The blog post explains everything you need to know about transferring files from an Android TV box to a USB drive. Or copy/move files from a USB to an android TV box.

Fundamentally, transferring files from a USB to an android box is not a big deal. There’s nothing complicated if things are all alright.

What to know?

Some Android boxes do not support USB drives or SD cards with plenty of space. Ideally use 32GB or 64GB USBs.

During sharing files between an android box and a USB, the files don’t move due to restrictions from android boxes. So, you may have to convert your USB format to FAT32.

Alternatively, if the USB method does not work. Try using any cloud-based storage and backup your data there, then get that backup on your second device.

Methods to Transfer files from a USB drive to an android box.

Table of Contents

In general, you can transfer files by following the two methods below.

1# First Method:

This is the simplest way you can copy, move, or share any files between a USB and an Android TV box.

Plug the USB flash drive into the android Tv box.
On your TV, go to the Home screen.
Open the Settings.
Now Go to the storage settings.
Access the USB storage files.
Hold the file you want to share, till it says Move/copy.
Now Copy that file and go back.
Access the internal storage and paste the file.

The files should be transferred in this way. However, if you are facing an error saying “read-only” or any other stupid error during the process.

2# Second Method

This is a bit complicated but useful In case the first method didn’t work. Here is a second option.

1. download and install ES FILE EXPLORER from Play Store,

2. open ES File Explorer

3. click on External USB/SD drive

4. Files will be shown

5. click Holding file til a ticked box shows

6. go down to the right corner where it says *MORE* a menu will open with

some options MOVE TO, COPY just clicks on it and move files or copy to where you want.

You should read the next heading that is about fixing the issue regards to not transferring files.

#3 Third method

I have this video tutorial useful to share files between an android box to another android tv.

The Android TV box cannot transfer files to the USB.

Problem:

Unable to transfer files on android 8.0 TV box to the USB. I have tried many file transfer apps but none will transfer to my USB even though it shows my USB connection and any files that are on the USB. Can anyone help?

Solution:

Try this app TotalCommander. It can probably fix the issue and let you transfer files from an android box to a USB and vice versa.

Because your android tv boxes may have restricted the permission of the USB driver to read-only. This is why you are not able to copy/paste files between your tv and USB.

It’s possible that the USB drive is mounted as read-only.

In TotalCommander, If you copy to the USB drive and the USB drive is mounted as read-only.

: TotalCommander will automatically ask if you want to remount the drive as read-write, which is what you want. Say ‘Yes’, then it copies whatever files you want to your USB.

Source: https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=64283

Clone all files using an android tv box to a USB using ES file explorer.

It is possible to transfer all kinds of data, including files, from one android tv box to another android tv box using this method.

The below methods works in this way.

You will need to backup all your files from your TV box: including images, videos, apps, and games, in a USB drive or you can use an SD card for this purpose.

Then, you will need to plug the USB device into another device to which you want to migrate the data.

So there are basically two steps involved.

First backing up apps from the android box to a USB or an SD card.
Secondly, transfer the data to another device from the USB or an SD card.

Backing up Apps from the First Android TV Box

The following steps will guide you to backup your android tv box to a USB.

You will have to download this app, ES file explorer on your android box.

But in case, there comes a problem during sharing files. You may have to format your USB drive to FAT32, it’s for your TV box to share files to the USB. (how to format a USB FAT32)

Now follow the steps.

Step 1: Connect a USB drive to your android tv box.

Step 2: Download and Install ES FIle explorer on your android tv box.

Step 3: Open ES FIle explorer. You can see the three dots in the top left corner. Click on it.

Step 4: A small window will open and select the settings option from it. open settings in ES File Explorer.

Step 5: After Clicking on settings, find backup settings there. And then Click on the backup settings and again to back up it.

Step 6: Click on the three dots on the right. After clicking on the dots choose USB drive. In this, we are choosing our USB drive for the backup.

Step 7: Now it will ask you for a password, Make a strong password and remember it.

Step 8: After entering the password, click Ok, and your backup process will start. Wait for it to complete.

Step 9: After some minutes your app’s backup will be completed, Now remove your USB drive from the android tv box.

Transferring Apps from USB Drive to Other Android TV Box

Step 1: Plug your USB drive into the android tv box.

Step 2: Open ES FIle explorer. See for External SD drive or USB drive and click on it.

Step 3: Now you can clearly see your backed-up apps from the first android tv box. Click on the holding files option until a ticked box pops up on your screen.

Step 4: In that box check the right corner and click on the ‘more’ option in it.

Step 5: After clicking on ‘more’ a menu will open, into that menu search for the ‘move to’ or ‘copy’ option.

Step 6: Click on the ‘move to’ option and a window will open with some options, click on the android tv box in that small window.

Step 7: Now the process will start and your apps will be saved into your android tv box. You just have to install them. These apps will be in APK format.

How to transfer files from an android tv box to a USB