In this article, we will understand the reasons why the OTG cable does not work in Android via OTG. usb flash drive and what to do in such a situation.

Portable performance and capabilities computer technology are growing rapidly. On the base modern smartphones and tablets, you can organize a full-fledged workplace. They "learned" how to work with USB peripherals: keyboards, mice, game controllers, and even printers. All these devices are connected to android gadgets via an OTG cable. The most sought after peripherals, of course, is a "flash drive". With its help, you can transfer documents and other useful files, expand the storage capacity of a smartphone or tablet, and organize a file archive.

Why a smartphone (tablet) does not see a flash drive through an OTG cable

First of all, you should make sure that the cable is working and supports the OTG function. If everything is in order with it, but the smartphone or tablet does not “see” the external device, there may be several reasons.

1. The tablet (smartphone) does not support the OTG interface. Among modern gadgets, this rarely happens, but it is better to read the documentation for the device and make sure that the device is compatible. For example, “USB host” should be written in the gadget parameters. If there is no support, then it will only work with flash drives and disks that support the Wi-Fi interface.
2. The file system format of the flash drive is not recognized by the android device. Devices with standard firmware only support exFAT and FAT32 file systems. If the flash drive is formatted in NTFS, HFS + or another system, the gadget cannot work with it. There are two ways to fix the problem: either reformat the flash drive, or install a program on your smartphone or tablet that supports the NTFS file system. The second option is preferable: you do not have to delete the contents of the flash drive (which is inevitable when formatting), plus NTFS has support for files larger than 2GB, which is useful for writing and transferring large files (for example, video). The only drawback of such programs is that they all require root rights. If there are none on the android device, the program will not work. You still have to reformat the flash drive.
3. Another reason why the smartphone does not see the flash drive is the high power consumption. More often, this problem occurs when connecting external hard drives, but sometimes, for various reasons, the flash drive may not have enough power. You can solve the problem with an active USB hub that has external power. Just keep in mind that not all smartphones and tablets support working with it. Yes, and you can forget about mobility, since the active hub is powered by the mains.
4. Devices (flash drive and android gadget) are incompatible or have technical malfunctions. This happens even with completely new equipment and nothing but repair or replacement can be advised here.

Now you know why a smartphone or tablet may not see a flash drive through an OTG cable and how you can solve it this problem.

What is this technology and how do OTG cables differ from ordinary microUSB cords?

What is USB-OTG

This technology, which allows you to connect mobile devices to USB peripherals, appeared in 2001. Its peculiarity is that the device (tablet, smartphone) can operate, depending on the need, in two modes: “host” and “client”. When a flash drive is connected, the gadget can read its contents, and when connected to a PC, it itself is recognized as a flash drive.

The capabilities of smartphones and tablets of the Android system are wider than other systems, not only due to the large number of programs and applications, but also due to the ease of connecting multimedia devices and devices. This versatility for androids is provided by the MicroUSB connector. By connecting an OTG cable to this connector of a smartphone or tablet as an adapter, to its other end, made in the form standard USB input, you can connect any device that has a USB output.

What is an OTG cable

This adapter is a short cord with a MicroUSB plug on one side and a USB input connector on the other. OTG cable can be made as a hard adapter without a cable cord. It is easier to connect a USB flash drive to such an adapter, but it limits the installation and fixing of a smartphone or tablet in a convenient position for use.

You can buy an OTG cable for a tablet or smartphone in mobile accessories stores or computer supermarkets in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other Russian cities. Active Users Internet networks can find out what OTG is in a smartphone, choose an OTG adapter in online stores by photo, order it for promotions, when selling at a discount, which will make the purchase more profitable. Delivery of all goods is carried out courier services or cheaper by mail.

What is it needed for

An OTG adapter will help turn your gadget into a full-fledged gadget without buying expensive accessories. computer system or game console. Such a transformation of the gadget will come in handy in the case of:

• working with text or graphic editors on vacation, business trip or long trip;
• absence wired internet or Wi-Fi - without losing efficiency, it is easy to work with it through a gadget in a mobile Internet network;
• when you need to update the information in the gadget's memory - upload new music, pictures, photos, movies from flash drives or external hard drives;
• when connected to an Android device with a game console - to enjoy games on a trip or at the beach.

