First, before getting to know the features of the OTG cable, let me tell you that this cable does not support all smartphones, especially older and lower-end phones, and most likely those with small screens. But you can find out if your device supports OTG cable or not using the USB OTG Checker app, which you can download from the Play Store. After installing and running it, press the Result button on the application interface, and if it is green, it supports it, but if it is red, then your phone does not support the OTG link. If you find that your phone supports it, I advise you to go buy the cable for the following reasons.
1- Turn your phone into a power bank and charge other phones.
A great feature that you can get with the OTG cable is using your Android phone that supports this link to charge other phones that do not necessarily support this cable. The idea is to convert the mobile phone battery into a power bank to drain the charge from it and recharge it into another battery. This is useful in emergency situations or when the power goes out. All you need to do after connecting the OTG cable to your phone is to insert the USB cable of the charger into your phone and the other end into the phone you want to transfer power to, and immediately it will inform you that it starts charging as if you connected it to a wall socket.
2- Connect a mouse and keyboard to the phone.
The most common purpose of the OTG cable is the ability to connect a regular computer mouse and a keyboard to control the phone through them. This is mainly intended for tablet devices to facilitate device usage and dealing with large screens. You can control everything through the mouse as if you were using your fingers, and the keyboard as well to enter texts quickly and write any text faster than the device’s built-in keyboard on the screen. This purpose is also useful in case the touch screen is damaged. All you have to do to do this is to connect the OTG cable to the phone and use a Multi-port USB device to enable multiple USB cables to be inserted into a single USB port. You can search for it online to understand the nature of this device, and after connecting it, you only need to start using the phone or tablet through the mouse and keyboard directly.
3- Browse files stored on the flash drive.
Since the phone has a USB port through the OTG cable, it undoubtedly enables you also to browse files and data stored on any flash memory and transfer data from your phone to it or take files from it. This is useful if you have some important files and photos on your phone and want to back up a copy of them on the flash drive, or vice versa. You only need to connect the cable to your phone and insert the flash drive into the USB port, then you need to go to the file manager application on the phone and you will find that it reads the flash drive as if it were an SD card, and you can control it without any problems.
4- Play video games on the phone using the control stick.
Another great and distinctive feature that you can get after purchasing the OTG cable is the ability to play games and enjoy them using the computer’s control stick. This will make the gaming experience much better, especially if these games are about car racing or adventures, as you can move characters and cars within the game using the buttons on the control stick. All you have to do is connect the cable to the phone and then insert the USB port of the control stick, and the phone will not inform you that another device has been connected, but you will notice it after starting any game.
5- Price of the OTG cable.
The price of the OTG cable is one of the reasons that make you buy it for your phone or tablet. Despite its uses that undoubtedly help you make better use of your smartphone and change your user experience, its price is cheap and affordable, and within reach. It does not exceed or decrease about $3, which is around 25 Egyptian pounds and approximately 15 Saudi riyals based on the current exchange rates. It can be found in stores selling phone accessories and is also available in abundance online. I recommend you to acquire this cable as it has many uses, not just what we have reviewed.
