Although USB drives are useful, you cannot use one with a phone. Unless you possess an Android phone and are familiar with USB OTG. With the help of the standardized USB On-The-Go (OTG) specification, a device can read data from a USB device without the need for a PC. The device itself becomes the USB host when using an OTG cable. A USB flash drive or a game controller can be connected to your phone via an OTG connection, among other things. Here, we’ll demonstrate several fun applications for it on Android devices. We mentioned below are the ways to use USB OTG on Android devices.
Ways to use USB OTG on Android devices
Use Mice/Keyboards with Android Phone
Do you want to use a mouse to navigate your Android smartphone like you would on a PC? No issue; all you need to do is connect a USB mouse to the phone using a USB OTG cable. This can be incredibly helpful for data recovery, especially when the touchscreen of the device is destroyed. Similar to this, you may attach a USB keyboard to the phone and use it to much more effectively produce and edit text documents, emails, etc. Check out the companion video that is embedded.
Connect USB Flash Drives for Data Transfer and Media Playback
This can be useful if you wish to transfer any crucial data from your Android phone to a USB flash drive (or vice-versa). To move or copy files, simply connect the flash drive and utilize one of the various file manager software. Use this option if you want to enjoy certain material (music, movies, etc.) on your smartphone without having to worry about moving it to the storage space first. What a cool thing.
Create Music on Android with MIDI Controller Apps Using Musical Instruments
Almost all contemporary musical instruments (such as keyboards and guitars) can connect to PCs via the MIDI standard. You can also link them to your Android devices with USB OTG. This enables the creation of music on Android devices using musical instruments. In general, you also require several apps for musical instruments for this. Check out the related video to see an example of Grand Piano Pro, an Android app, producing musical notes from a connected musical instrument.
Play Games on Android Smartphones with Game Controllers
The graphics and functionality of smartphone games are constantly improving. Having said that, these games’ on-screen controls are at best annoying. However, you need not fear because USB OTG enables you to connect a variety of game controllers to your Android tablet and play like an expert. When playing shooter, racing, and action/adventure games, this is extremely helpful. While most gaming controllers function without requiring root access, certain others do. Check out the companion video to see GTA: San Andreas being played on an Android phone with an Xbox 360 controller.
Import Photos from Digital Cameras to Android Device
Digital cameras link to PCs using USB just like practically all other devices. Additionally, you may simply transfer pictures shot with digital cameras (such DSLRs) to your Android phone thanks to USB OTG. When you want to manage or edit the photographs from the digital cameras on the Android smartphone using one of the many apps available for the same, it’s as easy as connecting the camera to the phone.
Final Words
We hope you like our article on how to use USB OTG on Android devices. With the help of USB OTG, you can greatly increase the capability of your Android smartphone and do some very exciting things with it, like read data saved on Flash drives and even charge other mobile devices. You may utilize your Android cellphones in more ways than you might imagine thanks to the powerful technology known as USB On-The-Go. Additionally, as was already mentioned, it isn’t all that difficult. So why are you still waiting? Try out each of these tips, then decide which one or ones you find most helpful.
