Have You Seen The USB OTG Technology?

USB On The Go Is A Game Changer

USB on-the-go (OTG) is a specification for devices that allows them to read data without the use of a PC. This is most common in Android devices, but some other devices are compatible with this as well. This allows you to do several things with your device that most devices are not capable of. For starters, you can can connect a USB flash drive to your phone and transfer files between. There are also another number of uses for this technology.

What Does USB OTG Do?

USB OTG enables you to do a number of interesting things that most smartphones and other mobile devices are not capable of. Some of these features may be done through Bluetooth or WiFi, but a wired connection is always more stable. 

Printing From Your Phone

You can connect your phone directly to a printer. If your WiFi is out, or your printer does not support wireless printing, then this could be a great solution for you. You can print photos, documents, and anything else you may need, straight from your phone.

Connect a Gaming Controller

With a simple plug-and-play connection, you can connect a gaming controller to your phone or tablet. This can make playing games much easier. This works best with Xbox controllers, but other gaming controllers may work as well. If you have a rooted Android device, then you can use PlayStation controllers with your device as well. 

Connecting A Flash Drive

The ability to connect an external storage drive allows you to easily transfer files between the devices. This is especially handy in devices that do not have a slot for expandable memory, such as an SD card. When you start to run out of space, what do you do? Start deleting old photos and videos or less used apps? If you have a device with OTG, you can simply connect to a storage device and move your files over. 

Control A DSLR Camera

Do you enjoy taking photographs? Sometimes the screens on cameras can be small and difficult to work with. By connecting your DSLR camera to your OTG capable device, you can give yourself a bigger screen to work with. In addition to this, you can control certain features of the camera from your device such as capture, focus, shutter speed, and more. 

Using A Keyboard and Mouse

 This is not new to many devices. Bluetooth keyboards have been able to connect to our devices for quite some time now. But what if you don't have one? You can connect your standard USB keyboard to your device for faster typing. This may come in handy for work documents, emails, and any other task that requires a lot of typing. 

So How Do I Know If My Device Is Compatible

There are a few methods you can try to find out if your device has on-the-go capabilities. The first is to try it and see if it works. This can often be more work than it is worth just to find out your device is not compatible. The other method, which is the one that I recommend, is to download a USB OTG checker app. Once installed, this app will simply scan your device and tell you whether or not it is compatible. Or you can look for the logo pictured above on the packaging of your device if you still have it.