Which devices support OTG cable

The value of an OTG cable is clear when considering all types of connections to a device on an android system. Unexpectedly, it will be possible to connect a whole list of complex devices to the gadget, such as a printer, scanner or 3G / 4G modem. A far from complete list of connections includes such external devices as:

• flash drive;
• card reader;
• external hard drive;
• mouse;
• keyboard;
• gamepad;
• joystick;
• digital cameras and video cameras;
• universal batteries;
• USB hub.

Flash drive

If you can connect additional memory to your smartphone in the form of a Flash drive, there is no need to purchase expensive models of equipment with a large amount of memory. If you connect a flash drive of any size through an OTG cable, you can download any information to it, and from it to your phone you can upload documents or files necessary for work (video, music for entertainment). Using the gadget as a camera, you can get fast and high-quality photos or short video sketches, save them in the memory of a flash drive without overloading the resources of your smartphone or tablet.

card reader

Great convenience for the user who stores information on memory cards will provide the ability to connect a card reader to the gadget. To do this, you need another adapter that is connected to the output of the card reader with an output in the form of a USB plug. It connects to the input of the OTG cable. Having made all the necessary connections, you can read or write any information on memory cards of different capacities and formats. This will greatly facilitate the exchange of data between the gadget, computer and other devices that read information from memory cards.

External hard drive

A huge plus of the OTG cable will be the connection to the phone of additional memory blocks in the form of external hard drives. In this case, it is possible to easily exchange information between the memory of the android device and external storage. The most interesting thing will be the opportunity to watch your favorite movies or series on vacation, in public transport or on long car trips. If necessary, work on the connection of the external hard drive with a large amount of information converts the gadget into a full-fledged computer.

Mouse

Many regular users of computers with a mouse experience difficulties when it is necessary to perform a large number of manipulations with objects on a smartphone. If you connect a mouse to the OTG cable, the familiar cursor icon will appear on the gadget's screen. When you hover the mouse over all objects on the screen, you can use right button mouse to get additional properties or select options for actions with the selected object.

Keyboard

Copywriters who have such a device do not need to take a laptop with them on a trip or business trip. Connecting a compact keyboard to your gadget via an OTG cable will turn your gadget into a full-fledged working tool. With this connection, you can use all the features of your usual keyboard. Typing and editing text become much easier. If necessary, you can enable the use of number keys by pressing the NumLock button.

Gamepad

For fans of game consoles, an OTG cable will give you the opportunity to enjoy your favorite games when connected to a smartphone or tablet gamepad via an OTG cable. You need to pay attention to your game console had a USB output, and the smartphone or tablet had an OTG function. For convenience during the game, you need to take care of the secure fastening of the gadget in an upright position.

USB hub

A serious transformation of a smartphone into a full-fledged workstation computer will provide the use of a USB hub. This device itself is connected to an Android smartphone via an OTG cable, and it is already possible to connect a USB flash drive, keyboard, mouse, external hard drive, printer and other necessary devices to it. Nuances:

• Knowing about this use of a smartphone, it makes sense to buy models with a large screen, high speed and large RAM.
• It's nice that the use of a USB hub does not require advanced settings smartphone with OTG support.

How to use an OTG cable

Before buying an OTG cable, check if your smartphone supports OTG mode. If the answer is no, it makes sense to think about changing your smartphone. Otherwise, you will not be able to use all the features described earlier. The OTG cable is connected to the MicroUSB connector of the android device, and the devices you need are connected to the other end. The use of a USB hub expands the number of computer elements that can be connected. There are adapters with a splitter for 2-5 USB connectors.

How to choose an OTG cable

Knowing such amazing possibilities of this small device, you should not save. When buying, choose only a high-quality OTG cable. Recommendations for the choice and features of operation:

1. Pay attention to the fastening of the MicroUSB connector - because of its miniature size, it often fails.
2. Great importance has a wire material - it is advisable to choose a cable with copper conductors and copper mesh insulation for greater bandwidth.
3. Good reliability during long-term operation is shown by adapters with MicroUSB not of a direct type, but with a plug rotated 90 degrees.
4. High-quality rubber coating of the cable is considered more reliable.

