The smartphone detects usb but does not see the contents. Check the USB connection settings. Ways to solve the problem

Everyone faces this problem at least once, but everyone: you connect a smartphone or tablet to a computer via a USB cable, but nothing happens except charging. The computer does not see the phone or identifies it as an unknown device. The situation is common, but ambiguous, and there are quite a few reasons why it occurs. Today we will figure out what causes such problems and how to deal with them.

The situation when the PC does not recognize the mobile device connected to it is caused by software and hardware failures:

  • The lack of a device driver in the PC operating system.
  • The driver does not match the device model.
  • USB driver missing or malfunctioning.
  • Connection with a cable that is not suitable for data transmission or is damaged.
  • Defective USB socket (both on the computer and on the phone), socket group, or USB controller on the PC.
  • Something malfunctioning in the computer hardware, blocking by static electricity.
  • Error in the system settings of the phone.
  • Blocking access to the phone by security programs running on a PC (including when the gadget is virally infected).
  • The application that synchronizes the phone and the PC (if using) has crashed.

In case of software problems, the computer, as a rule, does not display the contents of the phone's memory, but the device charges normally when connected to it. If the problem has arisen due to a physical malfunction, charging most often also does not work, but there are exceptions when only the data lines do not work.

An analysis of the previous situation - what happened before the problem arose - helps to outline the range of possible causes. For example:

  • You reinstalled the operating system on the computer or removed some of the drivers (the reason is the lack of the required driver).
  • The phone (tablet) was no longer detected after flashing, cleaning from viruses, removing applications, optimizing and other manipulations with the OS (failure of the operating system of the mobile device).
  • The device was subjected to mechanical stress (damaged USB socket) or was repaired (after replacing parts, a driver of a different version is needed or the malfunction has not been completely eliminated).
  • You are using a USB cable that you have never connected your phone to a computer with (the cable is for charging only or is broken), etc.

We quickly identify the culprit

Tracking the causal relationship greatly facilitates the localization of the problem, but in about half of the cases, nothing concrete precedes it. If this is the case for you, the following steps will help determine where the failure occurred - in a mobile device, PC or USB cable.

  • Wiggle the cable in the area of \u200b\u200bthe connectors (kinks are most common in these places) and watch if the phone (tablet) is detected in the explorer or the computer device manager. Alternatively, connect the devices with another cable that is known to be working and suitable for data transmission.
  • Connect your phone to another computer and another mobile device to this PC. If the phone is not found anywhere, the problem is definitely in it. The same is the case with a computer.
  • If the reason is presumably in the computer, check the phone in all USB sockets, perhaps the problem is in one or more of them (for example, only in the front group).

If you conclude that the cable is the source of the problem, simply replace it. What to do in other cases, read on.

The culprit of the failure is the telephone. What to do?

If the diagnostics clearly indicate a problem with your mobile device, follow these steps in order. Check after each step to see if the problem is resolved. If not, move on to the next one.

  • Reboot your device.
  • Connect your phone to your computer. After connecting, slide down the shutter of the quick settings menu and make sure that the “Connect as” list does not mark “only charging”, as well as “camera” or “media device”. Select the "USB storage" option.

  • Open the Android system settings (in older versions - "Options"). Go to the "Wireless networks" section. Turn on modem mode. Or vice versa, if it's on, turn it off. In some editions of Android, this parameter controls not only the modem, but also the connection of the gadget to the PC as a drive.

  • Experiment with putting the device into USB debugging mode. Open the "System" and "For Developers" section in the settings. Uncheck or check the box next to USB Debugging.

  • Disconnect the phone from the computer, turn off and remove the battery (of course, if it is removable) from it (phone). After 5 minutes, replace the battery, turn on the device and try to connect again.
  • Uninstall applications that crashed after installing. If the connection doesn't work for a specific sync app, clear its cache. If it doesn't help, reinstall (both on a mobile device and on a PC) or try using an analogue.
  • Scan your device with antivirus software.
  • Reset the operating system of the device to factory settings.

The culprit of the failure is the computer. What to do?

