phone not recognized

larrydonline · Oct 8, 2024

Just to state the problem. I want to transfer photos off my Samsung Note20 Ultra android phone to my Dell XPS 3950 computer. I tried to use bluetooth but although the computer said "connected" the phone would always time out without completing the connection. So I went for the cable and the phone was not recognized using a hub so I've connected directly to a USB on the computer and it still doesn't see the phone. There's nothing showing in File Explorer nor in Device Manager. Yes the phone is on and working OK.

I tried the Photos app Import button and it also doesn't see the phone. Everything else plugged into the computer's USB ports are working fine. I unplugged a working device in order to try the phone. I'm stumped on what else to try. There are no app permissions denied in the phone and I don't see any other phone setting that might affect this.

I guess I should try replacing the cable. I only found one USB to type C connector among my maze of cables so I figured that must have come with the phone. It's never been used so perhaps it was defective when I got it? I can't think of anything else that it fits besides the phone to test it on. The phone has always been charged using an electrical outlet and never on a USB connection. I just tried using it for that and the USB connection does work to charge the phone. So it's not a bad cable. Any other ideas?

OAT · Oct 8, 2024

Hi @larrydonline ,
No need for cable really. Have you tried Phone Link?

From file explorer, you can also directly transfer files:

glasskuter · Oct 8, 2024

Intel Unison app from the app store works way better than Phone Link. Give it a try. You have nothing to lose.

Hazel123 · Oct 8, 2024

If it's just the occasional photo, I find it's sometimes easier just to send yourself an email from your phone, with the photos attached, then open the email on computer and download them

glasskuter · Oct 8, 2024

@Hazel123 hit it on the nose. None of the apps I've tried work every time, all the time, with my iphone. In my case I think my issue is more with the BT pairing. Sometimes it will pair, sometimes it won't. I gave up on BT. I know it works for others but not for me.

There are a number of other ways. Try all the ways of doing it until you find one that works and you're comfortable with.

I've had best success using a usb cable for transferring photos OR, if I'm dealing with only a few photos, I upload photos to Onedrive or Googledrive on the phone, then download from the cloud on PC ..

For anyone with an iphone, another option is if your photos are in icloud, you can install icloud for Windows on the PC. That's always worked, too.
I've even connecting thru itunes on PC which is a clumsy way of doing it, but it always works.
Download iCloud for Windows - Apple Support

Since so many folks have such success using phone link and BT, I'm beginning to think it's me and I can't follow instructions correctly. Luckily, I take few photos so it's immaterial to me. I'll find a way to get the few I need on the PC.

antspants · Oct 8, 2024

Apple iPhones and iPads have a fantastic free program for transferring and organising images, that is in my top ten list. Unfortunately it doesn't have an app for Android.

Transfer Photos and Videos From iPhone To Computer

Simple Transfer is the easiest way of transferring photos and large videos to computer.

rambax.com

Maybe there is an Android equivalent out there somewhere?

glasskuter said:
I'll find a way to get the few I need on the PC

Simple Transfer Pro should suit you just fine, Lady L.

stormy13 · Oct 8, 2024

Share and transfer files with your Galaxy phone and Windows

Share and transfer files between your Galaxy phone and PC using Link to Windows, a USB cable, or Bluetooth.

www.samsung.com

glasskuter · Oct 8, 2024

antspants said:
Simple Transfer Pro should suit you just fine, Lady L.

You always have good suggestions. I'll give it a whirl. My needs are simple...like me.Thank you Sinto.

larrydonline · Oct 8, 2024

Intel Unison looked like a good app to try however it will only download one photo at a click. I want to transfer all my gallery photos which are nearly a hundred. I don't have the patience to use it that way. That's also the problem with sending them to myself in emails.

Using file explorer has the problem of the computer not being able to see my phone when I plug it into a USB. I'll take a look at Transfer Pro.

I don't understand why the GOOGLE app on my phone no longer has "play store" as an option. I had to search for it in Google. I guess they're always looking for ways to make things harder.

antspants · Oct 9, 2024

larrydonline said:
Intel Unison looked like a good app to try however it will only download one photo at a click. I want to transfer all my gallery photos which are nearly a hundred. I don't have the patience to use it that way. That's also the problem with sending them to myself in emails.

