13 Best USB Flash Drives (2024): Pen Drives, Thumb Drives, Memory Sticks

There are a fewer things to support successful caput erstwhile you’re buying for USB flash drives, and we besides person immoderate tips for utilizing them.

Capacity: To determine connected the capableness you need, archetypal cheque the size of the folders oregon files you privation to copy. Each USB thrust successful our usher has a stated capacity, but the usable retention volition beryllium somewhat little than that, due to the fact that the device’s firmware requires space.

Speed: USB standards are advancing each the time, and we urge USB 3.0 arsenic a minimum, though higher is better. While USB standards person antithetic theoretical maximum speeds, it’s important to cheque the manufacturer’s stated work and constitute speeds for each drive. If you're chiefly transferring data, you'll privation to look for a thrust with precocious write speeds. If you're readying connected launching bundle connected a machine done the thrust (like a video game), past you'll privation a exemplary with precocious read speeds. Manufacturers volition authorities mean speeds, but astir drives are overmuch faster astatine transferring ample files and thin to beryllium acold slower astatine transferring tiny files.

Compatibility: Many flash drives volition enactment with immoderate instrumentality with the applicable port, but cheque compatibility to debar disappointment. If you privation to usage a thrust with an Android instrumentality oregon 1 of the latest iPhone 15 range, it volition necessitate USB on-the-go (OTG) support. Most Android devices bash enactment USB OTG. You volition get a notification erstwhile you insert a flash thrust with options that should see File Transfer. You tin effort the USB OTG Checker app to corroborate enactment if you’re unsure. Apple’s earlier iPhones and iPads don’t enactment USB OTG, but you tin instal a companion app for drives, similar SanDisk’s iXpand series.

Connectors: Most flash drives person USB-A connectors, but you tin besides get drives with USB-C, MicroUSB, and Lightning connectors. If you program connected utilizing a flash thrust with your smartphone and computer, snag 1 with some of the required types of connectors. You tin besides bargain USB hubs with aggregate ports oregon adapters, but wage adjacent attraction to the supported modular oregon it whitethorn bounds your information transportation speeds. This Anker USB-A to USB-C adapter, for example, is USB 3.0.

Security: Remember that USB drives tin origin information issues, peculiarly for businesses, and you should never plug successful random drives you find lying around. If you program to support delicate information connected your flash drive, past see biometric oregon passcode protection, and look into the level of encryption it offers. There are bundle services that connection encryption and let you to password-protect your files connected immoderate USB flash drive.