Android: How to read USB key on smartphone

You can connect a USB key through your smartphone’s USB type-C port, as long as your key meets several conditions. On most current smartphones, you should first check if your key is compatible with OTG (on the go), an extension of the USB 2.0 standard. If your smartphone’s USB port is USB 3.1 compatible, you should normally be able to connect more types of sticks without issue. The other prerequisite is to bring a compatible adapter if the port type of your USB key is not the same as the port type of your smartphone. Finally, the USB key must be formatted in FAT32 (not NTFS).

How to read a USB flash drive on an Android smartphone

To read a USB flash drive on an Android smartphone:

1. Check the USB version your smartphone supports: if it’s an older standard or equivalent to USB 2.0, you need to check your key’s compatibility with the USB OTG standard; if your smartphone port is USB 3.1 compatible go directly to step 3
2. Check the compatibility of your USB key and adapter with the USB OTG standard
3. Check that the key is formatted in FAT32
4. Connect your key directly to your smartphone’s charging port or via an adapter attached to your case.
5. When a dialog appears, verify the display of the contents of the key in your favorite file explorer.

You should then be able to normally read the contents of the USB key and copy the files as you would on a computer. Please let us know in the comments if you run into any difficulties. We will try to help you as much as possible!