Using External Cable to Read Hard Drive
Most Android smartphones come with 64 GB of storage. Only if y'all accept an erstwhile smartphone, chances are you'll have either 16 or 32 GB variant. Thankfully, you can hands expand the memory by using external storage, like a pen bulldoze or a hard drive. This comes in handy when you lot are traveling and desire to watch your favorite movies on the go.
Related: How to Employ USB Flash Drive on Android and iOS
Now connecting a pen drive to an Android is simple. Simply buy a cheap OTG cable, then use information technology to connect your Android and Pendrive. Next, open any file director such as Solid Explorer, look under the device menu, you lot will find your Pendrive. That's it.
But what almost connecting an external HDD to Android?
For example, I want to use my ii TB hard bulldoze with my Android. Will, that work?
Well, Yes and NO.
Usually, external hard drives don't piece of work right out of the box with Android devices. Though in my testing, I found this to be a grey surface area. Since every Android runs a dissimilar version of Bone and has a unlike manufacturer, it'southward non possible to say anything for sure. For instance —
#one Some low-end devices (like my dad's moto east) do not support OTG. And there is nothing nosotros tin can exercise here. To observe out, if your device supports OTG or not, you can use USB OTG Helper. The app is free on Google play and does not need ROOT.
#2 Mid-range devices (like moto k) back up OTG with pen bulldoze but don't detect external HDD formatted with NTFS and HFS+. We tin ready this.
#3 And finally some high-end devices (like my Nexus6) support both FAT32 and NTFS volume without using any software. But, it tin can not read other formats like HFS or exFAT. We will see how to fix that.
Why my External HDD Don't Work With Android?
When you lot connect an external hard drive to Android, you may face 2 problems.
#1 Hard Drive is not detected
You volition either hear a clicking racket or the lights on your difficult drive will not blink, this means the disk within your drive is not spinning properly.
Reason: Unlike pen drives, External HDDs needs a lot more than power. And if they are not externally powered then it will take power from the device itself. So, if your smartphone is non powerful enough to ability an external HDD, so it will not piece of work.
For instance, my WD 2TB hard drive works fine with Nexus six only doesn't piece of work on my raspberry pi without external power.
Solution: Utilise a powered USB hub or externally powered OTG cable.
#2 Hard drive is detected just non Opening
Reason: File system error. There are many file system out in that location and every O.Southward prefer 1 of their ain. For instance, Android supports FAT32 past default and since pen drives are likewise in FAT32 format, nosotros don't face any trouble with pen drives.
But, most external HDDs uses the NTFS file organization (Windows default FS) and sometimes in HFS (MAC default FS). So this mismatch in file arrangement results in the error.
Related: Why External HDD Do Not Work with All Operating System
And then allow'southward meet how to set information technology. Well, we have two choice hither.
#1 Format your Difficult drive
You can format your Hard bulldoze to FAT32 using your figurer and so utilise it on your Android. Since FAT32 is uniform with all OS, it will work right abroad with your Android, in fact, later this, you volition never face compatibility issues with whatever platform.
Related How to format Difficult drive on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android
However, I don't recommend formatting HDD to FAT32. Why? Well, because FAT is an onetime file system and lacks important features similar journaling (prevent data loss), encryption. And the maximum single file size is limited to 4GB.
#2 Use 3rd Political party Apps
With this method, you can retain your original File System of your HDD. Simply use a complimentary app like Paragon NTFS or Stick Mountain to use it on your Android. I have been using this for months and never had whatever trouble. And so let's see how information technology works
External HDD on Android
1. USB Media Importer (Paid)
This app is designed for Nexus devices, simply based on its play store reviews, it also works with non-nexus devices similar moto-x and many others. Though, before you spend coin, brand certain you try the USB Photo Viewer. It's from the same dev simply costless.
In one case you install this app, it will auto-detected an external bulldoze and you tin can start using information technology right away. Still, this is read-only i.e. you lot cannot copy data from your Android to external HDD. Moreover, information technology besides does non support HFS formatted drives.
Lesser line: First, attempt other free alternatives and if they don't work, go for it.
two. Total commander with USB – plugin
This is the most pop (and likewise a costless) way to use NTFS formatted HDD on Android. Hither yous need to install two gratis apps from Google Play.
Outset, install the total commander app – information technology'southward a file browser that will help the states to browse the content of our bulldoze.
Adjacent, install USB plugin for Total Commander— it'south an extension for the file browser that will do the bodily job i.east. mounting the external Difficult bulldoze.
Once done, connect your hard drive to your Android using OTG cable. Again the app volition recognize your book and you will run into a notification at the bottom saying, open the drive with Paragon UMS. However, if you don't see the notification, and so simply open up the app and refresh it. Information technology should work.
There is also an pick to go write access. Notwithstanding, since this app is still in beta, the write feature didn't work for me. But the good part is, forth with NTFS, it tin too read HFS formatted drives.
iii. Stick Mount (Root)
This app is made by chainfire (the developer of SuperSU). Basically, stick mountain helps yous to mount an NTFS sectionalisation on Android. And then, you will still need to have a file manager to browse the content of your drive.
Install Stick mountain from Google play and and so insert your external drive and it will automatically mountain it. Usually, information technology mounts the drive under Sdcard > USB storage, but yous can detect the mount location by opening the app and tap on mount pick.
Lesser line: It's gratis and works well. All the same, it nevertheless does not allow yous write information on your bulldoze, neither does information technology back up HFS drive. So better attempt the next option.
4. Paragon HFS, NTFS, and exFAT (Root)
Paragon is popularly known for its software to access HFS drive on Windows and NTFS drive on MAC. And guess what, they take an android app also but this time information technology'due south free.
This app is similar to all the other app. Install the app, connect your external HDD and it will automatically mount it and bear witness you the path. In that location is also an option to format your drive, just information technology'south hidden nether settings.
Bottom line: This is the best fashion. It'southward gratuitous and lets you both read and write, support both NTFS bulldoze and HFS. However, even though it'due south in the name, it actually does not back up exFAT (since its Microsoft propriety format) but you lot can apply stick mount for that.
If nothing works?
Unremarkably, an external HDD require you to plug in a cable to your calculator (or in this case to your Android). But thanks to modern technology, we now have Wireless Difficult drives. And it does what information technology says, i.e. it when you press a push button on this HDD, it'll create a Hotspot, which you tin can connect from your smartphone and and so browse all the content of the drive using a File manager app.
You lot tin stream your HDD from multiple devices (usually not more than 3 devices). And information technology also has a built-in battery, so yous tin use it while traveling in a automobile or railroad train. However, on the flip side. It'll cost twice as much for the same storage. For instance, a typical Seagate 1 TB external HDD toll you around $sixty, while a Seagate Wireless Plus 1TB will price around $140. The HDD supports NTFS by default. So, y'all tin not use on iOS devices.
Source: https://techwiser.com/use-external-hdd-on-android/
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