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I am wondering if it is necessary to buy a USB OTG cable to access a USB stick from an Android (4.4) phone, or if it suffices to take the Micro-USB-to-USB cable that comes with the phone (for charging) and connect it to the USB stick (via a female-female adapter)?

Marius Hofert
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  • Have you tried using the female-female adapter? Did it work? Before, I tried to use a USB hub, and plug the USB stick there; it didn't work. But it works if I just use an OTG cable. – geffchang Nov 09 '13 at 07:29
  • Hi, thanks for helping. I don't have a female-female adapter, that's why I couldn't test it. I also connected the smartphone (Nexus 5) to a (externally powered) USB hub with a USB stick, but it also didn't work. It seems like the OTG cable is required. One thing I'm still wondering: Does the following connection work? Phone - OTG cable - (USB extension) - USB hub - USB stick. My idea would be to also charge the phone while being connected to a USB stick (although I've read that not both might work simultaneously) – Marius Hofert Nov 09 '13 at 11:18
  • I've tried the Phone > OTG Cable > USB Hub > USB stick combination. It didn't work. So, I assume adding a USB extension wouldn't work either. Your best bet would be Phone > OTG Cable > USB stick. – geffchang Nov 09 '13 at 14:14

2 Answers2

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I would do away with a lot of connections, and just do a Phone > USB OTG > USB Stick connection. An OTG Cable is very cheap anyway. You can get one for a USD1 (at least here in the Philippines), or less.

geffchang
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No. An OTG cable has two of the five pins shorted together at one end. This is how your phone knows whether it is being a USB accessory or a USB host; that is, how it knows whether it's being a USB memory stick or a computer. It doesn't matter what USB adaptors you use: if you're plugging in the accessory end of a USB-OTG cable, or if you use a normal (non-OTG) USB cable, then the device will act as an accessory, not a host.

Dan Hulme
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