In this article I will talk about using the USB OTG (USB On-The-Go) function using the example of the Honor 4C smartphone with Android 6. The essence of the OTG function is that the smartphone has a built-in USB host that provides 5V power and connection to other devices: external storage and input devices. The article shows how this feature works and which connections are really useful.
OTG connection
OTG adapter
To do this, you will need an OTG adapter with Micro USB/male to USB A (female) connectors. I purchased GC-MB2AF:
Flash drive with Micro-USB
Another option is that flash drives have appeared on sale that do not need an OTG adapter, because they have a connector for connecting directly to smartphones, for example, Kingston DataTraveler microDUO:
The presence of two connectors at once - Micro-USB and regular USB allows you to use such a flash drive with both a smartphone and a computer without the need to purchase and carry an OTG adapter.
How to properly connect a USB device to your phone?
Let's look at the example of a flash drive. Insert one end of the OTG cable into the smartphone, and connect the other (USB) to the storage device. Within a few seconds, the system will detect an active connection and display all available files on the mobile phone screen. If this does not happen, go to the file system yourself and find a new device there. Go into it and see all the data.
Other gadgets are also connected in approximately the same way. Only each has its own nuances (necessary programs, inputs, for example, for the Internet).
In general, we can conclude that the technology is very useful and multifaceted. You are not limited to devices that connect to an Android smartphone. The only advice is to use only proven and high-quality OTG cables from reputable manufacturers.
In this article I will talk about using the USB OTG (USB On-The-Go) function using the example of the Honor 4C smartphone with Android 6. The essence of the OTG function is that the smartphone has a built-in USB host that provides 5V power and connection to other devices: external storage and input devices.
The article shows how this feature works and which connections are really useful.
Connecting a USB storage device
When you connect a USB flash drive, a notification appears:
When you click on View, the contents of the flash drive open, and when you click Eject, the changes are saved and the flash drive is disconnected from the phone, just as it happens on a computer.
All programs see the flash drive as additional storage space, for example, the built-in Files displays it as a USB drive:
The Total Commander application refers to it as simply USB, with a flash drive icon:
Other applications also correctly open folders and files on a USB flash drive - built-in video and photo viewing applications, external applications Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, OneDrive, etc.
The Blue Mail email client attaches a file from a USB flash drive to a new letter without any problems, but for some reason it does not allow you to save an attachment from a letter to a USB flash drive - only to a MicroSD card.
The ability to directly work with a flash drive is very useful:
- you can quickly send or upload some files from a flash drive to the Internet via your phone if the need suddenly arises,
- you can quickly download files from cloud storage to a flash drive, if you need to transfer files to someone on a flash drive,
- You can transfer photos and videos from your phone to a flash drive, then insert the flash drive into the TV and watch the photos on the big screen.
I used an 8GB USB flash drive formatted in FAT32. After reformatting to NTFS it still works with the phone.
It is possible that with large volumes (more than 32 GB) or other file systems there will be some peculiarities. For example, Honor 4C does not officially support MicroSD cards larger than 32 GB.
Connecting a 250 GB USB hard drive formatted in NTFS was unsuccessful - the drive received power (the indicator came on), but was not detected.
At the same time, the Transcend 20GB USB drive was detected successfully. Probably the difference in disk capacity.
Basic functionality (what can be connected via OTG)
Using OTG, you can connect any device with a USB output to your phone:
- Keyboards.
- Flash drives.
- Hard disks.
- Mice.
- Joysticks.
- Printers and more.
When you connect a flash drive, for example, a file manager should open on the phone screen, which will give access to the information stored on the media. External drives are perhaps the most relevant devices when using OTG. With their help, you can significantly increase your storage capacity.
Another popular way to use OTG among Android users is to connect to USB modems. And it’s true, you don’t have to overpay for mobile Internet, but, having thoroughly figured it out, surf the Internet via a modem. However, it will not be possible to do this in a “legal” way and you will have to dig into the appropriate software to find workarounds in the Android device.
By connecting a gamepad to your phone, you can use it to play games, thus diversifying your leisure time. However, not all video games support this and nothing can be done about it. After connecting the mouse, a familiar cursor instantly appears on the Android screen, with which programs can be launched by double-clicking.