Video

AT technical specifications Tablets and smartphones often talk about OTG support. But what kind of animal is this and how to use this technology? Read how to use an OTG cable and why you need it.

This article will tell you all about OTG. You will learn about when this technology appeared, how it differs from a regular USB connection, and how to use an OTG cable. A few words will be said about independent creation such a wire - in fact, there is nothing complicated about it.

OTG cable. A bit of history

We are all used to the fact that laptops, monoblocks and desktop computers have a plethora of USB ports. They may belong to USB standards 2.0 or USB 3.0, but in any case, they will be full-sized. That is why it is not difficult to connect a flash drive or various peripherals to a computer.

some time tablet computers on the Android based were very plump. As a result, there was room on their case for a full-size -port. For example, such an element was present on the tablet Acer Iconia Tab A500. But then technology developed to such an extent that the full-size connector had to be forgotten. But at the same time, support for connecting flash drives and some third-party devices has not disappeared from the Android operating system. How did the creators of smartphones and tablets have to act? They invented OTG (“On-The-Go”) technology.

How an OTG cable works

OTG technology implies the use of a micro-USB port not only for connecting charger and synchronization with a computer. Smartphones and tablets that support the technology supply a certain amount of electricity to this connector, which is enough to power other devices. As a result, you can connect an OTG cable to micro-USB, and you can already connect, for example, a keyboard, computer mouse, or a traditional flash drive to it.

When is it useful? For example, you can use or SLR camera. At the same time, you want to publish pictures or videos as soon as possible in social network. In this case, you can connect your equipment to your smartphone via an OTG adapter, copy necessary files, and then publish them by the operating system and the corresponding application. Roughly speaking, a tablet or smartphone with OTG technology becomes much more functional. But do not forget what it is. Manufacturers of gaming wheels and some other specific equipment, sharpened exclusively for computers based on Windows or Mac OS, do not write drivers for it. Even connecting via an OTG cable to an MFP will often allow you to use only basic function- printout of a document stored in the smartphone's memory.

What is an OTG cable?

The OTG cable adapter is a small cord. At one end is a micro-USB male plug. At the other end is a USB female connector. But at the same time, this product is not an ordinary adapter. No, USB OTG technology implies closed 4th and 5th pins. If they are not, Android simply will not detect the device that you connect to it.

Most often, the length of the cable at the adapter does not exceed 10 cm. Some adapters do not include wires at all - they are a monolithic structure. This is very convenient if you connect a USB flash drive - it will not hang in the air.

Do all devices have OTG support?

It should be noted that both devices must support OTG technology. That is, both the smartphone and the peripherals connected to it. Most often, this technology is embedded in the USB 2.0 specification, so computer mice, keyboards, card readers and other similar devices connect to your tablet or smartphone without any problems. And there is nothing to say about flash drives - only some very ancient models can not decide on a device.

But with tablets and smartphones, everything is much more complicated. operating room android system has similar support almost from the third version. But this is at the software level. But at the hardware level, such support is not always implemented. If the technology is not included in the device specifications, then connecting an OTG cable will do nothing - its purchase will waste of money.

As an example, let's check which Android devices we have at hand have OTG support:

• LG Nexus 4 8Gb - does not support;
• samsung galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition - supports;
• Micromax Q4101 BOLT Warrior 1 Plus - do not support;
• Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) - supports.

Such are the different results on devices released in completely different years.

How to check OTG support?

Usually, technology support or lack thereof is written in detailed technical specifications. For example, this may be indicated on the page of your device in Yandex.Market. But it is better to follow the official website of the manufacturer - there you will find such information with a greater degree of probability.

If you don’t feel like crawling through different sites, then small applications will come to the rescue. AT Google Play you can find a lot of programs that test a smartphone or tablet for OTG support. Here are links to just a couple of the most popular ones:

• USB OTG Check Compatibilite - shows a message about the presence or absence of support immediately after launch;
• USB OTG Checker - first shows ads, after which it requires pressing the "Check Device OS on USB OTG" button.

How is OTG technology used the most?

