How to Use External Hard Drive,Most Android smartphones include 64 GB of storage. But if you have an old phone, chances are you’ll have both sixteen or 32 GB version. Thankfully, you could easily extend the memory by means of the usage of external garage, like a pen force or a difficult power. This is available in on hand when you are touring and want to watch your preferred films on the go.
Now connecting a pen drive to an Android is straightforward. Simply purchase a reasonably-priced OTG cable, then use it to attach your Android and Pendrive. Next, open any record supervisor which include Solid Explorer, look below the device menu, you may locate your Pendrive. That’s it.
But what approximately connecting an outside HDD to Android?
For example, I want to apply my 2 TB hard pressure with my Android. Will, that work?
Well, Yes and NO.
Usually, outside difficult drives don’t work proper out of the box with Android gadgets. Though in my testing, I found this to be a gray area. Since each Android runs a exclusive version of OS and has a distinct producer, it’s no longer viable to mention anything for sure. For instance.
1 Some low-quit devices (like my dad’s moto e) do no longer guide OTG. And there’s not anything we are able to do right here. To find out, in case your tool helps OTG or now not, you could use USB OTG Helper. The app is loose on Google play and does not need ROOT.
2 Mid-range devices (like moto g) help OTG with pen force however don’t stumble on external HDD formatted with NTFS and HFS+. We can fix this.
3 And finally a few high-quit gadgets (like my Nexus6) guide each FAT32 and NTFS quantity without using any software program. But, it can not study different formats like HFS or exFAT. We will see the way to restoration that.
How to Use External Hard Drive,Why my External HDD Don’t Work With Android?
When you connect an external hard drive to Android, you may face 2 problems.
#1 How to Use External Hard Drive, Hard Drive is not detected
You will either hear a clicking noise or the lighting on your hard pressure will not blink, this means the disk internal your pressure isn’t always spinning properly.
Reason: Unlike pen drives, External HDDs desires lots extra power. And if they’re no longer externally powered then it’ll take strength from the device itself. So, in case your smartphone isn’t effective sufficient to energy an external HDD, then it’s going to not paintings.
For instance, my WD 2TB tough force works excellent with Nexus 6 however doesn’t paintings on my raspberry pi with out external electricity.
Solution: Use a powered USB hub or externally powered OTG cable.
#2 How to Use External Hard Drive,Hard drive is detected but not Opening
Reason: File gadget errors. There are many file system available and every O.S prefer one in every of their very own. For example, Android supports FAT32 through default and considering the fact that pen drives are also in FAT32 layout, we don’t face any trouble with pen drives.
But, most outside HDDs uses the NTFS file gadget (Windows default FS) and every so often in HFS (MAC default FS). So this mismatch in file machine consequences inside the error.
So let’s see how to fix it. Well, we have two option here.
#1 Format your Hard drive
You can format your Hard drive to FAT32 using your laptop after which apply it to your Android. Since FAT32 is well suited with all OS, it’s going to work right away together with your Android, in fact, after this, you may by no means face compatibility troubles with any platform.
However, I don’t advocate formatting HDD to FAT32. Why? Well, due to the fact FAT is an antique document system and lacks crucial functions like journaling (save you facts loss), encryption. And the maximum single record length is restricted to 4GB.
#2 Use 3rd Party Apps
With this method, you can retain your original File System of your HDD. Simply use a free app like Paragon NTFS or Stick Mount to use it on your Android. I have been using this for months and never had any problem. So let’s see how it works
External HDD on Android
1. USB Media Importer (Paid)
This app is designed for Nexus devices, however based totally on its play shop reviews, it additionally works with non-nexus devices like moto-x and lots of others. Though, earlier than you spend money, make sure you attempt the USB Photo Viewer. It’s from the same dev however loose.
Once you install this app, it’s going to car-detected an outside power and you can start the use of it right away. However, this is examine-most effective i.E. You can not copy statistics from your Android to outside HDD. Moreover, it also does no longer guide HFS formatted drives.
Bottom line: First, attempt different unfastened alternatives and if they don’t paintings, move for it.
2. Total commander with USB – plugin
This is the most famous (and also a free) way to use NTFS formatted HDD on Android. Here you need to put in unfastened apps from Google Play.
First, set up the full commander app – it’s a report browser so one can assist us to browse the content material of our force.
Next, set up USB plugin for Total Commander— it’s an extension for the record browser with a view to do the actual activity i.E. Mounting the external Hard power.
Once achieved, connect your hard force to your Android the usage of OTG cable. Again the app will understand your volume and you may see a notification at the lowest pronouncing, open the pressure with Paragon UMS. However, in case you don’t see the notification, then honestly open the app and refresh it. It should paintings.
There is also an choice to get write get admission to. However, because this app continues to be in beta, the write characteristic didn’t paintings for me. But the coolest element is, in conjunction with NTFS, it is able to additionally examine HFS formatted drives.
3. Stick Mount (Root)
This app is made through chainfire (the developer of SuperSU). Basically, stick mount helps you to mount an NTFS partition on Android. So, you may nevertheless need to have a document manager to browse the content of your force.
Install Stick mount from Google play and then insert your outside force and it’s going to automatically mount it. Usually, it mounts the drive under Sdcard > USB garage, however you can find the mount location through establishing the app and tap on mount alternative.
Bottom line: It’s loose and works nicely. However, it nevertheless does now not let you write records to your power, neither does it aid HFS force. So better strive the subsequent option.
4. Paragon HFS, NTFS, and exFAT (Root)
Paragon is popularly regarded for its software to access HFS drive on Windows and NTFS pressure on MAC. And bet what, they have got an android app as well but this time it’s unfastened.
This app is similar to all of the different app. Install the app, join your outside HDD and it will routinely mount it and show you the course. There is likewise an choice to format your drive, however it’s hidden under settings.
Bottom line: This is the fine manner. It’s loose and helps you to each read and write, guide each NTFS power and HFS. However, although it’s in the name, it clearly does now not guide exFAT (due to the fact its Microsoft propriety layout) however you can use stick mount for that.
If nothing works?
Usually, an outside HDD require you to plug in a cable on your laptop (or in this situation to your Android). But thank you to fashionable era, we have Wireless Hard drives. And it does what it says, i.E. It when you press a button on this HDD, it’ll create a Hotspot, which you could connect from your smartphone after which browse all of the content of the pressure the usage of a File supervisor app.
You can stream your HDD from a couple of gadgets (typically now not greater than 3 gadgets). And it also has a built-in battery, so that you can use it even as touring in a vehicle or train. However, on the flip side. It’ll value two times as an awful lot for the same garage. For example, a typical Seagate 1 TB external HDD price you around $60, whilst a Seagate Wireless Plus 1TB will price round $140. The HDD helps NTFS by default. So, you can’t use on iOS gadgets.