How To Copy Photos From Your Mobile To A USB Stick

Photos taken with a smartphone on a far-away trip or party have a very strong emotional value. This is why it is essential to take the utmost care. Rather than save them in the cloud, we now offer a tutorial to learn how to transfer your photos directly from a

smartphone to a USB key.

Connect your smartphone to a USB key to save your photos

Do you know that your smartphone contains much more personal information than your computer. And yet few people really care about their data. It is only once the photos are definitely lost that smartphone owners become aware of the importance of backups.

Fortunately with a simple cable to a few euros and a USB key, it is quite possible to protect its most sensitive data including photos. For those who are interested here is a solution to save his emails on Gmail . And unlike the cloud, the USB flash drive has the distinction of being able to be used on any computer device with a USB port.

The other advantage of removable storage is to access its data even without an internet connection. So you will be able to consult wherever you are (train, plane, open country) without worrying about the 4G coverage of your mobile operator or even the problems of confidentiality and data security.

Several hacking cases have highlighted the inherent risks of hosting remote data. Everyone knows that zero risk does not exist. As a result, no provider can offer 100% security on their cloud service .

OTG compatible smartphone?

Most smartphones have a micro USB port just below the screen. However, the presence of this port does not guarantee that you will be able to connect a USB key to your phone. Before embarking on a full backup of your photo library, you must make sure that your smartphone is OTG compatible.

USB On the GO (OTG) is a technical specification that allows you to read and write content on a removable storage device from an Android smartphone. The easiest way to find out if your smartphone or tablet supports this feature is to look for the OTG logo on the box.

If you have lost it, do not worry. There are dozens of apps on the Play Store to find out if your mobile is OTG compatible.

Launch the Play Store on your smartphone
Type in the search field Easy OTG Checker or click on the link opposite
Download the application
Once the installation is complete, click on the icon to start detection of your mobile configuration
If the green notch appears on your mobile screen, then good news, your device is OTG compatible
If on the other hand you see a red cross appear then your phone is not compatible. You will not be able to use a USB key to save your photos.

Note that not all devices support USB OTG. This feature must be enabled by the manufacturer of your phone. Also note that on some smartphones the micro USB port does not deliver enough power to operate a removable storage device.

In these cases, you will need to invest in USB OTG Y with two ports. The first will connect your device for data transfer while the second will connect to a power source to provide power to your storage unit.

Transfer photos from your Android smartphone to a USB storage device

Flash memory drives (USB sticks) are the simplest and most accessible solution for backing up mobile donation data. However you may encounter some problems when connecting a USB key to your mobile.

If your device has a dual connection (micro USB and traditional USB) you can plug your key on both your smartphone and your computer. If you have a key with only one USB connector, you will have to invest in an adapter. The latter only costs a few euros on e-commerce sites.

Connect the key to your smartphone
A notification will automatically appear to inform you that the connection has been successfully completed
Then start your file manager. If you do not have one, I invite you to install Files by Google available for free from the Play Store
Google Signed Android File Browser Supports USB OTG Storage Devices
Then click the Internal Storage Memory button
Open the DCIM folder and then Camera
Push/Press the Menu button at the top - right of the screen (side)
Click the Select All option
Press the Menu button again
Select the Copy To option
Choose from the list of options your USB key

The Files by Google application will upload all your photos to your USB drive in the desired folder. Once you're done, do not forget to open the notification pane (scroll down from the top to the bottom of the screen) and then press the Eject USB Key button.

If that does not work here is another method to remove a USB key from a smartphone safely.

Tap the Settings icon
Open the Storage section
Click the eject icon next to the USB key
A message will inform you that the USB key has been safely ejected

What to do when the USB key is not recognized by Windows

Android refuses to recognize your storage device? First, you must make sure that your USB drive is in FAT 32 format. Here is the procedure to follow to find out the file format of a USB key.

Connect your USB drive to one of your computer's USB ports
Launch Windows Explorer
Click on this PC icon
Locate the USB key in the Devices and Drives section
Right click on the logo representing the USB key
Select the Properties option
Look at the mention titled File System (NTFS, FAT32 or exFAT)

Note that Android is not able to recognize a USB key formatted in NTFS. Rather than reformatting the device in FAT 32, here you will find a solution for connecting a removable

hard disk or USB key to NTFS.