OTG support is never superfluous. Most often, it comes to the rescue if the device does not have a slot for microSD cards, while its own memory is extremely small. In this case, the user does not have the opportunity to upload a movie or some other very heavy material to the device. But you can download it to a USB flash drive. Then this flash drive is connected to the smartphone via an OTG cable, after which you can watch the movie contained on it. You just need to take into account the modest capabilities of the micro-USB port - it's better not to try to watch a movie in extremely high quality, the weight of which reaches 10-15 or more GB.

Another popular way to use the technology is to connect a gamepad. The Android operating system does not understand all gamepads, but many. For example, you can connect DualShock 3 from the third PlayStation to some smartphones and tablets, greatly facilitating the gameplay.

If you need to print something, an OTG adapter also comes to the rescue. Of course, only if your printer does not support wireless transmission data, which is much simpler.

Another popular reason for using an OTG cable is described earlier. It consists in the need to view material created with a video camera or camera when there is no computer at hand or just too lazy to turn it on.

There are special USB-to-Ethernet adapters on the market. It allows you to connect an Internet cable to the device. But in the context of the mass distribution of Wi-Fi, it is difficult to come up with a situation when such an opportunity is needed. Unless your router's Wi-Fi module may fail - then you connect the tablet to it using an OTG cable and the appropriate adapter.

No one will argue with the fact that typing is most convenient with a full keyboard. Some of these devices work with Bluetooth, and they are originally designed to be used in tandem with a smartphone or tablet. But the wired model is much cheaper! It is for its connection that you will have to get an OTG adapter.

Back to portable device You can connect a USB hub. Or a splitter, as it is also called. So you can connect several devices to one connector at once - say, a mouse, keyboard and card reader.

These are just the most common reasons for using an OTG lanyard. Some people find completely non-trivial uses for it.

Is it possible to make an OTG cable with your own hands?

Now some Chinese smartphones supplied with an OTG adapter. also in Chinese online stores promotions are regularly held, during which, together with almost any smartphone, you can order an OTG cable for only $0.01. You can also buy it separately big money it's usually not worth it. And it is not necessary to use an online store for this - such an accessory may well be traded somewhere near your home.

Where to buy cheap?

If an OTG cable is urgently needed, then it can be made from improvised means. In particular, you will need:

• Regular USB extension cable for a computer;
• Cable with a micro-USB male connector (it comes with any smartphone);
• Insulating tape;
• Soldering iron and accessories.

Here we will not talk in detail about the process of creating an adapter. While reading the text, you still run the risk of not understanding something. Then you will complain that the device does not see the OTG cable. And all from the fact that somewhere a tiny mistake was made. Therefore, we advise you to search for relevant tutorials on YouTube, following the steps of the author step by step. Here we will only mention that you need to remember to connect the fourth pin to the fifth at the micro-USB connector. The contact count goes from left to right, if you put the connector with beveled edges up.

Summarizing

Now you understand what exactly is the essence of OTG technology. In short, it expands the functionality of a tablet or smartphone, allowing you to connect a USB flash drive or any peripherals to it. With this adapter, you can transfer pictures from a SLR or mirrorless camera to a smartphone while outdoors or in a car. You can watch a movie with it, even if the device has very little internal memory, there is no microSD card slot, and there is no wireless access to the global web.

But you probably already got hold of an OTG adapter, right? Do you use it? Or has he been collecting dust in a computer desk drawer for a long time?

That against the backdrop of a general rise in the market for mobile devices, the share of laptops and netbooks continues to fall. This is largely due to the fact that modern smartphones are not only becoming more powerful, but also functionally closer to netbooks. For example, many models today are equipped with USB On-The-Go support. With its help, you can directly connect almost any passive equipment to your smartphone: a flash drive, a card reader or HDD With USB connector, printer, game controller, and even a wired keyboard and mouse.

Because the operating system Android is based on the Linux kernel, theoretically (starting from version 2.3) smartphones should support FAT16 / FAT32 and ext3 / ext4 file systems on USB drives. In practice, the restrictions depend on the specific software implementation in this smartphone.

Today, USB in host mode can be found in seven current smartphones running Android 4.x and three heroes of yesteryear that are still on sale. Let's take a closer look at these ten.

