What to Know

  • Get a compatible USB OTG cable. Go to Settings > Device Options > About Fire Tablet to find your model.Plug the USB OTG adapter into the tablet and the USB drive into the port. Use a file manager app to access the drive.Or, connect both devices to your PC and drag the files you want to transfer into the appropriate folder on your Fire.

To directly connect a USB flash drive to your Fire tablet, you need to use a compatible USB OTG cable. All Fire tablets support USB OTG, but not all USB OTG cables work with every Fire device. The adapter you need depends on whether your Fire tablet has a USB-C or micro-USB port.

When shopping for a USB OTG cable, make sure it is compatible with your specific model. To find your Fire tablet’s model, go to Settings > Device Options and look under About Fire Tablet.

How Do I Use a Flash Drive on My Fire Tablet?

You can also use the USB OTG cable to connect a compatible keyboard or mouse to your Fire tablet.

Plug the USB OTG adapter into your Fire tablet and insert the USB drive into the port. Then, open the file manager app. If you don’t see the USB drive, look for a tab that says Local or USB OTG.

  • Books: AZW (.azw3), MOBI (non-DRM), KF8Music: MP3, AAC (.m4a), MIDI, PCM/WAVE, OGG, WAVPhotos: JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMPMovies: MP4, 3GP, VP8 (.webm)Documents: TXT, PDF, PRC, DOC, DOCXAudible: AA, AAX

How to Transfer Files From a Flash Drive to a Fire Tablet via PC

If you don’t have a USB OTG cable, you can transfer files from the flash drive to your Fire tablet via your PC:

Then unplug your Fire tablet and remove the flash drive from your computer. The files you transferred should appear in the appropriate app. Any videos you send to your Fire appear in your Photos library and the Personal Videos app.

Plug your USB flash drive into one of your computer’s USB ports.

When you connect your Fire tablet to one of the other USB ports on your computer, you may see a notification about USB Options. Tap it and select File Transfer to allow access to your device.

Open your computer’s File Explorer and locate your Fire tablet under This PC or My Computer. It should appear alongside your other drives (including the USB flash drive). Right-click your Fire and select Open in a new window.

Mac users must download the Android File Transfer tool to access a Fire tablet via USB. Your Fire tablet will appear on the desktop.

In the original window, select your USB drive to open it.

Drag the files you want to transfer from the flash drive into the appropriate folder (Documents, Music, Pictures) on your Fire tablet.

  • How do I save files to a flash drive on my Fire tablet?
  • Once you enable file transfers in the USB options, use ES File Explorer to copy and paste files from your tablet to your flash drive (or vice versa). You can also choose to save files directly to the USB drive from within certain apps (like Microsoft Word).
  • How do I play an ISO from a flash drive on my Fire tablet?
  • If you have an ISO file, you need an app that can run it like a video game emulator. Move the ISO file to your tablet, then launch the program and open the ISO file.

Once you enable file transfers in the USB options, use ES File Explorer to copy and paste files from your tablet to your flash drive (or vice versa). You can also choose to save files directly to the USB drive from within certain apps (like Microsoft Word).

If you have an ISO file, you need an app that can run it like a video game emulator. Move the ISO file to your tablet, then launch the program and open the ISO file.

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