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Phone Not Showing up on PC: How to Force Windows to Recognize it
Tweaking settings helps when phone won’t connect to PC
5 min. read
Updated onOctober 11, 2024
updated onOctober 11, 2024
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Resolve multiple Windows PC issues and speed up your PC effortlessly with specialized software.
The mobile not showing up on PC is a symptom of outdated software or drivers. Using the wrong transfer mode can also cause this issue.
Before you start, be sure to unlock the phone before connecting it. Also, remove anyUSB hubsthat you have and connect the phone directly. You can also try using a different cable or a USB port.
What do I do if
1. Check the transfer mode
2. Enable USB debugging
3. Install the MTP USBdevice driver
Downloading drivers manually is a process that carries the risk of getting the wrong driver installed. This can lead tosevere malfunctions in your PC. Thus, we recommend an alternative tool that will do it for you.
The safer and easier way to update drivers on a Windows computer is by using a tool recommended below that will fix and update them automatically in just a few seconds.
Outbyte Driver Updater
4. Install the Media Feature Pack
MTP (Media Feature Pack) protocol is related to Windows Media Player, and some versions of Windows 10 don’t have Windows Media Player and support for related technologies such as MTP protocol.
If your version of Windows 10 doesn’t recognize Android devices, download and install theMedia Feature Pack for N and KN versions of Windows 10. Once done, things should work as expected!
5. Reinstall the Android device’sdriver
6. Delete cache and data for the External Storage and Media Storage app
7. Check your phone’s sync apps
Some phones have their own PC sync applications. For instance, Samsung hasLink to Windows, and Motorola hasReady For.
Sometimes, these apps might interfere and lead to your phone not showing up in Files. However, it might be recognized in the app itself.
Just open the app and check the file transfer section/ connected devices or something similar.
If you prefer using Windows’ built-in File transfer options, you can uninstall these apps. Once you do this, the phone should show up underRemovable devices.
8. Use a third-party app
On the flip side, if your phone doesn’t have its own app and you tried everything else and still can’t access your files, consider a third-party sync app.
This might make your PC recognize your phone due to its functionalities.
We would recommend the following tool to make sure your PC will always recognize your Android device:
⇒Get WonderShare MobileGo
Why is Android File Transfer not working?
If the Android File Transfer is not working or gets disconnected often, ensure that the File Transfer feature is enabled on your Android device. You will find it in the USB Preferences within Settings.
Another problem could be an incorrect connection or a damaged cable. It’s recommended that you use the cable that came with your phone. If you notice any damage to the cable, replace it.
That’s it! If the phone was not connecting to the PC, it would now, and you can quickly transfer data between the two devices.
We also have specific guides ifWindows 11 does not recognize Android phonesand one forWindows 11 not recognizing iPhone.
Tell us which fix worked for you in the comments section below. Also, if you have any other queries, drop them here, and we will get back to you soon.
More about the topics:Android issues,Device Connection Error
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.
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Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.
