USB OTG
(USB On-The-Go)
A technology that allows non-computer devices (such as phones) to connect directly to peripherals (such as mice, keyboards, and memory sticks) via USB cable.
See: USB
In a traditional USB setup, all devices are either hosts or peripherals. Computers are generally hosts, and everything else - including phones - are peripherals. This allows a phone to be connected to a computer for transferring files and sharing an Internet connection, for example. In any traditional USB setup, a host (computer) is required, and therefore a phone cannot be connected directly to a keyboard. USB OTG solves this problem by letting a phone play the role of either host or peripheral, depending on what it's connected to at the moment.
Not all phones with USB support USB OTG. Furthermore, a phone with USB OTG may only support certain types of peripherals.
Last updated Feb 19, 2015 by Rich Brome
Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.
