How to Use Keyboard and Mouse on Android with OTG

Though the touchscreen keyboard on your Android smartphone or tablet is great for texting, wouldn't it be greater to attach a USB keyboard to your Android phones or tablets? After all, bigger is better when it comes to typing and dealing with a bunch of stuff. Also, some special apps may require an external mouse or mini keyboard for Android phone/tablet. Now, let's start to learn how to control Android using computer's keyboard and mouse.

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Many Android devices support keyboard and mouse which are particularly helpful for people who use any office suite to create documents on their tablet. However, Android phones and tablets don’t have standard, full-size USB ports, so you can't plug a USB peripheral directly into it unless the peripheral device is wireless. To connect external keyboard and mouse for Android mobile phone and Android tablets, you need a USB On-the-Go cable.

CONTENTS
What is USB On-the-Go?
How to Attach Mouse/Keyboard to Android Phone and Tablet?

What is USB On-the-Go?

USB On-the-Go (OTG) allows two USB devices to attach a peripheral device to your Android tablet or phone without needing a computer. It's like a bridge between two devices. However, if the keyboard or mouse is wireless, you can connect a mouse or keyboard to android without OTG. A USB OTG cable has two connecting ends. One end fits in your Android device and the other end has a female USB connector in which you can connect keyboard/mouse. It's a little accessory like the picture below.

How to Operate Android Device Using a Mouse or a Keyboard

Note: Not all Android devices support peripherals with a USB OTG cable. Some devices don't have the appropriate hardware support. Therefore, be sure to Google whether your device supports USB OTG before purchasing a USB OTG cable.

STEP 1. Firstly, connect one end of the OTG cable to your Android phone or tablet and then the other end to either a keyboard or a mouse.

STEP 2. Once detected, you will get a notification on your Android device.  Differently, an Android USB keyboard/mouse driver is not necessary in this case.

STEP 3. When the mouse is connected, a pointer would appear on the screen which you can use to scroll through pages, click on applications and do all basic things a mouse would normally do on computers.

STEP 4. When the keyboard is connected then you can use your Android device as a computer to edit and create Microsoft office documents much faster as compared to using the tablet's touch keyboard.

Now you have successfully connected a USB keyboard or mouse to your Android device. You can work on your Android far more easier and faster than ever before. Since USB OTG cable is such a magic tool, you can also use OTG to watch movies on USB disk, transfer photos from digital camera to Android directly and share files between Android devices without needing a computer. Just try the USB OTG and make your digital life easier.

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