There are times when the computer does not want to “see” the Android connected via USB. Don't despair, there are several options that will help your laptop see the light!

These methods are suitable for phones such as Android, since they are this moment, the most common gadgets, but these same methods will help you cope with problems that arise with other devices and their OS, for example, with a tablet.

So, why doesn’t the computer see the phone via usb android only charging?

First, you should remember: Has this always happened or did the computer see the android before? The gadget is not visible after some actions have been performed on it, programs or antivirus have been changed on the laptop? No one did anything with the devices and this is where this problem arose?

Old model Android

Having understood what the situation is, you can begin to solve the problem. So, purchased new android and his laptop running Windows XP sees it, while an old model phone, say, connects to the computer easily, like a flash card. You can start by updating the OS to the version that Android will support. Or you can immediately install MTP (driver for Android) on a new device that works with Windows XP.

You can download the MTP from their official website, then install it, then reboot the device and after that, the android will be seen by the computer.

Now you can think about a different situation. Why doesn't the computer see the phone via usb android only charging? For example, the computer does not see the phone in Windows 7, also in version 8 and 10. The steps below are suitable for Android 4 and 5 phones.

1. To begin with, you need to unlock the tablet or phone connected to the computer, which was locked using a password or pattern, and only then will you be able to see folders on the monitor and files.
2. Next, you need to make sure that the smartphone is connected via USB and there is a message about this - “connected”, and this does not mean only recharging. You can see such a message either by opening the notifications tab in Android, or by clicking on a special USB icon, where it will be written that the phone is connected and what type of device it is. And this could be an RTR - Camera, or a device for saving data, perhaps a USB modem. If you don’t see any notification, then you can click on the notification that says that in this case a modem is being used and turn it off, or do this - click “Settings”, then “Wireless network” and then click “More”.

If the question is asked again, why doesn’t the computer see the phone via usb android only charging? This means that it will be visible as a connected camera. You should click on the notification saying this and disable the MTP mode so that you can transfer files.

If android old version, then there are many times more usb connection modes, and the most popular is Data Storage. You can switch to this mode by clicking on the message itself indicating that USB is connected, and then finding the mode of interest.

The phone charges all the time, when connected...

Let's try the following methods...

• Try to connect to usb 2.0, not blue, available on the rear panel. If it's a laptop, then we're looking for USB 2.0, not paying attention to the color.
• Search, or ask your friends, maybe they will lend you some other USB cables, maybe you have a faulty cord in your hands, and others will succeed!
• The source of the problem may lie in a faulty smartphone socket. Maybe it has already been repaired, maybe moisture got in. And in this case, you need to take the android for repair.
• It’s worth checking out such an option as connecting your smartphone to another laptop, computer, or tablet. Perhaps the socket on the laptop is faulty? But this is only if everything worked on another device.

And here it’s worth thinking about, has a flash card ever been connected to this “faulty” computer?

If you have never connected a flash drive to a laptop, you can do this:

Go to " Control Panel"(do all steps on the computer where the cable with the phone did not work), then - " Troubleshooting", Further - " Device setup” and the problem should disappear automatically.

Nothing worked out, everything is still the same. Let's do this!

Let's try to go to the tab " device Manager", and then turn off energy saving. If nothing helps, even on other computers, then the problem is: poorly, hastily, androd settings were checked; faulty cord; Bring your smartphone in for repair.

There are several more methods that should help resolve the issue - Why doesn’t the computer see the phone via USB android only charging? Let's try them...

If you have the latest version of Android in your hands, then it is connected to the computer using a USB cable, but only while charging. In the notifications you can check whether other modes are available for usb operation; if you encounter such a model, then you should do this: select the item “ Charging via USB", well, or try other options.

If, after all the methods tried, it became clear that the reason lies in a problem, say, the cord itself is faulty, or the computer socket is broken, or something else... The only advice is not to do anything yourself, especially if you have not previously repaired a computer technology.

There is another option. All necessary important files can be transferred from the phone, or to the phone, by selecting the following:

1. Synchronize by selecting one of cloud storage, for example OneDrive, or Google Drive, Yandex Disk or Dropbox.
2. You can try using the following programs, that is, choose one of your favorites. For example - AirDroid. The program is very convenient, simple, understandable to every novice user!
3. If you create an FTP server on your gadget, or connect it like a network drive in Windows, you can send any files.

But, in any case, no matter what method is chosen, you need to try it, but you also need to choose the method that you know about, otherwise, both the phone and the laptop can be filled with “garbage” and then a complete reset will be required all settings.

