Computer can't detect Android device via USB? The problem is quite common, and its cause can be either a simple cable failure or a malfunction of the operating system. In most cases, in order for your gadget to be successfully detected by the computer, you need to activate the correct connection type in its settings.
In this guide, we will describe in detail what can cause the device to be incorrectly detected on a PC via a USB cable, and also consider all the options for solving the problem.
USB debugging on different OS versions is located in different menu sections:
- Version 2.3 and earlier - Settings > Applications > Development.
- Version 3.0 to 4.1 - Settings > Developer Options.
- Version 4.2 and new - Settings > About phone > Build number (quickly click on it about 7 times), then return to Settings > Developer options.
If after these steps, when connecting the cable, the phone or tablet simply charges, then the reason for this phenomenon is that it is connected in media player or charging mode.
The wrong connection mode is selected.
In this case, when you reconnect, open the notification shade and select “Enable USB storage” in it.
Or go to the Android system settings and try to find the menu with connection methods, in which select “Connect as media device (MTP)”.
Correct connection mode.
Modem mode enabled
The problem may occur due to modem mode being enabled. Go to network settings and make sure this mode is disabled.
Accordingly, if it is activated, you need to disable it by simply dragging the slider to the “Disabled” mode or uncheck the box opposite it (here it all depends on the version of the system and shell).
One of the first things to do if your computer does not see your Android smartphone via USB is to check the connection. There is a possibility that there is a malfunction in the cable or one of the connectors of the computer (device).
If the system does not notify you that a new USB device is connected, then you need to make sure that the USB connectors are working. Just plug any other device into the connector (for example, a regular flash drive) and check how it works. If it is not detected, the connector may be faulty. Try connecting your Android device through a different connector.
If the computer detects the device, but does not want to recognize it as a disk drive, it most likely requires installing an additional driver.
Driver update
One of the most common reasons why the computer does not see Android when connected is the lack of installed drivers for your phone. Also, drivers for working with an Android device may be accidentally deleted or simply need to be updated.
To configure the driver yourself, use the instructions below.
Subtleties of connecting a device on Windows XP
If the connection is established on a computer with the Win XP operating system, for correct identification in the system, you may need to install the additional Media Transfer protocol, which you can download. If the device is old (2010, for example), it may work correctly without installing the protocol.
If you are using a relatively new device, it is recommended to upgrade to a more current version of the Windows operating system.
Other possible causes and their elimination
If all the methods described above did not help solve the problem when the PC does not see the Android phone, then the reason may be something else.
- Memory clearing.
- Checking your phone for viruses.
Sometimes, you need to delete unnecessary files if all the memory on the memory card is full. Try cleaning and USB connection again.
Today, there are many viruses roaming the Internet, including those designed specifically for mobile operating systems. Download an antivirus to your device and scan it. After that, try connecting it to the computer again, if the contents are displayed, do not be lazy to scan the device’s memory again, but with the antivirus installed on the PC.
Alternative synchronization option - Bluetooth or WiFi
If you cannot solve the problem due to which your personal computer or laptop cannot see your Android phone, but you urgently need to transfer files from the device to your PC, you can use one of the applications for exchanging data via Bluetooth or WiFi. Among such applications, pay attention to or.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are quite a few reasons for this problem and they are all different. But the most common one is to activate any other connection mode on the phone, except for the USB drive we need. Therefore, first of all, we recommend that you pay attention to this.
A conflict can also arise due to the active “Modem Mode” function, drivers, and in some cases due to a hardware malfunction.
In addition, it should be recalled that manufacturers recommend using only original USB cables, since cheap Chinese analogues not only quickly fail, but can also cause damage to the device’s USB ports.
Possible problems, instructions for diagnosing the problem and other useful tips.
Even with the availability of high-speed Internet and almost limitless cloud storage, many users connect their smartphones to their computer to copy photos, download music, or share the Internet. Usually everything works almost automatically, and no problems arise. But what should you do if nothing happens when you connect your smartphone to your computer via a USB cable?
Checking the USB cable and connectors
First of all, you need to check the functionality of the connectors and the cord itself. Everything is simple here - try connecting another device to the PC using the same connectors and cable. If this phone is again not visible on the computer, then there is some kind of mechanical problem. Replace the USB cable and try using other connectors on your PC.
