5 great ways to use a USB OTG Cable with your Android phone
A USB OTG cable or adapter can expand your smartphone’s functionality in numerous ways, allowing you to do some pretty cool things on your Android phone. Here are 5 different ways you can use a USB OTG cable to enhance your smartphone’s capabilities.
Connect a Controller
One of the most popular uses for an OTG cable is to connect a USB gaming controller which will enable you to play certain games using it. This is a great alternative to buying a Bluetooth controller in case you’re strapped for cash.
There is a myriad of games that work with a controller and what I found was that my accuracy in most games improved when actually using a controller as I was used to it.
Simply plug in the controller as you would normally, and then open up a game (my favorite is Dead Trigger) and you’ll be all set and ready to start gaming. This simple use of an OTG cable makes mobile gaming even more enjoyable.
Connect a Keyboard/Mouse
If you feel like connecting a mouse and keyboard up to your phone then this is possible. This even works with wireless peripherals and all you have to do is plug in the receiver and you will be able to immediately control your phone with a mouse/keyboard. This can be useful if your device’s screen is damaged because plugging in a keyboard/mouse can allow you to backup any necessary files and access what is needed.
External Storage/USB
A lot of the time I need to transfer files to and from my phone to either clear up storage or view them on my PC. This process normally takes quite a while, but using an OTG cable and connecting a standard USB flash drive or external hard drive speeds up the process. You can dump a bunch of files onto the flash drive or vice versa and this frees up a lot of time that you would have spent moving the files between a medium.
Charge Another Device
Run out of battery on your phone and don’t have access to a wall plug or power bank? No worries. With an OTG cable you can charge another device using the phone’s existing battery. This is only really practical in emergency situations but it is pretty cool in my opinion.
USB Accessories
Probably the most interesting use of an OTG cable is connecting different USB Accessories. You could connect a USB fan, a USB lamp, and the list goes on and on. Connecting a
Connecting a USB lamp using an OTG cable can provide you with a more powerful light than your flash at the back of your phone and might come in useful as a night light. Connecting a USB fan obviously isn’t going to have much of an impact however if you do need something to cool you down briefly then it may be an option for you.
Any Other Ideas?
As a testament to the flexibility of Android and USB OTG cables, we’d be here all day if we discussed them all. Do you have anything specifically that you like to do with your Android phone using an OTG cable that we haven’t discovered here? Hit us with a line to let us know straight ahead, and use the link below to snag one for yourself at Amazon if you feel like it’s something that can greatly improve your mobile life!