Samsung Galaxy Note II

The smartphone stands out with a 5.5″ HD Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 1280 × 720. Combination of Samsung Exynos 4412 quad-core processor and 2 GB random access memory looks more than attractive. The battery with a capacity of 11.5 Wh (3100 mAh) allows you not to think about the outlet all the time. Few smartphones can offer one and a half or two days of active use today.

See how to Samsung Galaxy Note II connect the Playstation 3 game controller via USB (you can skip the first three and a half minutes of the video).

The model is available in versions with 16 and 32 GB of internal memory. There is a GALAXY Note II LTE modification with support for Long Term Evolution in the 800, 1800 and 2600 MHz bands. The introduction of LTE in Russia has been delayed. The largest telecom operators received the corresponding licenses almost a year ago, but plan to start using 3GPP LTE only from the summer of 2013.

Samsung Galaxy S III

This smartphone differs little from Note II, since it actually served as its prototype. With the same resolution and display type, it is smaller (diagonal S III - 4.8″). On the other hand, the image on it is even sharper (306 dpi instead of 265 for Note II). The processor is the same (Exynos 4412), but its frequency is lower, and the amount of RAM is half as much - only gigabytes. Also, the model received a battery of a more modest capacity - 2100 mAh. The smartphone has an operating system Android 4.0.

The card reader and hard drive, mouse and keyboard - all this is connected in the next video to the Samsung Galaxy S III via USB interface-OTG in three minutes.

The smartphone also exists in versions with 16 and 32 GB of internal memory. The S III mini c 8 GB version does not have USB-OTG support.

The USB connection is interesting and the possibility of direct printing. Not all printers are equipped with a Wi-Fi module, and it may be necessary to print a document directly from a smartphone. On the Samsung Galaxy S III, the process looks like this.

Step 1 - select a document Step 2 - select PrintShare Step 3 - evaluate the preview of the page Step 4 - send it to print, changing the settings if necessary

Samsung Galaxy S4

flagship among Samsung smartphones under the control of the latest android versions 4.2. Equipped with a five-inch Super AMOLED screen with FullHD resolution and an impressive pixel density of 441 per inch. The smartphone is equipped with an eight-core Samsung Exynos 5410 processor, a powerful PowerVR SGX544MP3 graphics accelerator and 2 GB of RAM. Fly in the ointment: with this filling, the battery capacity is still less than that of Note II - 2600 mAh.

The following video demonstrates that the smartphone's USB port has enough current even to power external hard drives. The user could not see its contents. Probably due to driver issues or an unsupported file system. It also shows the connection of a keyboard with a trackball and more familiar devices.

Separation by flash memory volume is similar to previous models - 16 and 32 GB. Recently, a new modification with 64 GB of internal memory has appeared.

Sony Xperia acro S

It's over affordable smartphone supporting USB host function. It is distinguished by a dust and moisture-proof housing, made according to the IP57 standard. The device turned out to be more compact due to the screen with a diagonal of 4.3″ and a resolution of 1280 × 720. It uses a Qualcomm MSM8260 dual-core processor, a gigabyte of RAM and a 1910 mAh battery.

This video demonstrates connecting flash drives directly and through a passive four-port hub. Connecting multiple flash drives at the same time can lead to power problems even on a computer, let alone a smartphone!

http://youtu.be/SXvPehEX708

Sony Xperia acro S runs Android 4.0 and is available in one variant with 16 GB of internal memory. However, taking into account USB-OTG and support for microSD cards with a capacity of up to 32 GB, this can hardly be called a disadvantage.

Sony Xperia Z

One of Sony smartphones upper price range. Like the Samsung Galaxy S4, it comes with a 5-inch FullHD screen, but its type is not Super AMOLED, but more familiar TFT. Like the Xperia acro S, the case is made in accordance with the IP57 dust and water resistance standard.

If such a device falls into the hands of geeks, then the template break is guaranteed. In the next video, a floppy drive is connected to a smartphone.

The Sony Xperia Z uses a Qualcomm APQ8064 quad-core processor and 2 GB of RAM. The battery is non-removable, with a capacity of 2330 mAh. The smartphone supports even more LTE bands (800, 850, 1800, 2100 and 2600) than the specialized Samsung version Galaxy Note II LTE.

