USB flash drive not recognized on Galaxy phone or tablet

A faulty drive can disrupt the communication between your devices, causing the USB drive to not be recognized. Inspect the drive for cracks or broken parts. If it’s damaged, replace the flash drive.

 

It's crucial to keep your USB drive updated to ensure compatibility and proper functionality. Check the manufacturer's website for any updates if your flash drive is not appearing.

Inspect the phone or tablet to ensure the connectors in the USB-C charging port are not corroded, bent, broken, or pushed in. If the port is damaged, visit a Samsung Service Center for issues with a USB connection. Please bring your USB drive with you to receive accurate guidance.

Swipe down from the top of your device’s screen and tap the Power icon. Tap Restart, and then tap Restart again to confirm.

If the USB flash drive doesn't have a USB type-C connector, you will need to connect it to a Type-A to Type-C USB-OTG adapter, and then plug it into your Galaxy phone or tablet to transfer files.

 

Make sure the USB drive is fully plugged into your phone or tablet.

Navigate to and open Settings, then tap Device care, and then tap Storage. Select the device you want to format, then tap More options (the three vertical dots), and then tap Format. Tap Format again to confirm.

On your phone or tablet, swipe down from the top of the screen using two fingers to open the Quick settings panel. Under Android System, tap USB for file transfer, and then choose Transferring files under Use USB for.

Navigate to and open My Files, and then touch and hold the file you’d like to move. You can also tap All to select all files in the folder. Next, tap Move or Copy at the bottom of the screen, and then navigate back to the My Files Home page. Tap USB Storage (this will only appear if you have a USB flash device inserted), and then tap Move here.