Nowadays, tablets and mobile smartphones have become very widespread, and the number of devices used around the world, perhaps, exceeds computer technology. Naturally, very often questions arise about whether it is possible to connect a USB flash drive to a tablet. An overview of some of the main techniques is further proposed. Consider portable tablet PCs running iOS, Android and Windows of various modifications.
Can I connect a USB flash drive to a tablet: an overview of ways
To begin with, it is far from always possible to simply insert a drive into a tablet port, and then perform some specific actions. The main problem here is that a very limited number of models of such devices are equipped with full-fledged USB connectors.
Basically, there are either micro-USB ports (on most Android devices), or proprietary connectors (Apple, Samsung, etc.). But the owners of devices running both full and mobile versions of Windows were luckier than ever, since most of them are equipped with full-fledged USB ports. Thus, as some options for connecting removable drives to tablets of different models and manufacturers, you can offer such methods:
- direct connection to a USB port (if any);
- using an adapter from micro-USB to USB (for most Android devices);
- connecting an additional proprietary adapter;
- connection via intermediate devices.
Despite the fact that the above methods seem simple, in practice a flash drive can not always be determined, and the cost of intermediate devices, which will be discussed separately, is quite high.
Can I connect a USB flash drive to a tablet and what actions can I do with it?
Before starting to practice, let's see exactly what actions can be performed with a connected drive. It goes without saying that the flash drive was originally designed to store information, so you can perform file copy operations quite simply. Another thing, if you need to completely reinstall your own operating system, when the USB flash drive should act as a boot device. But with this quite often a lot of problems arise due to limitations of both the OS itself and tablet manufacturers. In addition, even when installing a portable system on a USB flash drive, it will be impossible to work with it.
Connecting drives to apple devices
So, now let's see if it is possible to connect a USB flash drive to a tablet. The methods of connection in theory have already been considered, and it's time to put them into practice. With tablets from Apple, as it turns out, not everything is so simple. Two basic methods can be proposed for performing such actions.
The first and easiest one is to use a special adapter in the form of a Lightning to USB Camera Adapter cable, with which, by the way, it becomes possible to connect not only removable drives, but also all kinds of docking stations like keyboards.
Now let’s dwell on whether it is possible to connect a USB flash drive to a tablet using intermediate devices for this.
Yes, indeed, it can be done, but as an intermediate device you can use either JetDrive Go or Leef iBridge. Of course, unlike the first option, you will have to fork out for such devices, since the price of them looks quite high.
Connecting media to tablets with micro-USB ports and Android OS
Most tablets running one of the Android modifications are almost always equipped with special micro-USB ports. Can I connect a USB flash drive to the tablet through such a port? Yes you can.
As with Apple devices, it’s easiest to use special micro-USB / USB cable adapters. Again, such cords can be quite simply used to connect peripherals to tablets (for example, the same USB mouse).
If instead of the corresponding port on the tablet there is only a connector for the charger, you can use the OTG-USB cable. In some cases, it may be necessary to combine the connection through such a cable with a conventional adapter.
Alas, on some devices this technique does not work either. Very often, users ask themselves whether it is possible to connect a USB flash drive to the Samsung tablet, on which there are no corresponding ports (for example, the Galaxy Tab uses a special proprietary 30-pin connector).
In this situation, there is a solution too. In addition to the main OTG cable, you will need an adapter to the corresponding connector. If it is not supplied with the tablet, you will have to purchase it separately.
What to do if the flash drive is not supported or not detected?
Is it possible to connect a USB flash drive to the tablet, a little figured out. As for the "apple" and Android devices, you should immediately dwell on one nuance. Connecting a USB flash drive is simple, but it is often impossible to read information from it, and sometimes even the system itself reports that the drive of a particular manufacturer is not supported (this is often observed in Android).
In this case, you can try to view the contents of the flash drive not through the standard file manager built into Android, but through the ES File Explorer application. Often a lot of troubles are caused by devices of the Google Nexus lineup. In them, the contents of the connected drive must be opened exclusively using the Nexus Media Importer applet.
But when the flash drive seems to be determined, but the system reports that the use of the drive is not supported, you will have to use another storage medium. In particular, the occurrence of such a situation is very often seen on Southern Telecom's SmarTab devices developed by the Chinese for the US market.
Connecting a USB flash drive to tablets with a full USB port
Finally, let's see if it is possible to connect a USB flash drive to the tablet if it is equipped with a full-fledged USB port.
Of course, you can, because this is exactly what the connector is for. But do not rush to rejoice, because a lot of problems can also arise when recognizing a connected drive. Typically, USB ports are provided for tablets running one of the Windows mobile versions, so when the flash drive is not detected, you can simply follow the standard procedure for manually installing or updating the driver (but this is usually not required).
Nuances when connecting a flash drive to Microsoft Surface devices
But some troubles begin later. If the tablet uses the cranky Windows 8.1 RT, it is not a fact that your drive will not be immediately encrypted with BitLocker. In addition, if you try to use a USB flash drive with a distribution kit of another operating system (even if it is one of the mobile versions of Windows or the same Android), nothing will work. In the tablet itself, the BIOS reflash so deeply that it is impossible even to call its settings. A flash drive is recognized only in one case - if it contains an original system recovery image that can be downloaded from the official Microsoft website, indicating the serial number of your device.
How to use the media as a boot device on Windows tablets?
But in other devices with Windows on board, which do not have such restrictions, everything is much simpler.
It is enough to turn on the tablet and hold the volume up key for five seconds to call UEFI parameters, disable Secure Boot, disable TPM module, allow booting from USB devices and set the connected drive to the first in the list, which will allow you to boot from it, and reinstall the original operating system, and install Android or its modification of Android x86, developed by a group of enthusiasts (all the same, in most cases, ARM or Intel x86 / x64 processors are used).