Using file explorer has the problem of the computer not being able to see my phone when I plug it into a USB. I'll take a look at Transfer Pro.

I don't understand why the GOOGLE app on my phone no longer has "play store" as an option. I had to search for it in Google. I guess they're always looking for ways to make things harder.

Unfortunately Transfer pro only works with iDevices not Android, Sorry Larry I posted it as an example hoping there was an equivalent app for Android.

re Explorer, did you try Bluetooth? Would it show in Explorer if connected to Bluetooth? I dion’t know about that stuff.

antspants · Oct 9, 2024

Have you tried Samsung Kies?

Scroll down to: Solution 4: Via Samsung Kies

worth a shot?

https://www.airdroid.com/file-transfer/transfer-photos-from-samsung-to-pc/

Dannydet · Oct 9, 2024

Install Google photos on your phone.
Open it on your phone and set it up to backup the photos in your phone.
Now open a browser on the PC and navigate to photos.google.com
And look, there's all of your photos that are on your phone!
Download them all and now they're on your PC...

larrydonline · Oct 9, 2024

Unfortunately Antspants those methods require the computer being able to see the Samsung phone which it doesn't do. I've ordered a new USB-C to USB 1 cable that's supposed to transfer data. I didn't realize that my cable might work well for charging (it does) but not for transferring files.

I'll take a look at the photo app too Dannydet. Thanks for the suggestion.

spapakons · Oct 9, 2024

Assuming the cable is OK or you try another USB type-C cable, in most phones the "charge only" function is activated by default when you connect them. You have to change that to see its contents and transfer your photos. Once you do it, Windows should see the phone and put a phone icon in This PC. Double-click the phone icon to see the phone contents, photos are stored at DCIM folder.

PS: I sometimes use my Bluetooth earphones to watch some video without waking my son. Not every time my earphones connect automatically. Even if I go to Settings->Devices->Bluetooth and manually click to connect, it might fail. I then simply switch off the Bluetooth, wait a few seconds, back on and try again. Then it works.

larrydonline · Oct 9, 2024

What do you change spapakons? Something in the phone or in the computer?

spapakons · Oct 9, 2024

The phone should display a notification that is connected to USB charging or similar and tap there if you want to see other options. Tap this and select multimedia file transfer (not photos only). Other phones display a message that a PC tries to browse the phone, allow? Tap yes or allow.

wiganken · Oct 9, 2024

Why has no one mentioned connecting via Wi-Fi (not BT or cable)? I found BT a very slow way of transferring photos. Wi-Fi is about 25x faster. See photo.
I use MyPhoneExplorer app and as long as both phone and computer are on the same Wi-Fi band there is no connection problem 99% of the time. On the very rare occasion when it can't connect all I do is turn phone Wi-Fi off and then on again to re establish the connection and that fixes it.

Although MyPhoneExplorer is free you are prompted for a donation each time you close the app after use. I found it so good that I paid about £10 and the prompts stopped.
I have no vested interest in MyPhoneExplorer except as a very satisfied user.

spapakons · Oct 9, 2024

If you want to transfer files via Wi-Fi download the Cx File Explorer from Google Store. It can connect to any computer on the network via SMB (aka Samba, the Windows sharing protocol) and it can also read NTFS formatted USB flash drives without any additional software to enable NTFS access. Simply the best.

PS: To connect you your computer use either the network name of the computer or the IP. If you have configured the computer not to use a password when sharing from Advanced Sharing settings, you can use anonymous access. You may though have to grant full access to Everyone from Security settings for that folder.

Edwin · Oct 9, 2024

You need to enable Developer Options on your Phone,
then scroll down to Default USB configuration and set it to Transferring files.
Then your PC will recognize the device from then on and not ask your preference.

spapakons · Oct 9, 2024

Edwin said:
You need to enable Developer Options on your Phone,
then scroll down to Default USB configuration and set it to Transferring files.
Then your PC will recognize the device from then on and not ask your preference.

I don't know about other Android phones, but my Huawei Mate 10 Lite (Android 8.0 Oreo) simply ignores this setting. It defaults to "charging only" every time I connect it to my PC and I have to manually change it to see its contents. Weird.

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