Sony Xperia ZL

The differences of this modification from the previous one are minimal and rather strange. The case has lost protection according to the IP57 standard. For some reason, an infrared port appeared and a TV-out was added. At the same time, the gyroscope and proximity sensor were removed. But in terms LTE support Smartphones are leading the way today. It operates in eight LTE bands - from 700 to 2600 MHz.

In the video below, a gamepad was connected to the Sony Xperia ZL. Playing Dead Trigger has become much more convenient.

The battery is almost the same - non-removable, with a capacity of 2370 mAh. As in the previous model, the Android 4.1 operating system is installed.

LG Optimus G

The smartphone attracts attention with a screen with a True HD IPS Plus matrix. 1280×720 resolution at 4.7″ diagonal looks quite adequate, but other manufacturers are already using FullHD on displays of this size.

All USB host functions work similarly to previous models, but the USB port of modern smartphones can be used in a different way. Thanks to the support of the MHL standard, via the micro-USB connector, you can output video in Full HD resolution to the screen of an external monitor or TV.

http://youtu.be/a31xLSqur10

Just like the Sony Xperia Z(L), the Optimus G comes with a quad-core Qualcomm processor APQ8064 and two gigabytes of RAM. The smartphone supports five LTE bands (800, 900, 1800, 2100 and 2600 MHz). The Optimus G doesn't have a memory card slot, but the amount of built-in memory is twice that of the Xperia Z(L), at 32 GB. As a weak point (as with most modern smartphones), you can specify the battery. It uses a non-removable version of the battery with a capacity of 2100 mAh.

Sony Xperia sola

This smartphone is sold with Android 2.3 installed, but it is possible to upgrade to 4.0.4. After the update, the USB-host function will show itself in all its glory.

Now this smartphone looks like a compromise option. The weakest points can be called the amount of RAM (512 MB) and a battery with a capacity of only 1320 mAh

USB-OTG support has also been announced for the ZTE Nubia Z5, a smartphone with a 5-inch Full HD screen under Android control 4.1. In anticipation of the start of official sales, you can see its review in this video.

For some smartphones, USB-OTG support can be activated in a non-standard way, however, such a tweak requires the use of an active USB hub (with its own power supply).

In addition to smartphones running android interface USB On-The-Go was used by Nokia for Symbian Belle devices. Now of them, perhaps, only Nokia C7-00 and Nokia 808 PureView are still on sale.

Despite the futility of the Symbian OS, weak configuration and high price, these smartphones still find their adherents.

The operation of the USB host mode can hardly be called ideal yet, but users often need simple operations, and the list of supported devices is constantly growing.

OTG technology (aka USB On-The-Go) allows you to connect all kinds of devices to smartphones and tablets. additional devices: flash drives, mice, keyboards, joysticks and modems. How is OTG support on Xiaomi?

As the name suggests, peripherals are connected via the USB port of the mobile device, which in this moment Xiaomi has two types: the familiar microUSB and the increasingly popular USB Type-C.

At the same time, most computer accessories are equipped with standard USB outputs and you will need a special OTG adapter to connect them to smartphones and tablets.

If you already have a USB-microUSB adapter, but your smartphone is equipped with a new standard port, you can purchase a proprietary Xiaomi OTG adapter:

It is worth mentioning that not all smartphones will be able to accept additional devices through such an adapter (for example,), but at least it will allow you to charge the device from any cable with a microUSB input, which are now very common among huge amount Android smartphones.

As a rule, it is flash drives that are the most common accessories connected to mobile devices. However, even connecting them (with OTG support), you may encounter some problems, namely, the inability to view the contents of the USB drive.

If, after connecting a USB flash drive via an OTG cable, the message “USB storage is not supported” appears in the notification curtain, the most probable cause – file system drive is formatted in an unsupported format, namely exFAT or NTFS. The solution to this issue may be to format it in the “understandable” FAT32 format. In this case, please note that formatting will lead to the complete loss of data stored on the USB device. If you agree with the loss of data (or they are simply not there) - click on the "Clear and format" button and wait for the process of creating a new file system to complete.

In the case when the flash drive is formatted correctly, the “USB storage” item will appear in the notification curtain.