How to Transfer Photos From Android Phone to USB Flash Drive 

How to Transfer Photos From Android Phone to USB Flash Drive 

There are several ways of transferring photos from your phone to a USB drive. The most common way, but the longest, is through a USB cable and a PC.

How do you do it?

  • You can use a USB data cable to link your phone to a computer 
  • Set your USB option on your phone to transfer files for the PC to access your phone files.
  • Insert the thumb drive into the PC’S port, then
  • Locate the photos from your phone using the PC, and copy them to your USB drive. 

This method is kinder complicated and takes a lot of time. However, if you’re looking for an easier and faster way to back up your photos or files to your USB drive from your phone, then you might be interested in what I have here.

Related: How to Get Disposable Camera Pictures on Your Phone?

Can I Transfer Pictures From My Phone to a Flash Drive?

Yes, it’s possible to transfer pictures from your phone to a flash Drive. Whether it’s a thousand photos from your wedding or graduation or confidential pictures for your next business presentation, having a flash Drive as your backup storage is your best option.

Benefits of backing up your photos to a flash (USB) Drive

  • It’s safe. Are you worried your phone may crash or get lost, or your kids may accidentally delete your photos? (it happens a lot) Transferring your pictures to a USB flash Drive is the best option to avoid such incidents. 

Do you have sensitive or confidential photos you want to preserve? A flash drive allows you to lock your files so that no one can access them without your password.

  • It’s very portable. It’s easy to carry a USB flash with you wherever you go. You can have it on your keyholder or pocket.
  • It’s compatible with most devices. It’s the fastest way to transfer photos to multiple devices (laptop, printer, TV, etc.) after copying them from your phone.
  • Massive storage. One of the ways to boost your phone’s processing speed is by having enough space. Transferring your photos and files to a USB drive is the best way to relieve your phone’s space for productivity and speed.

How Do I Transfer Photos From Gallery to USB?

There’re two ways to do it, either the old fashion way; by using a USB cable and a PC or through an OTG cable.

Through a USB Cable

You need your USB flash, a PC, and data transferring cable, then follow the steps below.

Step 1

  • Connect your phone and PC with a data cable.
  • You’ll receive a USB debugging notification on your phone for the PC to access the files. Select the “Files Transfer” option.

Step 2.

  • Click the “This PC” icon to locate the phone’s files on your PC files.
  • Open the phone’s file, go to your gallery (Phone storage → DCIM folder→ Camera folder), select the picture, and press the “Ctrl + C” keys to copy pictures to the PC (You can create a new folder for them). For MacBook, press “command key + C” to copy after you’ve selected the images.

Step 3. 

  • Insert your USB drive into one of the PC’s ports. The drive will appear on the PC’s storage when you click on the “This PC” icon, as shown in the image. 
  • Select the USB drive. Go to the folder where you want to store the pictures, open it, and then press “Ctrl + V” to paste the photos (for a MacBook, press “command key + V.”)

That’s how you transfer photos from your gallery to a USB drive using the PC and a data cable.

How Do I Transfer Pictures From My Phone to a SanDisk Flash Drive?

There are two types of SanDisk flash drives;

  1. Standard USB flash drive, like the below, and
  2. The dual SanDisk flash drive. This drive has connectors on both sides, a type A and a type B or C on the other side.

With the standard USB flash drive, you’ll need a USB OTG. It’s a device you’ll need to connect the thumb drive to your phone. However, you don’t need it if you have a dual SanDisk thumb drive.

So, how do you transfer photos from your phone? Follow these instructions

Step 1. 

  • If the flash is a dual type, connect it directly to the phone. If it’s a standard USB drive, insert it into the OTG cable first, then to your phone.
  • A debugging notification will pop up on the screen. Enable the USB flash to read by setting the phone to “Transfer File” mode.  

If the debugging notification doesn’t appear, scroll the screen downward to open the notification panel. Tap the “USB charging…” notification and turn on the “Transfer File” option.