Very often, it can be difficult to enter a lot of text quickly on the phone’s usually small built-in touch keyboard, and here OTG will again make the task much easier. By connecting a physical keyboard to your smartphone, you can easily type in a lecture, respond to haters in the comments, or write a new chapter in your memoirs.
Not everyone has the latest printer models equipped with a Wi-Fi module at home. In this case, the printer can be connected via an OTG cable and the necessary documents can be printed via a smartphone.
If during a photo shoot you need to edit a photo and post it on social networks, or urgently send it to someone via messenger, then the OTG function will come to the rescue again. By connecting your phone to the camera, you can instantly access your photos through the same file manager. Moreover, through your phone you can control various camera settings, change focus, adjust the necessary parameters, and so on.
We recommend: Connecting wireless headphones to Android
There is no limit to your imagination in this matter, and if you get completely bored, then using OTG you can connect one phone to another. What will happen is that the phones will be able to charge each other, which, by the way, can also be useful if the power source cannot be found anywhere else.
Connecting a mouse or keyboard
Via OTG you can connect input devices - a mouse or keyboard. When you connect a mouse, there is no notification, but a pointer immediately appears:
Positioning with a mouse is more accurate than your finger, but, in my opinion, it does not provide much advantage for normal use. Hold your smartphone with one hand and move the mouse with the other?
The same thing with the keyboard - it will probably be more convenient to write a book or type long emails, but who does this from a smartphone?
Why Huawei P9 lite does not see the computer
If a person connects a smartphone to a PC via a USB cable, but the computer does not react at all, it means that the user is faced with one of the following problems:
- cable fault;
- failure of the USB socket on one of the devices;
- Incorrect drivers for the smartphone are installed on the computer, or there are none at all;
- When connecting, the “Charging only” option is selected;
- failure of the operating system of one of the devices.
Thus, all identified problems can be divided into physical and software. To determine the exact reason that the Huawei P9 lite phone does not see the PC, you need to check the hardware and settings of both devices.
Connecting the camera
They write on the Internet that cameras should work via OTG with smartphones, but this Honor 4C – Canon PowerShot combination did not work for me. Canon seemed to understand that something was connected to it (because it did not extend the lens when turning it on), but the phone did not detect anything.
Most likely, the phone does not support the PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol) protocol, which the camera uses.
Flash drives operate as MSC (USB Mass Storage Class) devices, so successful operation of a flash drive with a smartphone does not guarantee that the camera will connect as successfully.
And so, the ability to connect the camera to a smartphone via OTG would be convenient, for example, to copy photos from the camera via a cable to the phone. Instead, you will have to copy through a memory card, removing it from the camera, installing it in a card reader and connecting it via the same OTG to your smartphone - that is, you will also need a card reader.
Using OTG on Android
In order to connect any device to a smartphone via OTG, it must support this type of connection to one degree or another. This is important to take into account first of all, since without a response from the Android device, further actions will be impossible.
Support check
You can check your smartphone for OTG compatibility using special software by temporarily connecting the cable to the microUSB port and monitoring the reaction. The main software for these purposes is a single option that can diagnose any smartphone, regardless of the OS version.
- Follow the link provided above and install the application. Unlike many other analogues, it does not require root rights.
For USB OTG Checker to respond to the connection, connect your phone to any external device. If successful, a notification will appear.
If necessary, you can find many alternative solutions in the Play Market that have almost the same name. It is important to remember this, since not in all situations the presented application is able to check compatibility with OTG.
Working with devices
The simplest stage is to connect and then use external devices via OTG, but it is unique for almost every gadget. This is due to the need to install one of the special applications directly associated with the device. For example, an external keyboard application will not work for setting up a printer.
Step 1: Connection
- This procedure, as stated, may be unique for each device. In general, you only need to perform two steps, the first of which is to connect the external device to the USB connector of the “USB - microUSB” adapter.
Next you need to connect the microUSB connector to the corresponding port on the device body.
In some cases, if you are using OTG with auxiliary power, you need to connect the additional USB output to the adapter. This completes the procedure.