If the problem turns out to be in the USB connectors, you need to try updating their drivers through the device manager, contact a technician or service center.
USB connection settings
The next most common and important factor is the Android device settings. If the phone is connected to a PC to transfer data, and the “Charging only” setting is set in this section, then nothing will happen when connected to the computer, but the smartphone will .
Usually, when pairing, a USB icon appears in the status bar of the smartphone (top line with notifications and time). You need to click on the notification and in the settings that open, select the desired item, in our case “USB drive”.
If there is no notification in the status bar, you need to go to the settings, use the search for the phrase “USB” and find there the same settings as described above.
Enable Debug Mode
In some cases, debugging mode helps solve the problem. You can read in detail about its inclusion and purpose in. To activate the debugging mode, you need to open the “ ” section and find the corresponding toggle switch there.
Modem mode
On many forums, this problem is explained by a software conflict associated with activating the modem mode. Go to “Settings” - “More” - “Modem Mode” and, if necessary, disable the USB modem function.
Windows Drivers and Device Manager
Typically, when connecting smartphones to a PC, drivers and related software are installed automatically - this takes a couple of minutes. If for some reason this does not happen, there may be problems with detecting the phone and transmitting data.
To fix the problem, on Windows you need to go to “My Computer” - “System Properties” - “Device Manager”.
The list should show "Unknown device" - this is probably a connected smartphone. Right-click on it, select “Update drivers” - “Automatically search for updated drivers”. Wait for the process to complete. If everything completes correctly, the PC should detect the phone.
If this action does not bring results, you must first download drivers for a specific model of smartphone or tablet from the official website, on forums (4PDA) or through the Universal Adb Driver program. When updating drivers, you need to select “Search for drivers on this computer” and specify the folder with the downloaded files.
If none of the suggested tips helped solve problems and errors when connecting an Android phone to a computer, there is a high probability that one of the devices has some serious hardware failure that will have to be diagnosed and repaired at a service center.
Users regularly connect modern Android smartphones to a laptop or PC to dump music, photos or other necessary files. In some situations, the computer does not detect the phone via USB, which makes working with it very difficult. There is a certain list of reasons that prevent the device from being recognized.
The computer does not recognize the phone via USB - reasons
All possible problems that users encounter can be divided into software or hardware. In the first option, the problem is in the settings, drivers or computer system, in the second - in the cable, USB port of the smartphone or laptop. Almost all problems can be fixed, but before you try to fix connecting your phone to your computer via USB, try restarting your PC and device. This simple procedure often helps, especially with device models from Lenovo, Samsung, HTC, FLY, LG, Nokia.
The phone does not connect via USB to the computer, but it charges
A very common problem with devices is when the phone is not displayed on the computer via USB, but the battery charge indicator is on. The smartphone responds to the connection, but the system does not want to display it. To identify the cause of the failure, you can do the following:
- Move the power cord to a different port on the laptop. Now most models are already equipped with version 3.0 connectors (blue), but you need to use 2.0. For stationary versions, the connection should be made from the back of the case, and not from the front panel.
- Try using a different cord if the sockets are the same. This will help identify problems with the cable. If one of the twisted pair wires breaks, the smartphone may continue to charge, but not be detected.
- Inspect the device socket to see if there is any debris or dirt inside that disrupts the connection of the contacts and makes it difficult to find the device.
- Try connecting the device to another PC. If it is detected there, then the problem is definitely in your system: there are no drivers, a virus, or the power supply on the laptop is incorrectly configured. This problem will be described in more detail below.
The computer stopped seeing the phone via USB
It often happens that the device was previously detected, but for some reason it suddenly stopped. A common reason why the computer does not see the phone via USB is that the port drivers have crashed. Due to software glitches, the latter stop functioning correctly and are unable to find any connected devices. In this case, there is no need to reboot the device. You need to do the following:
- Find the “native” drive for the motherboard. The set must contain all system files for the correct operation of the USB ports.
- If the disk is lost, find the developer’s website on the Internet. Manufacturers, as a rule, make all the necessary software freely available.
- Reinstall the drivers.