  • Shut down the OS, turn off the PC from the outlet (or press the key on the power supply) and hold down the power button for 15-20 seconds. This will discharge capacities and discharge static electricity that may be blocking detection of the connected device.
  • If the phone is not recognized by only one group of USB ports, open the lid of the system unit and make sure they are connected securely. By the way, normal charging of a mobile device through the port does not mean that the second device is working properly.
  • Load the operating system. Open Device Manager and check if portable devices are in the list of equipment, and among them is your phone. If it is present, but marked with a black arrow in a circle (disabled), right-click on the line and select the "Enable device" command from the menu.

  • If there are unknown devices in the hardware list (marked with an exclamation mark in a yellow triangle), one of them may be the phone. To make sure it is him, disconnect the mobile device from USB. If the unknown device disappears from the list, then it is. And the reason for the failure is the lack of the necessary driver in the system. How to reinstall and where to download the driver to your phone, we will tell you a little below.
  • The problem with recognizing connected devices may also be due to a boot failure, damaged or missing USB drivers. In this case, exclamation marks will be in the USB Controllers section.
  • Reinstalling the drivers didn't help? Scan your computer's disks with an antivirus and then temporarily disable the security programs. By the way, the latter can block access to a mobile device as a carrier if it contains suspicious or clearly malicious software. So check your phone for viruses too.

  • Uninstall the programs after which the problem was installed, or perform a system restore to the checkpoint created on the day when the problem did not exist.
  • If, in addition to the phone, the computer does not recognize other devices connected via USB - a mouse, keyboard, printer, flash drives, etc. (whether they are charged or not is not indicative), the source of the failure may be any faulty component of the system unit or something then from the periphery. It is possible to determine the culprit at home by alternately disconnecting or replacing the equipment with a known good one.

How to reinstall the mobile device driver and USB on a Windows computer

iPhone

  • Connect iPhone to PC.
  • Open the folder% CommonProgramW6432% \\ Apple \\ Mobile Device Support \\ Drivers (in order not to type the command manually, copy it from here, paste it into the address bar of any folder and click the go button). It contains 2 files (out of four) with the .inf extension - usbaapl.inf and usbaapl64.inf.

  • Open the context menu of each of these files and execute the "Install" command.
  • After installation, restart your computer.

Android

Android smartphones and tablets, such as Samsung, Xiaomi, Lenovo, Meizu, HTC, etc., as a rule, do not create separate folders to store their drivers, and they are often not found on the official websites to just download and reinstall. Therefore, for a start, you should entrust the reinstallation of the drivers already present in the system to Windows itself.

How to do it:

  • Open the context menu of the problem device in the device manager. Select the Update Driver option.

  • In the next window, first select the automatic search for updates. If Windows does not find anything suitable, check the second item - installing and searching for drivers manually.

  • Then click "Select from the list available on the computer." A new window will display all mobile device drivers that are already installed on the PC.

  • To narrow your search, under "Select a driver for this device" check the box "Compatible only". Check the one that best suits your request (if there is more than one item in the list) and click "Next" to proceed to the installation.

Restart your computer for the driver to work correctly.

If reinstalling the driver that was already in the system did not help, you will have to look for something else in the open spaces of the network (with the risk of downloading a virus instead of the desired one), so download them only from reliable and trusted sites, like w3bsit3-dns.com, and check with an antivirus before installing.

Drivers of the most common models of mobile gadgets are also collected in the "USB Drivers for Android" application, which is available for free download on Google Play.

USB drivers for Windows are usually found without problems on the websites of laptop or desktop motherboard manufacturers. Sometimes they are included in the chipset driver.

If the phone is not recognized in firmware mode

The fact that the computer and the phone do not see each other in fastboot mode is indicated by the message "Waiting for device" that appears in the firmware program. Most often, this error occurs due to the absence of a mobile device driver in the system, so the first thing to do is do what is written above - reinstall the driver or download and install it again.

If it doesn't help:

  • Make sure you follow the instructions for using the firmware installer exactly and that it is running as an administrator.
  • Check if USB debugging is enabled on the smartphone (if not, enable it), and the device itself is in bootloader mode. If this mode is blocked, look on the network for instructions on unlocking the bootloader specifically for your device model.
  • Connect the phone with the shortest and known good cable to the rear USB socket, without using any adapters or hubs.
  • Your phone may not support USB 3 (blue jack), so only connect to USB 2.0 (black jacks).
  • Install any released Windows updates on your computer.