If you are faced with the fact that the phone does not connect via USB, that is, the computer does not see it, in this guide you will find all the options known to the author for the reasons for what is happening, as well as ways to fix the problem.

The steps below apply to Android phones, as the most common among us. However, they can be used to the same extent for Android tablets, and some points can help you understand devices on other OSes.

Why is my Android phone not visible via USB?

I think it’s worth starting by answering the question: did the computer always not see your phone or did everything work fine before? The phone stopped connecting after actions with itself, with the computer, or without any actions at all - the answers to these questions will help you quickly figure out what exactly is the matter.

First of all, I’ll note that if you recently purchased a new Android device and it is not seen by a computer running Windows XP (while an old Android phone can easily be connected as a USB flash drive), then you should either update the operating system to one of the currently supported ones, or install MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) for Windows XP. You can download MTP for XP from the official Microsoft website here: http://www.microsoft.com/en-US/download/details.aspx?id=19153. After installation and restarting the computer, your phone or tablet should be detected.

Now let's move on to the situation where the phone is not visible via USB in Windows 7, 8.1 and Windows 10. I will describe the steps in relation to Android 5, but they are similar for Android 4.4.

Note: for devices that are locked graphic key or password, you need to unlock the phone or tablet connected to the computer in order to see the files and folders on it.

Make sure that the phone itself, when connected via USB, reports that it is connected, and not just for charging. You can see this by the USB icon in the notification area, or by opening the notification area in Android, where it should be written what device the phone is connected to.

Typically this is a storage device, but may be a Camera (PTP) or a USB modem. In the latter case, you will not see your phone in Explorer and you should click on the notification about using a USB modem and turn it off (you can also do this in Settings - Wireless network - More).

If your phone is connected as a camera, then by clicking on the corresponding notification, you can enable MTP mode for file transfer.

On old Android versions, there are more USB connection modes available and will be optimal for most use cases. USB Mass Storage. You can also switch to this mode by clicking on the USB connection message in the notification area.

The phone does not connect via USB to the computer, but only charges

If no notifications about connecting via USB to the computer appear, then step by step description possible actions:

1. Try connecting to another USB port. It's better if it's USB 2.0 (those that aren't of blue color) on the rear panel. On a laptop, accordingly, just USB 2.0, if available.
2. If you have compatible USB cables from other devices in your home, try connecting using them. A problem with the cable may also be the cause of the situation described.
3. Are there any problems with the jack on the phone itself? Did it change and did it fall into the water? This could also be the reason and the solution here is replacement (I will outline alternative options at the end of the article).
4. Check if your phone connects via USB to another computer. If not either, then the problem is in the phone or cable (or you checked it poorly Android settings). If yes, the problem is on your computer. Do flash drives connect to it at all? If not, try going to first Control Panel - Troubleshooting - Device setup(to try to fix the problem automatically). At the same time, you should try disabling power saving in the device manager for Generic USB Hub.

If nothing from the list helps solve the problem, then describe the situation, what was done and how your Android device for USB connection in the comments, I will try to help.

Attention: latest versions Android devices are connected via USB to the computer in charge-only mode by default. Check the notifications for the availability of selecting the USB operating mode if you encounter this (click on the item Charging via USB, select another option).

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 how to do it. 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 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 repair 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 with a graphic key 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 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 Android connection to the 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».

Many smartphone users do not use all the capabilities of the device, some out of ignorance, and others out of fear of disrupting stable operation. This article will focus on connecting your phone to a computer/laptop. We won’t talk about the reasons for the connection, but we’ll look at the main problem, namely, why the computer doesn’t see the phone via USB. There are many reasons, ranging from software to virus attacks and hardware problems. First things first.

Hardware

So, when connected, the computer does not see the phone via USB, the best thing to do is check the hardware.
Possible problems.

First of all, pay attention to characteristic sound, which reproduces a Windows-based computer when connecting any device via USB and a light indication on the phone if:

• The computer makes a sound - you need to check the software;
• there is no sound - the problem may be either software or hardware;
• there is a light indication - we are looking for a software error;
• There is no light indication - the problem could be either software or hardware.

Damaged cable– inspect it for integrity and check if it is clogged inside.

Check computer connector/ laptop, to do this, connect another phone / tablet.

