Help LG G Stylo: Connecting a flash USB drive with OTG cable

[ddaddo]

Anyone have any success accessing files on a flash drive connected to LG G Stylo with an OTG cable?

As I understand it, when a USB flash drive is connected via an OTG cable, the status bar should show an icon indicating a newly connected USB device as well as the file explorer should start automatically. I see none of that, no icon and no file explorer starting, basically nothing happens when I connect a USB drive via OTG. I see no way to access files on the drive from the phone, even if I start the file explorer manually.

Any ideas? I'm running stock Android 5.1.1, not rooted.

 

[Hadron]

I don't know the stylo, but from my own experience of other devices wouldn't expect anything to auto-start when you connect a drive via OTG (no more than I'd expect that if you inserted a SD card).

However, starting a file explorer manually should allow you to see the drive. Have you tried going to the system Storage menu and seeing whether you need to mount it manually (it will probably appear as "usb storage")?

 

[ddaddo]

However, starting a file explorer manually should allow you to see the drive. Have you tried going to the system Storage menu and seeing whether you need to mount it manually (it will probably appear as "usb storage")?

I'm actually using the file manager that came with the android OS, not a file explorer as I wrote above. The highest level I can go with this file manager is "Internal storage" which is mounted to /storage/emulated/0, there seems to be no way for me to mount a USB drive or see the whole file system. Thanks

 

[ddaddo]

Have you tried going to the system Storage menu and seeing whether you need to mount it manually (it will probably appear as "usb storage")?

There are two option under "General > Storage > SD card", both are greyed out and inaccessible in my case regardless if a USB flash drive is OTG-connected or not:
Mount SD card
Erase SD card

Clicking on "Mount SD card" does nothing for me.

 

[horsecharles]

Not possible.

 

[ddaddo]

Please clarify what you mean by "not possible". LG G Stylo doesn't support the OTG specification? It's not possible with the cable and/or the card reader I have? Something else? Thanks

 

[Jack Mickey]

Please clarify what you mean by "not possible". LG G Stylo doesn't support the OTG specification? It's not possible with the cable and/or the card reader I have? Something else? Thanks

Its not possible as in the kernel and the device does not support otg functionality afaik.

 

[ddaddo]

Interesting. There's an article [ http://rfexplorer.com/usb-host-mode/ ] that says that copying the android.hardware.usb.host.xml configuration file to the /system/etc/permissions folder on the Android device would allow the OTG functionality to work. Anyone who's rooted interested in trying it? Or perhaps this file is already present in Android 6 Marshmallow? Thanks

 

[horsecharles]

Save your time.
This was all already looked into @ xda last year.
The hardware not made for it...the overseas version Stylus maybe, but not the domestic G Stylo.

Unfortunately the US is Third World for broadband & cellphones.

 

[ddaddo]

Save your time.
This was all already looked into @ xda last year.
The hardware not made for it...the overseas version Stylus maybe, but not the domestic G Stylo

Thanks for your response. The problem is I couldn't find anything at xda that would explicitly say that OTG doesn't work on LG G Stylo due to hardware limitations. GameTheory, the developer behind the Katana ROM, said someone may have gotten it working: "Not sure whether or not this phone supports otg. One user said he got it working and even posted the app he used. If I find his post I'll let you know." See http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=63559107&postcount=36

Perhaps this may be the app he was referring to: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.tauruslabs.usbhostcheck

Can someone rooted try it out and definitely confirm that it doesn't work? Thanks

 

[horsecharles]

Thanks for your response. The problem is I couldn't fine anything at xda that would explicitly say that OTG doesn't work on LG G Stylo due to hardware limitations. GameTheory, the developer behind the Katana ROM, said someone may have gotten it working: "Not sure whether or not this phone supports otg. One user said he got it working and even posted the app he used. If I find his post I'll let you know." See http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=63559107&postcount=36

Perhaps this may be the app he was referring to: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.tauruslabs.usbhostcheck

Can someone rooted try it out and definitely confirm that it doesn't work? Thanks

I already tried that app and practically all others.
And since, I've actually unrooted my phone... this weekend I can try adding that snippet, just to set the record straight... But I'll say this now:

1. The user who made the claim called his phone a Stylus way back then.
2. When asked for further details - no answer. When pressed - he no longer has the phone.
3. I highly doubt such an important tool, especially to Devs and other advanced users - has been missed by everyone for over a year.

Sorry Charlie, Starkist is only 100% tuna filet.

 

[ddaddo]

... this weekend I can try adding that snippet, just to set the record straight...

If you get a chance, please try it out. It'd be nice if somehow it would work.

 

[ddaddo]

Has anyone tried it? Thanks