USB flash drive
Also known as: USB drive, thumb drive, flash drive, memory stick
A USB flash drive is a small, pocket-sized stick that stores data on flash memory and plugs into a USB port. It is a handy way to carry files between devices and offload smaller documents and photos, though it is slower and lower-capacity than an SSD or external hard drive.
- Pocket-sized flash storage with a built-in USB plug
- Great for moving files between devices
- Slower and smaller than an external drive or SSD
How a flash drive works
A USB flash drive packs NAND flash memory and a controller into a thumb-sized case with a built-in USB plug. Like an SSD it has no moving parts, so it is durable and silent, but the chips inside are usually slower and smaller in capacity than those in a full drive.
Plug one into a USB port and it appears as a removable drive you can copy files to and from. Its strength is portability — moving documents, photos, or installers between computers without the cloud.
When to use one (and when not to)
Flash drives are ideal for transferring files, handing someone a folder, or keeping a quick spare copy of important documents. For large media libraries or full backups, an external hard drive or SSD is faster and far cheaper per gigabyte.
Because they are small and easy to lose, flash drives are best for temporary or duplicate copies rather than the only home for irreplaceable files. Cheaper drives can also wear out or fail, so do not rely on a single one for backups.