• USB flash drive, mouse, printer, etc. - if the computer’s USB connector works with other devices, move on.
• Check the same cable with another phone/tablet on the same computer - if it works, then we will look for a problem in the software part.
• If other devices do not work with the same cable, then replace the cable, and if they do, it is a software problem → go to the section on software errors and their solutions.
• There is not enough power - this is possible if you connect the cable to the computer through a hub (hub).

Connect directly to the computer, the reason may be precisely insufficient power, even if the hub comes with its own additional power to a regular electrical outlet. If in this case it doesn’t work, move on.

Why has your computer stopped seeing your phone via USB? The reason may lie in the computer hardware and may be a failure of the USB descriptor request (Code 43). In this case, you need to check the power supply and its power:

In addition, you need to step by step perform on your computer:

• Relieve tension and remove clumps of static.
• Check the power settings of the USB ports, which are often turned off to save power.

Read more about these steps in the article on our portal.

Software part

Having ruled out hardware faults, we move on to software errors. The reason that the laptop does not see the phone via USB may be due to a number of errors. Let's divide it into several categories and tell you more about each.

Drivers: to be or not to be?

To the question - why doesn’t the laptop see the phone via USB if everything worked before? Something may have happened with the drivers; you can easily check this by going to Device Manager.

If the error is resolved and the “Unknown Device” is no longer in the list, you can not update the remaining drivers.

Viruses: looking for the gray cardinal

The PC does not see the phone via USB, why? Your Android phone may be infected. In fact, the user does not always feel the presence of malware; some work extremely quietly and accurately, but at the same time causing problems with the stability of the OS. This can be easily checked using special software, which are free and available at Play Store.

• Enter “cureit” into the search bar without quotes → click “search”. The result will offer you “Dr.Web Light Antivirus” → tap “Install”. Click "Open".

• Next, tap “Accept” in the License Agreement. The program will ask you to give access to multimedia and files → click “Allow”. If you receive a message about an overlay, open the settings and check the permissions.

What I would like to note is that on the XIAOMI MI 5 phone, which also works on Android, viruses were identified during such a scan and pointed to the “9Apps” application.

By the way, it was he who endlessly produced banners with advertisements that spontaneously output sound (speech, music, etc.). At first glance, a harmless application, but it blocked the installation of a number of programs, including updates operating system. The installation of the application occurred independently, as usual in a batch installation - due to the user's carelessness. So, when you connect the phone to the computer, only charging occurs - this is how it looks on the computer screen.


In this case, this was fixed as follows:

Afterwards, we recommend that you delete this application from your phone and run a full scan again. It is important to carry out the deletion in the “Flight” mode. If the above steps did not help and/or you did not detect a questionable application, proceed further.

Incorrect USB operation mode

It also happens unexpected situation, the smartphone is detected and Windows does not display any errors, but when you access the phone on your computer, you do not find any files.

What to do? So, if the computer does not see the files (contents) of the phone via USB, you need to check its operating mode.

Look to the root!

If all the above actions did not lead to results, then the only radical method left is to reset the system to factory settings. Depending on the model of your smartphone, the menu may differ, let’s look at it step by step with screenshots using an example Sony XPERIA M5.

For Samsung phones, the path will be as follows:

• "Settings";
• “General settings” - if this item is not there, then continue;
• “Archiving and reset”, this item, depending on the firmware version, may also be called: “Archiving and reset”, “Reset”, “Confidentiality”.
• “Device reset”, otherwise known as “Data reset”.
• There will be an option “Delete everything” or “Reset device”.

Happy communications!

Have a great day!

Some files and applications on an Android smartphone or tablet are much easier to manage via a personal computer. For example, programs are too big size can take a very long time to download directly to your phone or copy or transfer directly to your device. More advanced functions, such as flashing the device’s firmware, can also be implemented through a connection to a computer. After all, having a USB cable and a PC at hand, you can charge your phone - at work, for example. However, when connecting an Android device to a computer, problems sometimes arise: the PC does not see the gadget, does not charge, or does not display any specific files. How to deal with such problems?

Why doesn't the computer recognize the Android device?

When connecting an Android gadget via USB, something can go wrong, and you end up with a phone and cable that are completely useless when connected to a computer. In other words, we get a problem with controlling the device via a PC or a lack of recognition of the gadget at all. In most cases, this situation is completely correctable, and by using only own strength. Therefore, in order to solve such a problem, you must first figure out what exactly the problem is and act by correcting it.