After the PC has finished installing the files, you need to restart the computer. Only at this moment is it time to check whether the system can recognize the device. If these steps do not help, make additional settings:
- In the Control Panel, go to the "Power" section.
- Select "Set up power plan" (for laptops).
- Click "Change advanced settings..."
- From the list, select “USB Settings” and click the plus sign.
- Then expand the “Temporarily disable USB port option” section.
- Set to “Disabled” for battery or mains operation.
- Click “Apply” and “Ok”.
In addition to problems with port drivers, files for the Android device itself may be lost. To check this, you should open the device manager and see if there is an exclamation mark in the “Portable devices” section. Check the list for your phone. If it is not there or there is a warning sign, you should do the following:
- open the device and click “Uninstall driver”;
- turn off your mobile device;
- connect it again;
- wait until the system installs the connected device again.
The computer does not find the phone via USB
Sometimes the situation is such that the laptop initially does not find the device. If the reason is not a broken cord or port, then you should carefully check why the computer does not see the phone via USB. The causes of problems may include the following:
- Android system settings. Modern mobile devices have several connection options: charging only, storage, modem. By default, most of them are set to the first value from the list. As a result, the device is charging, but is not displayed by the system. As a rule, the top menu of the device when connected suggests changing the connection type; you just need to select the required option. If this does not happen automatically, you need to follow the following path: Settings -> Memory -> Properties. Here you must set the required connection type.
- Sometimes a smartphone is used as a modem, which prevents it from being recognized as a storage device. Disable this option through Settings.
- Turn on Windows Update, which will allow the PC to download fresh, up-to-date drivers for all connected devices. When connecting, do not forget to unlock your mobile device.
- When sold together with the smartphone, a disk is provided that contains a program for connecting the phone to a computer via USB. Use it to discover your device.
The computer does not recognize the phone via USB - viruses
Malicious programs that have entered a PC system can behave in completely different ways. Sometimes they become the reason why the computer still does not see the phone via USB. Virus scripts disrupt the operation of various devices, remove drivers, and block data transfer. The risk of infecting a smartphone is extremely low, because viruses for Android are written extremely rarely. However, to protect yourself from infection, you should check Windows using specialized programs:
- Dr.Web;
- Antivirus Kaspersky;
- Malwarebyte.
What to do if your phone does not connect to your computer via USB
If your system, after all the steps described above, still does not see the device, but you are 100% sure that the problem is not in the USB cord or socket, the device was previously detected, there is only one way out - Hard Reset. A hard reboot will lose all data from the phone's internal memory and reset it to factory settings. This will eliminate the possibility of a software failure on the part of the mobile phone.
All data that you save on the SD card or cloud services will remain unharmed. This option should be used as a last resort - provided that all other methods did not give the desired result, and you are sure that the problem is in the settings of the device, but not the PC. For each model, be it Samsung or NTS, the manufacturer has programmed hardware buttons that make it possible to perform a hard reboot. You can enable it from the settings, if the device turns on and you have access to them.
Video: how to connect your phone to a computer via a USB cable
Does your PC not see your Android phone or tablet via USB? This is a fairly common problem, but it can be fixed on your own. In this article you will find useful recommendations on how to do this. In addition to the solutions given below, there are several more that we have already talked about on our website! If your phone does not connect to your computer via USB, try via Wi-Fi: method 1.
Also pay attention to applications for transferring files over the Internet: Pushbullet and AirDroid. In general, there are decent alternatives to connecting via USB (unless, of course, you are interested in other options like).
As for the problem with connecting mobile devices via USB to a computer, there are only two types:
- The phone is not recognized by the computer, but is charged from it;
- The PC (or laptop) does not completely recognize the smartphone.
We will consider both options in detail and try to help you fix everything!
The PC does not see the Android phone via USB. What to do?
1. First, use a different USB cable. If there is no effect, the problem is not there.
2. Check the functionality of the USB port: to do this, connect the mobile device to another connector. If the PC still does not see Android, the problem lies somewhere else.
3. Try connecting your phone to another computer. If you fail here too, there may be a problem with the microUSB or other components of the smartphone. In this case, only repairs will help you.