Step 2.

  • Once the USB is connected, go to your files. The USB drive should read once you open the phone’s files.
  • If your primary storage is the SD card, open it and scroll down to the file named DCIM. Open it. Tap from the list camera folder; your gallery picture should be there.
  • If it’s empty, go back and try your phone’s internal storage, select the DCIM folder, and open the camera folder; you should find them there.

(You can’t copy pictures directly from your gallery to the USB flash, you can only do it through the phone’s file manager app.)

Step 3. 

  • Long-press one of the pictures you want to copy, and a selecting option will appear. Select the picture you want.
  • In the top right corner of your phone, there are three dots. Click the dots to open more options. Click the copy button.  
  • A notification will appear asking you where you want to copy your pictures. Select the USB storage and click paste. That’s it. 

How Do You Unmount the USB flash Drive?

Go to the phone’s storage. There are three dots at the end of the USB storage folder. Tap the dots to open more options, then click the unmount button to remove the flash disk safely.

How to Transfer Pictures From a Samsung Phone to a Flash Drive

You’ll need a USB On-The-Go (OTG) connector if you don’t have a dual flash drive

Follow the steps below.

  • Connect the USB flash to the phone
  • A debugging notification will appear. Select the transfer file option for the phone to access the USB.
  • Go to “my files.” You should be able to see your USB storage.
  • Your pictures can either be in the internal storage of the phone or in the Security Digital (SD) card.
  • Depending on where they’re (SD or internal storage), open the folder and scroll down to a folder named DCIM.
  • Open the folder. Click the camera folder to open where your pictures are.
  • Long press the image you want to transfer. Select all the photos. Then, in the top right corner, there are dots (it’s like a vertical ellipse); click it to open more options.
  • Select copy. A notification will appear asking you where to copy the pictures.
  • Select the USB flash drive and click okay. That’s how you transfer pictures from your Samsung phone to a flash drive.

How to Transfer Videos From Android Phone to USB Flash Drive

The steps are simple.

  • Connect the USB drive directly to your phone if it has a phone connector. You’ll need an OTG cable using a standard USB flash drive. 

Consider the 3.0 OTG adapter; they have a high-speed transfer rate. You can get one on Amazon.

  • Once the USB flash is connected, you’ll receive a debugging notification. Set the USB connection to transfer files.
  • Go to the phone’s file manager, and open where your videos are, either in the internal storage or on the SD card. Mostly you’ll find them in the internal storage of the phone.
  • Tap the internal storage, and click the video folder.
  • Tap on the three dots in the top-right corner of the phone to open more selection options. Click the copy option, and select the videos you want to transfer.
  • Click the copy button again, go to your USB drive, and open the folder where you want to paste the videos. Tap okay, and the phone will transfer the videos. It’s that simple.

How to Transfer Files From Android to USB flash Drive Without OTG

There are two options; you can use your PC and a data transferring cable (scroll up to learn how to do it). The other option is using an app. It’s called Coolmuster Android Assistant.

This app is easy to use. All your data is on the interface. Plus, you can back up your contacts and text messages aside from the videos and pictures. 

So, how do you use the app? It’s simple.

Step 1. Download the app on your PC from the Coolmuster website

Step 2. Install the app and launch it, then

Step 3.  Insert your USB flash drive into the PC 

Step 4. Connect your phone to the PC with a data cable. Set the USB to transfer files on your phone. The app will detect your phone and display all the files on the interface. 

Step 5. Select the files you want to back up from the app’s interface. Click the super toolkit icon. Then select your USB flash drive as your transfer point, click okay, and the transfer will start.

Conclusion

You need to know how to transfer photos or files from your android phone to a USB flash drive. Your phone storage may be running out. You may have sensitive files you want to preserve, or it’s a movie you downloaded with your phone, and you want to watch from the TV.

Transferring files from your phone to a USB flash drive is almost inevitable in our age. The good thing is you have the instruction to help you do it.

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