USB key not detected on Android

You formatted (erased) your PixiSafe key on a computer, and since then:

• your Android phone shows the notification “Problem with: USB drive…” when you plug the key in;
• or the key no longer appears in the PixiSafe app;
• even though it works normally on the computer.

Rest assured: your key is not broken. It's simply a formatting setting, and everything is fixed in a few minutes.

When a computer formats (erases) a USB key, it reorganises it entirely, a bit like redoing the shelves of a library. The catch: Macs and some Windows tools arrange the key in a modern way that Android phones don't understand.

As a result, the key works perfectly on the computer, but the phone rejects it. The fix is simply to redo the formatting with the “universal” layout, understood by all devices. That's what we'll do together below.

This is the simplest method: nothing to install, no risk of picking the wrong drive — Android handles everything.

1. 1
   Plug the key into your Android phone.
2. 2
   Tap the notification “Problem with: USB drive…”. If you don't see it, swipe down from the top of the screen to open the notification panel.
3. 3
   Tap “Set up” (or “Format”, depending on your phone model).
4. 4
   If a choice is offered, select “Portable storage” (not “Internal storage”).
5. 5
   Confirm the format and wait for the completion message.
6. 6
   Done! Open the PixiSafe app: the key is recognised and ready for backup.

If no notification appears, unplug and replug the key. Still nothing? Write to us at contact@pixisafe.fr and we'll guide you.

• Copy the file pixisafe_license.json back to the root of the key. We'll send it to you again if you no longer have it.
• Open the PixiSafe app and start a new backup: formatting emptied the key, so your photos and videos need to be backed up to it again.
• To avoid the problem in future: if you ever need to erase the key, do it from the phone, never from a computer.

Unsure about a step, or a licence file to recover? Our customer support replies quickly, 7 days a week. Write to us at contact@pixisafe.fr or check the getting started guide.