To easily transfer, manage, and organize files, connect external storage devices to your Googlebook. These devices include USB flash drives, external hard drives, solid-state drives (SSDs), and SD cards through an adapter or card reader.
Understand supported file systems
Your Googlebook supports portable removable storage formatted with standard plug-and-play file systems:
| File system | Supported actions | Details & best for |
| exFAT | Read & write (Full access) | Recommended. Modern USB flash drives, SDXC cards (>32 GB), and high-capacity external SSDs. Supports files of any size. |
| FAT32 (VFAT) | Read & write (Full access) | Standard USB flash drives and SDHC cards (≤32 GB). Compatible with older devices. Tip: Individual files cannot exceed 4 GB in size. |
| Other file systems (NTFS, APFS, HFS+, ext4, and more) | Not currently supported | Drives formatted with Windows NTFS, macOS APFS/HFS+, Linux ext4, or unformatted drives cannot be mounted. |
Connect & access your drive
To access files, connect an external storage device to your Googlebook:
- Physically connect your external storage device to an available USB port on your Googlebook.
- Once connected, you can access your drive in 2 primary ways:
- System notification:
- A notification appears after connecting the drive.
- Select Explore to open the Files app directly.
- Select Eject from this notification to safely disconnect the drive.
- Files app:
- Open the Files app
.
- Locate your drive under storage locations in the left sidebar.
- Open the Files app
- System notification:
.Format & safely eject a drive
Eject a drive safelyImportant: Wait for file transfers to complete before ejecting a storage device. Disconnecting it during a transfer can result in data corruption.
To prevent file corruption and data loss, safely eject your external storage device. Do this before disconnecting it.
- Open the Files app
- In the left sidebar, locate your connected drive.
- Select Eject
next to the drive name.
- You can also right-click the drive and select Eject.
- Once the drive disappears from the sidebar, physically unplug it from your device.
next to the drive name.
Your Googlebook notifies you if a new or unsupported drive needs formatting. Formatting prepares the drive for use with your Googlebook.
- Select the notification, or go to your Googlebook’s Settings app
Storage.
- Select your external storage drive.
- Select Format.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to format the drive to exFAT.
Storage.Troubleshoot issues with external storage
- Drive does not open or appear in the sidebar: Verify the drive is formatted in exFAT or FAT32. Unsupported formats must be formatted before use.
- "File too large" error when copying: If the drive is formatted in FAT32, you cannot copy individual files larger than 4 GB. Reformat the drive to exFAT for larger files.
- Drive requires additional power: High-capacity external mechanical hard drives (HDDs) may require more power than a single USB port provides. Connect it through a powered USB hub or AC adapter.