Solved Phone connection and sharing

CountMike · Mar 29, 2023

Frankly .no idea where to ask
As most I have a mobile phone with Android, it's Samsung Galaxy A12 if that means anything.
Anyway, Phone link doesn't do what I need and all I need is to download pictures and video files recorded on the phone. Actually it doesn't do much at all. I have Link to Windows app on the phone and Phone link Windows APP.
I tried connecting thru WiFi (shared thru router), Blue Tooth and USB cable.
In W10 (which is on laptop) I just connect with USB cable and in File explorer, along drive list I get icon Devices and phone link which shows phone and SD card separately. I can copy folders and its contents to PC just like from any drives, internal or external.
In W11 it forces me to go thru Phone link and that I can't make work properly for love or money. I says it's connected but all I can access is last few pictures and nothing else.

Anibor_11 · Mar 29, 2023

In my case, in Windows 11 or 10 and connection through USB cable, the operation is exactly the same. After giving the phone the permissions it asks for, the folders in the internal storage appear in file explorer.

CountMike · Mar 29, 2023

This is all I see

MisterEd · Mar 29, 2023

Your Samsung A12 is not on the supported phone list so you shouldn't expect much.

Supported devices for Phone Link app experiences

Supported devices for Phone Link experiences - Microsoft Support

A list of devices supported with Link to Windows and other features in the Phone Link app.

support.microsoft.com

I use Phone Link all the time with my Samsung S21 realizing its shortcomings.

For photos where I just need the most recent photos and screenshots it works well. I can just drag and drop the photos and screenshots to my desktop with ease. This makes Phone Link more of a convenience than anything. For more extensive downloads I hook up my phone with a USB cable.

In comparing the two methods I found a difference between the two. The photos downloaded with Phone were lower resolution than those with USB. However, since these photos are already high resolution the difference for me is not apparent.

What really make Phone Link valuable to me is being able to see the text message from the phone on my PC. Sometime a website will want to send a test message with a code. Being able to see the code on my PC is a good feature.

I can also send and receive phone calls through Phone Link but I rarely find that useful.

I sometime use Phone Link to bring up my phone screen on my PC. I have even played a few games that way. One thing I have found out is that sound does not come through the PC speakers but still comes out of the phone speakers. To solve that I downloaded the Bluetooth Audio Receiver app from the Microsoft store to my PC. It connects to the phone with Bluetooth. When I use it the phone audio comes through my PCs speakers.

MisterEd · Mar 29, 2023

I can use my Samsung S21 just fine using connected with USB with Windows 11.

Anibor_11 · Mar 29, 2023

CountMike said:
This is all I see
View attachment 56637

Are you sure the phone is unblocked? If it is, maybe there is a problem with the USB Samsung driver for your specific phone.

Samsung USB Drivers for Windows 11 Free Download

CountMike · Mar 29, 2023

I was able to see messages, calls etc. even some pictures but can't see all folders or all the pictures, videos etc. and alas those I can't see is what I need most. It's same in Insider Canary. it even updated Phone Link but with same results. W10 also has PL now but works just as bad. There I can see phone storage and SD card storage just like any disk,

CountMike · Mar 29, 2023

Anibor_11 said:
Are you sure the phone is unblocked? If it is, maybe there is a problem with the USB Samsung driver for your specific phone.

Samsung USB Drivers for Windows 11 Free Download

I'll try to get that driver.

CountMike · Mar 29, 2023

Installed driver but still same thing. In addition BT linking is not doing well. On the PC it says it's paired but on phone it says Can't connect.
Phone link says its paired and works thru WiFi but Photos show only recent, I take a new picture and it shows on PC almost instantly.

MisterEd · Mar 29, 2023

1. Laptop with Windows 11 connected to Samsung S21 phone via Bluetooth

2. Samsung S21 phone shows it is connected to Windows 11 laptop via Bluetooth.
This is for for calls with the Phone Link app.

3. Samsung S21 phone shows it is connected to Windows 11 laptop via Bluetooth.
In additions to calls with the Phone Link app, it is also connects so that app audio
plays through the PCs speakers.

CountMike · Mar 30, 2023

CountMike said:
Installed driver but still same thing. In addition BT linking is not doing well. On the PC it says it's paired but on phone it says Can't connect.

MisterEd · Mar 30, 2023

I have found Bluetooth flaky at times. Sometime I have to go in and delete the paired device in one or both the PC and/or phone. I then go back and start the pairing process again. If I do it this way it usually succeeds.

Try3 · Mar 30, 2023

CountMike said:
This is all I see

Assuming you mean when the phone is connected by USB cable, doesn't your phone show a dialog asking whether you want to charge / file transfer?

Denis

CountMike · Mar 30, 2023

Try3 said:
Assuming you mean when the phone is connected by USB cable, doesn't your phone show a dialog asking whether you want to charge / file transfer?

Denis

Yes it does but can get only few pictures stored on phone, nothing from the SD card.

Try3 · Mar 30, 2023

CountMike said:
Yes it does but can get only few pictures stored on phone, nothing from the SD card.

And when you tell it you want to do file transfers, the phone should appear as a drive in your File explorer like it does in Ed's picture in post #5

Denis

CountMike · Mar 30, 2023

Try3 said:
And when you tell it you want to do file transfers, the phone should appear as a drive in your File explorer like it does in Ed's picture in post #5

Denis

That's just it, it doesn't.

MisterEd · Mar 30, 2023

CountMike said:
Yes it does but can get only few pictures stored on phone, nothing from the SD card.

If you connect the phone to your PC and double-click on it in File Explorer you should see both the Card and the Phone shown separately. Each one should contain their own DCIM folder with photos and screenshots. Note on my old Samsung S7 phone I had to configure it to start saving photos and screenshots on the Card when I added the Card. Otherwise nothing got saved on the Card.

BTW, I can't verify this on my new Samsung phone because it doesn't have the capability of adding a microSD card.

CountMike · Mar 30, 2023

MisterEd said:
If you connect the phone to your PC and double-click on it in File Explorer you should see both the Card and the Phone shown separately. Each one should contain their own DCIM folder with photos and screenshots. Note on my old Samsung S7 phone I had to configure it to start saving photos and screenshots on the Card when I added the Card. Otherwise nothing got saved on the Card.

BTW, I can't verify this on my new Samsung phone because it doesn't have the capability of adding a microSD card.

View attachment 56748

Nope. it doesn't