So why can't a computer or laptop see an Android tablet via USB? There are several variations for the connection problem. The inconsistency can be expressed in the computer completely ignoring the device, in a problem with displaying the internal or external memory of the phone, or only in charging, but not using the phone as a USB drive. It is much easier to consider possible types of problems separately from each other.

The phone charges when connected via USB, but the PC does not see it

The problem may be, for example, in the USB cable - this can be solved or checked by replacing the cord. Another option for localizing the problem is a broken USB port; this error goes away by connecting to another port. You can also try connecting your phone to another computer, if possible. If the problem does not go away, unfortunately, you won’t be able to solve it yourself. E sl and several computers do not recognize the device as a USB drive and only charge it, it is better to contact a specialist, since a malfunction with such symptoms can be eliminated by repair.

It’s worth starting with something else: check the settings for connecting your phone to your computer. If you select the “charge only” or “USB modem” options, it will be impossible to see files on the phone - to do this, you need to connect the phone as a storage device, as a camera (if you need photos) or in media data transfer mode. Another point that is important for devices with a graphic key installed: to open access to files, you need to unlock the phone connected to the computer.

The problem may be related to the drivers. Two possible options:

• via Device Manager, update the driver for the device: either automatically search for the update on the Internet, or run a search for it on your computer;
• remove the existing driver, download a new one and install.

For owners of computers running Windows XP: unlike the seventh, eighth and tenth versions of the operating system, XP may require an additional protocol to work with Android devices. The Media Transfer Protocol, or MTP, can correct the situation. You can find a link to download it on the Internet in the public domain.

The gadget is not recognized and is not charging

The first thing to check is the cable and its connector. Something may be wrong with either the first (a hall, a rupture, the contacts coming off), or the second (the presence of dirt or dust on the connections, again the contacts coming out). The first is “treated” by replacing the cable, the second by carefully cleaning the connector with a brush (optionally with a toothpick with a piece of cotton wool wrapped around it), but if the connector is poorly secured, by repairing it at a service center. You can charge the battery for a while using a special adapter separately from the phone, but it will still be more convenient to repair it.

Owners of Android devices are lucky: a damaged USB cable can be easily replaced with a new one. But for iPhone owners, such a purchase will cost a pretty penny.

In addition to mechanical reasons, a malfunction can be caused by software problems. To avoid this, you should regularly use a program to clean your device from unnecessary processes and residual files: more recent versions of Android have it natively, for older ones there are many free applications. If the problem has already appeared, you can try two options:

• flash the device,
• do a hard reset - a complete reset of all user settings to factory settings.

The firmware must be carried out consciously; if the algorithm is incorrect, you can easily make a “brick” out of a smartphone.

The computer sees the flash drive, but does not connect to the internal memory

The most common option that causes such a failure to occur may be selecting the wrong item when connecting the device itself to the computer. By default, Android devices are usually connected in charging mode, sometimes as USB storage, which only gives access to a flash drive. To access the memory of the device itself, just switch to connection mode to transfer media data: you may need to disconnect the phone and connect again.

If you have previously performed similar actions, you should reconnect the device and select the correct item

If it doesn’t help, you can try a radical method and hard reset the entire system, which consists of complete cleaning devices from user settings and reset back to factory. This can be done through the settings, the “Personal data” block, the “Backup and reset” item.

If a full reset does not work, it is better to contact a technician, since the malfunction may be related to software or firmware.

Files are not located on the tablet or phone (photos, videos, etc.)

It’s worth starting with those described in previous paragraphs measures: check the serviceability of the cable, input and Special attention pay attention to the mode of connecting the phone to the computer. To freely manage files, you need a media data transfer mode, also known as MTP; for photographs, the option of connecting your phone as a camera may be suitable. Using a smartphone as a USB drive or connecting it only for charging are the most common cases that lead to recognition problems and difficulties when working with files via a PC.

What to do to make sure everything connects correctly

The key to a successful tandem of a computer and a phone or tablet lies in the attentiveness of the owner. Make sure that the cable and its inputs are in good working order and especially connect the phone via desired mode in accordance with the task - it sounds easy, right? At worst, you can use the classic “disable and re-enable” approaches, or at most try resetting the phone data. In more serious cases, it is better to entrust the decision to a professional.

How to solve a problem connecting a tablet or smartphone to a computer: video

If you look into possible reasons problems with such a connection, it becomes clear that most of them are not as complex and unsolvable as it might seem at first glance. Nevertheless, it is better not to get carried away with independent work. If the problem is beyond your competence, contact a specialist so as not to complicate everything yourself.