Step 2: Select an application
As mentioned earlier, depending on the connected device, you need to download and install the corresponding application from the Play Market. Such programs also provide variability, which is why the choice should be given the greatest attention. We will not consider each option; instead, we will provide a list of the most recommended options for use.
- USB OTG Helper is a utility that is the main tool for working with files on external drives and is relevant even when the flash drive uses the NTFS file system.
StickMount is one of the alternative solutions to USB OTG Helper, which is also aimed at reading files from a flash drive. It may be especially useful when connecting a mobile device to an external hard drive.
OTG View is an application aimed at recognizing and capturing images from external cameras. It is usually used when connecting an endoscope.
PPP Widget 2 is one of the unique applications that allows you to connect an external 3G or 4G modem via OTG. The advantages include convenient control via a widget on the main screen and the ability to significantly enhance the cellular signal.
These options are only basic, while to connect, for example, a gamepad, you will need completely different software that directly depends on the model and manufacturer of the device. If you have problems finding applications, you can contact us in the comments.
Troubleshooting
If at the testing stage you were able to achieve one or another reaction from a device connected via OTG, but there is no full signal, there may well be a power problem. It is this feature that often makes users think that there is no support for this type of connection, when in fact it is enough to add external power.
The easiest way to compensate for the lack of energy is with a USB hub equipped with its own power adapter. It must be connected to the network, connected to a smartphone, and only then add the desired device.
Another related reason for incorrect operation may be the use of an overly demanding gadget, which especially applies to external drives. Try using additional power or a less demanding memory card.
Connecting another smartphone
An interesting option for transferring files between smartphones or at least for charging another smartphone from Honor 4C.
I tried to connect the Lumia 820 - no effect, no data, no charging. Most likely, such a load is too large for the built-in USB host.
Later I found a couple of old smartphones - Samsung on Android 4 and HTC on Windows Mobile: both were charged via OTG, but their files were inaccessible. The battery on the donor smartphone, naturally, discharges very quickly with such a connection, and it only makes sense as an opportunity to urgently and briefly support another phone if it suddenly dies and you don’t have an external battery with you.
How to check if my smartphone supports OTG?
- The easiest way is to look at the information on the manufacturer's official website.
- The second way is to pay attention to the Andro version > Subtleties of connecting various devices
Earlier in the article, we talked about various devices that can be connected to your smartphone through this technology, but some devices have their own characteristics and corresponding software, without which correct and stable operation is impossible. We described them all especially for you!
HDD
Portable drives often have problems connecting via OTG, not only due to lack of power, but also due to the file system. If there are no problems with FAT32, then sometimes there are failures with NTFS. To solve this problem, we recommend using the StickMount utility, just keep in mind that it requires root rights.
Game joystick
Gamepads from Xbox work without problems, since they do not require any additional software, providing everything out of the box, but with PS 3, PS 4 you will have problems. The connection can only be made if you have root rights.
Mice and keyboards
Most of the gadgets in this category work great with smartphones, but we recommend choosing those that work as a common receiver, that is, a keyboard + mouse. If it is not possible to purchase such a kit, you will have to look for a USB hub to ensure continuous operation of both devices.
Printer
These devices work with Plug and Play technology, providing continuous operation immediately after connecting to your smartphone. But some phones require switching to camera or storage mode. In this case, the PrintHand Mobile Printing application will help. The only drawback of the program is that it is paid, but its capabilities are impressive. The user gets the opportunity to connect the printer not only via USB, but also if Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is available via a wireless network. Printing is possible both from ready-made documents in the file system and from cloud storage.
3G and 4G modem
The idea, of course, is not great, but it has a place. You will be able to connect your modem via USB, which will act as a receiver and transmitter for the cellular network. Connection and correct operation are only possible if you have root rights and a special utility - PPP Widjet 2. Operation is not guaranteed on all devices!
DSLR camera
It is possible to connect your smartphone to the camera and control it using the screen as a viewfinder. For the average user this may not be interesting, but photographers will be delighted. To work correctly in tandem, the DSLR Controller application is required. On Google Play it costs 9 euros. Before purchasing, be sure to check on the developer’s website whether your camera model is supported.
