Most smartphones support OTG technology, although many users are unaware of it. The OTG allows you to connect any USB device to your smartphone, just like a computer. OTG has great potential. Let's talk a little about this magical function ...
USB OTG: what is it and how does it work?
We hear more and more about this technology called USB OTG. Despite its very technical name, this concept is present on most smartphones and tablets. Don't you know what it is? You are in the right place. We will explain everything to you.
If you've walked through your device's settings before, you may have found an option to control mouse or touchpad speed. But how and why is there such an option on a smartphone? This is exactly the USB OTG function, which means On-The-Go.
USB OTG, what is it?
Today's smartphones - under Android - are all designed with a USB Type-C micro USB or USB port. The main function is obviously to charge the device or transfer data to / from a PC / Mac. What you might not know is that they can do a lot more through OTG.
In fact, you can turn your smartphone or tablet into a real docking station for other connected devices. In addition, it is also possible to connect external devices such as a USB key or hard drive. In other words, it acts as your computer's USB port.
How to connect a mouse or keyboard on Android (USB OTG)
What is the interest of this technology?
Why should we connect a mouse or keyboard to our phone? Let's take a concrete example. Journalists sometimes use their phones to record interviews, and the built-in microphone is rarely used. You can then plug in a more powerful USB microphone and have a more powerful recorder.
Still not convinced? Let's change example. You may be passionate about video games. You probably have a controller, but unfortunately this type of accessory is only usable via USB ports… This is where the USB OTG comes to your rescue. You can immerse yourself in your favorite mobile games, as if you were playing with a classic console. This is one of the best ways to enjoy emulated games.
Is my device OTG compatible?
It is rare that a device does not have USB On-The-Go technology in 2018. There are several options to check if your phone is compatible:
- Look at the features on the original box or on the manufacturer's website
- Do a simple Google search
- Install a typical application like OTG?
How does it work?
Once you are sure about the compatibility of your device, all you need is an adapter. Inexpensive, these accessories can be bought in supermarkets or on the Internet for a few euros. Just plug it into your phone's micro-USB or USB Type-C port and plug in whatever you want: mouse, keyboard, printer, joystick, etc.
How to enable OTG support in any android phone without root?
Ok now if you are looking to find a way to enable otg support on android without root, make sure your device has hardware support.
- First you need to know if your device is compatible with OTG support or not? For this application Download USB OTG Checker from Play Store.
- After downloading it, launch the app. Here you can see theoption "Check USB OTG support". She clicks to open it.
- Now the process will begin to check the compatibility of the phone and the “Verify” message will be displayed.
- After checking it, the message "The device supports OTG support".
- Well done !!! if you can see the above message, it means you can manually add OTG support in android by doing the process below.
Remember if your device supports OTG function however it has been disabled by the manufacturer, the file manager will not support OTG and therefore users think their phone does not support OTG functionality. Not true, if you want to enable OTG support on Android, you need to install “Es File Explorer” from Play Store.
- First of all, download and install "ES File Explorer”And start it.
- Now plug the USB drive using an OTG cable into the charging port.
- You will now get a notification asking "Enable USB OTG support".
- Now click "YES" to enable it on Android.
- Now Es file explorer will show you the USB storage folder.
- All done!!! Now you can access all files and folders which are stored on your pen drive.
5 ways to use OTG on Android
Keyboard and mouse
It sounds like witchcraft, but it's possible. Just use a USB dongle to connect with the keyboard and mouse, then you can use the device as if it were a simple computer. If you have to write a lot, this can save you a lot of money.
Audio card
For one reason or another, you may want to use a different sound card than the built-in one. You can find a portable one, connect it to the smartphone with an OTG cable, and then connect the audio equipment to the sound card gadget thanks to the jack.
Gamepad
The touch screen is not always extremely accurate and this can be a problem with some games. If you are a gamer, you will be happy to know that you can connect a controller to your smartphone. Many games on Android allow the use of a gamepad.
Ethernet connection
If for some reason you don't have a wireless connection near you, perhaps the only possible solution is to use the Ethernet cable that you usually plug into your computer. Fortunately, you can use OTG to use it on your smartphone. You will need two devices: an OTG cable and a USB-to-Ethernet adapter. You will just have to plug it in.
File printing
With Google Cloud Print, you can easily print without using a cable. Unfortunately, some configuration issues sometimes keep you from achieving your goals. Don't worry, you can speed up this process by connecting your smartphone directly to the printer with the OTG cable.
What if your Android phone doesn't support USB OTG?
Even though most Android phones support USB OTG, your Android device is likely not working. And since the USB OTG function capability depends on various factors (for example, Android / Kernel version, hardware support USB OTG driver availability), the procedure for obtaining USB OTG on incompatible devices is different for various devices (even different variants of the same device).
That said, in any case, you'll need to root your Android phone first (using apps like Kingo Root). After that, you can use applications like USB OTG Helper and StickMount to access devices connected via USB OTG (Note that these applications only work for USB flash drives).
