Local / USB

You can point Cinaura at any folder the TV itself can read. That includes a USB drive plugged into the TV or its set-top box, or media stored on internal storage.

What you’ll need

• A USB drive formatted as FAT32, exFAT, or NTFS. ext4 works on some Android TV devices but not all.
• Or media already copied to the TV’s internal storage.

Grant storage access

The first time you open Local / USB, Cinaura asks for the All files access permission. It needs this to browse internal storage and, on some devices, USB drives. You only grant it once.

If you see a “Storage permission required” screen (or no drives show up at all):

1. Select Open Settings. Cinaura tries to jump straight to the right screen. If it does, toggle All files access on for Cinaura and press back to return.

2. If “Open Settings” doesn’t land on the right screen (some Android TV builds don’t expose it directly), navigate there manually: Settings → Apps → Cinaura → Special app access → All files access, then toggle it on.

3. Back in Cinaura, return to Add source → Local / USB. Your drives and internal storage now appear.

Caution

“All files access” lets Cinaura read everything on the device’s storage. Cinaura only reads media files and never writes or deletes, but it’s a broad permission, so grant it only if you intend to use local or USB sources.

Connect a USB drive

1. Plug the drive into your TV (or set-top box, e.g. Shield, Chromecast with Google TV, Fire TV). Wait a few seconds for Android to mount it.

2. On the TV, open Cinaura → Settings → Sources → Add source → Local / USB.

3. Pick the drive from the list of detected storage volumes.

4. Pick which folders to sync. Cinaura lists the folders inside the drive. Tick the ones you want indexed (handy if the drive also holds non-media files). You can come back later to add or remove folders.

5. Confirm. Cinaura starts indexing the selected folders immediately. Indexing local storage is much faster than network sources.

Use internal storage

If you’ve sideloaded media (e.g. via Send Files to TV), follow the same steps but pick the internal storage volume rather than a USB drive.

Note

USB drives are removed cleanly when you unplug them. Cinaura simply hides anything on a missing drive until you plug it back in.

Troubleshooting

• Nothing shows up (no drives and no internal storage): Cinaura is probably missing the All files access permission. Grant it under Settings → Apps → Cinaura → Special app access → All files access, then reopen Local / USB.
• A USB drive doesn’t show up: try a different USB port, or test the drive on a computer to make sure it mounts. ext4-formatted drives may not work on all Android TV devices.
• Some files won’t play: check the file extension and codec; very old or very obscure formats may not be supported by the TV’s hardware decoder.
• Permission prompt every time: confirm “always allow” when Android asks about access to the storage device.