How to connect a flash drive to a tablet: features of connecting an external hard drive to a tablet

The popularity of tablets is explained very simply - a good device can easily replace a medium-power computer, especially if it has a plug-in external keyboard. The large screen allows you to view videos and photos in a convenient mode, as well as read books and documents, causing less harm to the eyes.

But what if you need to connect a flash drive or other external device to the tablet? Is it possible to do it yourself and what will be needed for such an operation? You will learn about all this in this article.

Ways to connect a flash drive to an Android tablet

There are several ways at once how you can connect a USB flash drive to a tablet on the Android operating system. Conventionally, they can be divided into standard and non-standard.

The difference between these two categories is that the standard ones are those methods that are provided by manufacturers as tablets and flash drives, and non-standard ones were invented by advanced users themselves, but from this they do not become less effective.

The easiest option is to connect using the existing USB port, but, unfortunately, not every tablet model has it. Then a special adapter called the OTG cord comes to the rescue. It is a wire equipped on one side with a USB port, and on the other a plug suitable for one of the standard inputs that are found on each tablet.

If such methods are not suitable for any reason, then you will have to use other methods. For example, USB-hosts or all kinds of adapters that are not always easy to find on sale.

Important! There are a lot of tablet models that work on the Android OS, they all have different characteristics, so it’s impossible to single out one universal method - try a few and you can definitely find suitable.

Connecting a flash drive to iPad

Apple technology differs from all other unique “stuffing” - it runs on the iOS operating system, which has many features that sometimes make it difficult for a simple user.

For example, connecting a flash drive to the iPad will be a little more difficult than connecting it to Android. Nevertheless, this is real and, with a careful reading of the instructions, the owners of such devices rarely have insoluble connection problems.

IPads do not have a special USB slot for easily connecting a USB flash drive, so this method immediately disappears. But it remains possible to use a special OTG adapter.

Important! Please note that the inputs of tablets on Android and iPad are different from each other, so the adapters will be different. If the OTG cord fits most tablets from other manufacturers, then it will not work with an Apple device.

Special adapters in a wide range are presented on the modern market and their price can vary significantly. It should be borne in mind that the most expensive device will not necessarily be the best, but it doesn’t save it follows - such adapters usually do not last too long or may even display flash drives incorrectly.

Before you purchase this or that adapter, it is better to read reviews on the Internet about its manufacturer and models - so you can make a more objective representation of the product than that which represents advertising.

Features of connecting an external hard drive to the tablet

In some cases, you may need to connect an external drive to the tablet. This is especially true for those who spend a lot of time with the tablet - they work, download movies or other files that require quite a lot of space.

As with the flash drive, there are several connection options. Each of them is quite simple, so even an ordinary user who does not have deep knowledge in the field of technology will cope with it.

The first way is to use the cable provided with the hard drive itself. This is the easiest option, in some cases you do not even need to use special adapters.

If you couldn’t connect the external hard drive in this way, get an OTG cable. This is a win-win option with which you can connect a huge number of different devices, from mice and keyboards to external drives, in short, all that are connected using USB port.

If you have any problems with such a connection, you can use software methods. For example, download free software, with which you can connect a hard drive, but this will require special user rights. That is why these methods are rarely used by ordinary tablet owners, since the process is more time-consuming.

How to open files with music and photos from external media

After successfully connecting an external media to the tablet, the question arises of how to view copied or downloaded files and information.

In most cases, an automatic notification of the connection of a new device appears - enough click on it to open a complete list of uploaded files with music or photos that are on carrier. If, for some reason, the notification did not appear, then you should find a special application to view the files that were transferred. It is installed by default on any tablet. Most often it is called “File Manager”.

Sometimes managers work incorrectly or are not too convenient. In this case, you can download a new program from the EPP market running on your operating system - Play market or App store. So you can choose the perfect application for yourself and enjoy watching your favorite movies or photos, not only on computer, but also on a tablet, which is more mobile and compact, which means that the files will always be at hand.

Why the tablet may not see the media

There may be several causes for the problem.

In most cases, this is a simple inability of the tablet to support such large amounts of memory that an external medium suggests. This parameter should be taken into account when choosing a USB flash drive or external hard drive, which is planned to be connected to the tablet in the future.

Another possible problem would be the lack of ROOT rights on the device. It is solved quite simply - these rights must be obtained. You can do this by installing a special application on your PC and connecting a tablet to it. After that, a new item “For Developers” will appear in the settings.

Now you know how you can connect a USB flash drive or external hard drive to different tablets, why you might need it and what problems may arise during and after the connection. So, you can upload or burn any file or movie and have access to them at any time - this is especially useful for those who sometimes have to work outside the office or outside the home. But viewing your favorite photos or TV shows will also be more convenient not only on a PC. A few downloaded films will help brighten up your long trip.