How To Transfer Pictures From Android to a USB Flash Drive

Lee Stanton November 17, 2022

You might want to transfer pictures from your Android phone to your PC. Alternatively, you may have decided to back up your images using safe storage. Either way, you could use a USB flash drive to complete the process, and this article will tell you how to do it.

Read on for an in-depth guide on sending images from an Android smartphone to a USB flash drive.

How to Transfer Pictures From Android to a USB Flash Drive

Transferring your images from an Android device to a USB flash drive isn’t too complicated. However, you’ll first need to check your devices meet specific requirements:

Check the available storage on the flash drive. This step is essential because it tells you whether your USB can accommodate the images you wish to send. Fortunately, modern devices are large enough to store albums of high-definition images. But if you want to send uncompressed files or the drive already contains some pictures, compare the folder sizes before the transfer.
Verify your phone and flash drive are compatible. You’ll probably send your files through a USB-C port (like your charger). The best solution is to use a USB-C drive because it has the appropriate connector shape. If you don’t have the corresponding port, you’ll need to purchase an adapter.
Make sure your smartphone supports USB on-the-go. This technology enables you to connect your drive directly to your phone. Most phone manufacturers provide this feature by default but check the phone’s specs to verify.

You can now connect your Android device to your flash drive and send the files:

Plug in the flash drive using the corresponding port. If you’re using an adapter, you’ll first need to connect the adapter, followed by the USB.
Wait for the system to recognize the connection. In most cases, the file system of your smartphone should pop up on your screen upon plugging in your flash drive.
Click the notification that acknowledges the link. You’ll now be taken to your USB storage, giving you a clear overview of all the files on the flash drive.
Locate the pictures you wish to transfer. This step can vary, depending on your phone, but most models require you to perform the same process. In other words, you’ll need to find the folder that contains the images. Here are a few ways to do so:
- Go to “Settings,” followed by “Storage.” Your pictures should be in this folder.
- Use “My Files” or other file management apps to reveal your internal memory, SD card, and other storage volumes. You may need to do some digging to find your pictures here.
- Navigate to the “DCIM” folder if you took the images with your camera. Alternatively, go to your SD card or internal storage if you can’t locate them.
- Head to “Downloads” if you’ve downloaded the files from the internet. This is the default location of downloaded images unless you’ve modified the path.
Select the images that will be transferred. Again, this process can vary by smartphone, but you usually need to long press a picture to activate the selection tool. Once it’s enabled, choose any other files you wish to send by checking boxes. It’s much easier than long-pressing individual images.
Expand the menu that lets you choose how you want to handle the selected images. You can find this menu by looking for the three lines or dots in the top-right section of the screen. Press “Move” and pick the USB flash drive. The wording of the commands may vary, depending on your brand.
Let the transfer finish, use the “Eject” feature to remove your flash drive safely, and unplug the USB.

Hassle-Free Process

One of the reasons Android is the leading OS is that it’s chock-full of quick and convenient features. One of them is seamless image transfer to and from USB flash drives. Regardless of your device, you should be able to send your pictures within minutes.

What’s the largest file you sent from your Android to a USB flash drive? How long did the transfer take? Let us know in the comments section below.