices. In fact, if you have an old Android tablet or phone lying around, one of the USB OTG applications above can give it a new lease of life. Apart from OTG, there’s another USB feature on Android that you should know about.
If you aren’t aware about it already, read up on USB debugging allows you to send commands from your computer to your phone with ease. Here's how it works, and why you should consider using it. Explore more about:,.