4. If you connect an Android smartphone to a laptop or PC running Windows XP and the computer does not see the phone, you need to install the MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) protocol for Windows XP. You can download it from the official Microsoft website: http://www.microsoft.com/en-US/download/details.aspx?id=19153
5. Now regarding devices protected by a pattern or password. For your computer to see your files and folders, you must first unlock your phone or tablet. Tested on Nexus 7 2013 with Android 5.1.1.
If the downloaded drivers come immediately with the installer (.exe file), then you just need to run its installation. Also, drivers will be installed when downloading and running programs from various manufacturers to synchronize devices with a PC (HTC Sync, Samsung Kies, etc.).
7. Enable USB debugging. May I help.
8. Try to completely remove the old driver, then restart the computer and reinstall the driver as described in step 6.
9. Make sure that your smartphone or tablet is not connected to the computer in " Charging only».
10. Also make sure that the “ USB modem" In this case, the phone will not be visible to the PC. You can disable it in " Settings» → « Wireless network» → « More» → « Modem mode».
11. When connecting Android to computer, you can select the connection mode. As you can see, I only have 2 available (Nexus 7 2013 with Android 5.1.1). But on other devices, versions of Android, firmware, there are other modes like “ USB Mass Storage».
Connecting a smartphone or regular phone to a computer or laptop allows the gadget owner to move files from one device to another and flash the latter’s firmware in case of problems. However, there are times when Windows 10 does not see the Android OS via USB and any prospect is reduced to zero. Therefore, before solving a problem with connecting a device, it is worth checking the functionality of the cable (with which the connection is made), the driver and the smartphone itself. Then make adjustments to the settings of Windows 10 itself.
Reasons why the PC does not see the phone
A computer with Windows 10 may not see a smartphone or phone for several reasons:
- The user did not give permission to connect the gadget to the PC;
- The USB cable is damaged;
- There are no drivers to work with the phone;
- Problems with the smartphone itself or any other gadget;
- Virus infection of the system;
- Outdated, incompatible version of the operating system.
Having established the exact cause of the problem, you can establish a correct connection of the gadget to the computer.
Ways to solve the problem
When you connect the gadget to a PC via a USB cable, a message appears on the screen of the first one indicating that the smartphone can be connected to the PC. Check the box to select what type of connection you need. There is a connection for the phone itself, memory card, media player, charger, camera.
This may be an option.
Only after confirming the selected action, the smartphone will synchronize with the computer and become visible.
If the computer does not see the gadget at all and does not respond to connecting the device via USB, it is worth checking the cable itself for functionality. You can do this in several ways:
- Connect the cable to another PC or smartphone;
- Use a different cable (if available).
If nothing happens, the wire is most likely damaged. After checking it again for a different connection option and making sure it is not working, the cable should be replaced.
The problem may also lie in the nest. Try reconnecting the USB cable to another computer socket and see the result. You may be using a USB 3.1 port that is not suitable for this type of connection.
A common reason for the lack of connection between a computer and a smartphone is incorrect operation of drivers or their complete absence. This often happens when a new phone is connected to the computer. And, if automatic connection and driver updating does not occur, you must configure the connection manually. To do this, do the following:
- We connect the phone to the PC.
- Go to “Device Manager”. We find an unknown device (will be displayed with a yellow triangle).
- Right-click on it and select “Update Driver”.
- After searching and updating the drivers, you need to restart the PC (disconnecting the phone).
IMPORTANT! If your gadget comes with a driver disc, we recommend using it when updating drivers.
If even after updating the drivers, the computer does not see the phone or does not want to connect it, you will have to find a special program on the network that is designed to work with the gadget. You should look for the program on the official website of the smartphone manufacturer.
Also, the laptop may not see the phone due to the system being infected with a virus. A malicious program can make changes to the system registry or change an important file and affect how Windows interacts with your gadget. Therefore, we recommend checking your system for viruses.
The last recommendation would be to reboot the phone or turn it on completely (removing the battery for 5 minutes or more). After rebooting the device, you should reconnect it to the system. If you connect an old phone from 2000 or even earlier to the system, or you have Windows XP or 2008 installed, then the problem may lie in an outdated OS. The only option is to connect your phone to the latest build of Windows 10.
