The method of connecting the Type-C USB flash drive to your cell phone for use mainly depends on whether the cell phone supports reading USB flash drive data directly through the Type-C port, or whether it supports OTG (On-The-Go) function. The following are two possible connection methods:
The phone supports directly reading Type-C USB flash drive
Confirm the interface: First of all, make sure the phone has a Type-C interface and supports reading Type-C USB flash drive data directly.
Insert the USB flash drive: Insert the Type-C USB flash drive directly into the Type-C port of the phone.
Open File Manager: Some phones will automatically pop up a file manager window when inserting the USB flash drive to display the contents of the USB flash drive. If there is no pop-up window, you can find the application named “File Manager” or “File Browser” in the application list of your phone and open it.
Accessing USB flash drive: In the file manager, find the option named “USB Storage” or “External Storage” and click on it to browse the files on the USB flash drive.
Manage files: You can use the file manager to copy, move and delete files from your USB flash drive. Some applications also allow you to open files directly from the U disk, such as music players, image viewers, document readers and so on.
the phone supports directly reading Type-C USB flash drive
The phone supports OTG function
Confirm OTG function: Confirm that your phone supports OTG function. Most smartphones produced in recent years support OTG function, users can find it in the phone settings or consult the phone manufacturer to confirm.
Prepare OTG cable: If your phone does not support reading Type-C USB flash drives directly, you can prepare a suitable OTG cable (Type-C or Micro USB port on one end and USB port on the other).
Connect the USB flash drive: Insert the Type-C USB flash drive into the USB port of the OTG cable, and then insert the other end of the OTG cable into the Type-C or Micro USB port of your phone.
Open File Manager: Open the File Manager app on your phone (different phone brands may have different file manager apps, users need to find and download the appropriate file manager according to the phone model).
Access USB flash drive: In the device list of the file manager, you can see the connected USB flash drive device, click into it to browse the files in the USB flash drive.
Manage files: Similarly, you can use the file manager to copy, move and delete files in the USB flash drive.
Precautions
Compatibility: Make sure the file system of the USB flash drive is compatible with your cell phone, some file formats may not be able to be played or opened directly on your cell phone.
Sufficient power: When transferring files, make sure your phone has sufficient power to avoid interruption of the transfer.
Protect the USB flash drive: Pay attention to protect the USB flash drive device from moisture, drop and high temperature to avoid data loss.
Safely unplugging: Always safely unplug the USB flash drive after completing the file transfer. Don’t pull out the USB flash drive randomly before pulling it out safely to avoid damaging the files or the USB flash drive itself.
With the above steps, the Type-C USB flash drive can be successfully connected to your cell phone and used.
How to check if the OTG function of a cell phone is on?
Below are the ways to check if the OTG function is enabled or not on different brands of cell phones:
check if the OTG function is enabled or not on different brands of cell phones
Android phones：
Huawei phone:Go to“Settings”on your phone and look for“OTG”option in“Smart Assist”or“Device Connection”.“If it shows“Enabled”,it means the OTG function is enabled,if it is“Off”,you need to turn it on manually.
Xiaomi phone:Open“Settings”,find“More Settings”or“Connect&Share”option,look for“OTG”function switch,check whether it is on or off.“function switch,check if it is on.
Vivo phone:Go to“Settings”,select“More Settings”,find“OTG”option and check the status of the switch,e.g.vivo X9 supports OTG function.If vivo X9 supports OTG function,you can turn the switch on in this option.
OPPO phone:In“Settings”,find“Other Settings”or“System Settings”,click to enter to check whether there is“OTG connection”option,if so,you can check whether there is“OTG connection”option,if so,you can check whether there is“OTG connection”option.OPPO phone:Find“Other Settings”or“System Settings”in“Settings”and click on it to see if there is“OTG Connection”option.
Samsung cell phones:Some Samsung cell phones will automatically pop up a prompt asking whether to turn on the OTG function after plugging in the OTG device,you can follow the prompts;you can also find the relevant settings in the“Device Connection”or“Storage”option in“Settings”.You can also find the relevant settings in“Settings”under“Device Connection”or“Storage”.
APPle Phone
Apple Phone:Apple cell phone does not support OTG function directly,but if you use Apple’s special Lightning interface USB flash drive,after inserting the USB flash drive,the cell phone will automatically recognize it and pop up corresponding prompts,and you can view and manage the content of the USB flash drive,such as photos and videos,etc.in the“Photo”application.
Why is my Type-C USB flash drive not recognized when I insert it into my device?
Possible reasons: the interface connection is not tight, the device does not support OTG function, the format of the USB flash drive is incompatible (e.g. NTFS format cannot be recognized on some devices), the USB flash drive is damaged or the device has insufficient power. Solution: Check whether the interface connection is tight, confirm whether the device supports OTG function, format the USB flash drive to FAT32 or exFAT format to improve compatibility, plug the USB flash drive into the computer to check whether it can be recognized normally to determine whether the USB flash drive is damaged, or connect the charger to charge the device and try again.
Why is the data transfer speed of Type-C USB flash drive slow?
Possible reasons: mismatch of interface standards (e.g., the device interface does not support high-speed data transfer protocols), file size or format effects, improper system settings. Solution: Make sure the interfaces of the Type-C USB flash drive and the device support the high-speed data transfer protocol, try transferring small files or files in different formats to test the speed, and optimize the system settings to improve the data transfer speed.