If you're struggling to connect your Android phone to the computer with a USB cable to transfer some files, it's a familiar problem you can fix in a few minutes. The problem of the phone not recognized by pc is commonly caused by incompatible USB cable, wrong connection mode, or outdated drivers. Hopefully, you'll discover various ways to fix the pc not recognizing android phone problem in this article. Keep trying all the methods till you find a stroke of luck.
Connect your phone to the computer as File Transfer/ MTP
Initially, and for some security reasons, Android sets your phone to charging mode when connected to a computer. You might not be aware of this, but it shows in the notification panel as "USB charging this device". To transfer files between your phone and the computer, you need to select the File Transfer or MTP option for your device to show up on the computer. Here's how to do that:
- Unlock your phone and connect it to the computer with a good USB cable.
- You'll receive a notification as soon as your phone detects the connection. Swipe down your notification panel and tap the Android System notification (USB charging this device)
- Now select File Transfer (or MTP on some devices).
Your phone storage should show up on the computer by now. If your phone is still not recognized by pc, consider other solutions below.
If you don't want to undergo the process every time, you can set your default USB configuration in Developer options. Developer open is hidden on Android, and it contains many experimental features, which you're advised not to touch any unfamiliar settings there. If you don't have it enabled already, go to Settings > System > about phone and click on Build number for seven times. Directly confirm your password and follow the steps below to set your default USB configuration.
- Unlock your phone and go to Settings > System > Developer options.
- Right there, scroll down and look for Default USB configuration, then tap it.
- Now choose File Transfer or Your Android will be connected as a media device to the computer whenever it's unlocked.
Restart your phone and the computer
If your android phone is still not showing up on pc after trying the first solution, it's time to restart your phone and the computer. Peradventure the connection is being interrupted by software glitches. So, before you continue, restart both devices and try connecting to the computer after that. To restart your Android phone, long-press the power menu and click/swipe on Restart. To restart your computer, hit the taskbar and select Restart in the power menu.
Check the USB cable
Before you try any other solutions to fix the problem of PC not recognizing android phone, it's considerate to check if you're indeed using the right USB cable. In case you don't know, some cords are designed solely for charging. Therefore, if you just picked a cable from your drawer, it might not work for file transfer. To confirm this, you can insert the cable into another USB port on the computer. If it doesn't work, try another USB cable that supports file transfer.
Turn on USB Debugging on your phone
For some reasons, and sometimes, you might need to first enable USB debugging on your phone to transmit files between your phone and the computer. While USB debugging is used primarily by the developers to communicate, execute commands and the likes from the computer to Android phone, many users have reported they could connect the computer after enabling USB debugging. Such a trick might work for you as well. Also, you'd need Developer options enabled to do this. You may refer to the first solution above to enable Developer options on your phone, then follow the steps below to enable USB debugging.
- Launch your device Settings and click Now select Developer options from there.
- Scroll down and find USB debugging. Enable it and try reconnecting to the computer to see if it works.
- Put the computer to sleep and wake it up
Another solution to try if Android phone is not recognized by PC is letting the computer sleep for a while and wake it up afterwards. You presumably don't know this might fix the issue. For default configurations, just press the Power button on your computer to put it to sleep. You can also Logout from the computer before putting it to sleep. Click the power button, as usual, to wake the computer after a few minutes. Now trying connecting your phone again to see if it works
Update the driver for your Android phone
A missing driver is another reason why the Android phone is not showing up on PC. So, you might need to reinstall or update your phone's driver first. Follow the steps below to do that.
- Connect your phone to the computer with a compatible USB cable.
- On your computer, press Windows key + X, and select Device Manager from the list.
- Right there, expand the Portable Device
- Now right-click your phone and select Update Driver Software.
- After that, select browse my computer for driver software. Just below the pop-up window, click on Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.
- Find and select MTP USB Device on the list, then tap
The computer should detect your device after that. If not, try other solutions below.
Try another computer
If trying all the fixes mentioned above seems not to work for you, it's time to try another computer. That's the swiftest way to verify if the problem is coming from your phone or the computer. Simply plug in your phone to another computer and select File Transfer mode. If it works, that means your computer is faulty. Consult the repairman.
Visit the official support centre
If you made it this far and the phone is still not recognized by PC, then there's something wrong in the system: it might be a hardware or software problem. Visit the official support centre for your phone, and also the computer.
Fortunately, if you use an Infinix, TECNO, or itel device, find the Carlcare centre near you. Carlcare is the official service provider for these brands, and we can help you fix all sorts of problems on your phone.
Concurrently, if you detected the problem I coming from your computer, take it to the professionals or official support centre. You can check their website for more details about centres near you.
