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Onyx Boox tablets are awesome. They're these beefed up e-readers with crisp E Ink displays, powerful processors, and unfettered access to Android and the Play Store. Unfortunately, you still don't get all the features and functions that regular Android tablets enjoy.
Setting up your new device is probably the most crucial Android feature. When you turn on a brand-new Android device for the first time, you can usually transfer all your data to it using Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, or a cable. However, Boox tablets don't have this feature, nerfing their capabilities a little.
Luckily, there's an easy way to transfer all your e-books, documents, and other files from one Onyx Boox tablet to another.
The wrong way to use USB OTG
All the best E Ink tablets from Onyx Boox support USB OTG — short for USB On The Go. Conventionally, this is meant to allow you to connect a USB-C flash drive or a USB-C SSD to your phone or tablet.
You probably groaned a little when you came across the words "flash drive," but don't worry, this hack doesn't require you to purchase any additional Type-C thumb drives or accessories. You will, however, need a USB-C to USB-C cable that supports data transfer. Chances are, you probably have one lying around at home.
If you don't own one, you can buy a cheap USB-C cable that supports data transfer.
How to transfer data from one Onyx Boox tablet to another
Now that you have both your Onyx Boox tablets and the right type of USB-C cable, you're all set. For the purposes of this guide, I used a Note Air 4 C and a Note Air 5 C, but this method should work with any other Boox tab, as they all support USB OTG.
1. Plug in the USB-C cable to the tablet you're copying data from first.
2. Next, insert the other end of the C-to-C cable in the tablet you want to transfer data to.
3. The Boox file manager should automatically open.
4. Locate the files you want to transfer.
5. Select and copy the files.
6. Find the folder where you want to import the files in your destination device and paste them.
Et voilà!
That's it! The copying process shouldn't take too long, depending on the number and the size of the files.
Before you import your e-books, I highly suggest syncing your reading progress to your Onyx Boox account. That way, you can migrate all your data to your new Boox device without ever losing track of your progress per book.
I hope this trick helped you as much as it did me when I first discovered it when setting up my Note Air 5 C. The thought of having to transfer all my e-books from my PC to my tablet again felt super daunting, especially since I had downloaded many of them directly to my old Note Air 4 C.
If you do, however, have the energy to plug your tablet into your computer every time, I highly suggest Calibre for your e-book management needs. This open source tool is a godsend, and it has not failed me once since I started using it in 2010.
E Ink wonder
The Onyx Boox Note Air 5 C delivers the best reading and writing experience an E Ink tablet can deliver. This Android 15 tablet has a fingerprint sensor, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, stereo speakers, USB OTG, native OCR, an advanced stylus, and a million other features that make it the crown jewel of e-readers and e-paper devices.
