To use USB port on Vizio smart TV, insert a USB flash drive formatted as FAT or FAT32 into the TV's USB port to play your personal media files. Before you begin, ensure your drive uses the correct file system and that your media files are in a compatible format.
How to use the USB port on your Vizio smart TV
This guide shows you exactly how to play movies, photos, and music stored on a USB flash drive directly on your Vizio smart TV. Two requirements are mandatory: your USB drive must be formatted as FAT or FAT32, and your media files must be in a format your TV supports.
Step 1: Prepare your USB drive
The USB flash drive must be formatted in FAT or FAT32. Most modern USB drives come formatted this way, but if your drive uses a different file system, you will need to reformat it. Your Vizio smart TV supports the following file formats:
- Photo formats: .JPG, .JPEG, .BMP, .GIF, and .TGA
- Music formats: .MP3 and .WMA
- Video formats: .AVI, .M4V, .MKV (for 4K TVs only), .MP4, and .MPG
Step 2: Connect and access your media
- Insert the USB flash drive into the TV's USB port.
- An auto-detect pop-up may appear on your screen. Select "Browse" to proceed.
- If the pop-up does not appear, navigate to the "MEDIA" app on your TV and press OK.
- From the MEDIA app, select "USB," then choose "Photo," "Music," or "Video" to access your files.
Your files will now be displayed. Use your remote to select and play the media you want.
Troubleshooting USB playback on a Vizio TV
If your USB drive is not recognized or files will not play, try these two verified fixes. First, if the TV was turned off, you may need to re-insert the USB drive for it to be recognized upon powering on. Second, double-check that your media file format is listed in the supported formats above. For any other issues, contact Vizio support directly.
What to do next
To ensure your TV runs smoothly, you should update my Vizio smart TV for better performance and access to the latest features. If you want a deeper look at playing video files, check out the dedicated instructions on how to play USB video on Vizio smart TV.