If the problem persists even after doing this, try flashing the phone on a different PC. And better - with a different version of the operating system.

When the problem is a breakdown of the physical interface

It is advisable not to use faulty physical interfaces, especially on a mobile gadget (do not use current in order to avoid aggravating the breakdown), even if the phone or tablet retains the ability to charge through them. You can organize the transfer of content either wirelessly (Wi-Fi, bluetooth), or through cloud services that are available on both devices. In particular, iTunes and iCloud for Apple technology, Google Drive, Yandex Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive and many others - for everyone.

Cloud services are convenient for transferring photos, videos, music, documents and other types of files. For synchronization of contacts on Android and PC, the capabilities of Gmail are enough. And in order to control the phone directly from the computer, you can install an application like MyPhoneExplorer (consists of 2 parts - for the phone and for the PC), which supports both wired and wireless connection of devices without requiring the installation of drivers. Very comfortably.

In a word, there is always a way out and often much simpler than it seems at first glance.

Sometimes, when working with a laptop, a problem arises - it does not see the phone. First of all, you need to find out the cause of the problem. In general, all the solutions to the problem are designed for smartphones with the Android operating system, however, some steps will be useful both for tablets with this system and for phones with a different OS. For laptops, the information is relevant from Windows and MacOS.

Description of the problem

If using macOS, install Android File Transfer

The problem of connecting the phone to the laptop can be two-way - in case of malfunction, both devices may not work correctly. If after buying a new smartphone, the connection does not occur, and the old one works with the laptop normally, then most likely the problem is in the latter (for example, it is worth updating Windows).

On the other hand, the reason may be the presence of a pattern or password on the mobile device. Therefore, it is best to understand in both directions at once.

The most common causes of the problem


If the computer does not see the phone via USB, resetting the smartphone settings using a Hard Reset should help

Among the most common reasons why a smartphone cannot be detected by a laptop are the following:

  • malfunction, dirtiness of the USB-output on the mobile device;
  • the wired output may also work incorrectly on a laptop;
  • old version of the operating system installed on the computer;
  • lack of necessary programs for connecting devices for both Windows and MacOS;
  • the presence of protection against unauthorized entry into the phone - it can be a graphic key, a digital or numeric password, the function of unlocking by fingerprint or identification of the owner's face;
  • automatic connection of a smartphone to a computer as a camera or using it as a charger - it will not be possible to fully interact with a mobile in these modes;
  • lack of a Bluetooth module on a laptop or malfunctioning due to old drivers and software;
  • the Bluetooth detection function by other devices on the phone is offline - it may be inactive, even if the module itself is connected;
  • broken or damaged USB cable;
  • incompatibility of ports on a laptop, cable and mobile device - for example, new versions of phones with the latest versions of Android may not work with USB 2.0 connectors, they require ports version 3.0;
  • outdated software or drivers responsible for working with USB.

What to do if your laptop can't see your phone

So, you still found that the smartphone cannot connect to the laptop. First of all, you need to find out which side of the connection the problem lies on. It is possible that there is a problem with both devices, it is also possible that the problem is in the cable (when communicating via USB).

Via USB

In this case, the availability of current driver versions on the laptop is immediately checked. Due to the serious "age" of the Windows XP operating system, there may no longer be updates to work with the latest versions of Android. In this case, you can install the Media Transfer Protocol. It is downloaded from the official Microsoft website, after rebooting the laptop everything should be in order. To work with macOS, you may need Android File Transfer (to interact with Android). When connecting to iOS, no additional software is needed.


Windows 10 owners may need to install update KB3010081, which is responsible for working with Windows Media Player

You also need to check the functionality of the USB ports, clean them both on the computer and on the phone. It is worth trying several cables if the connection fails the first time.

Newer Androids often only work with 3.0 ports, which are found on all modern laptops along with the old 2.0 ports. You need to try to connect using all available ports.

Unlock the phone, a message may appear on the screen prompting you to change the interaction mode. By default, on many smartphones it is set as "charging a mobile device", the camera mode is quite rare. To change the standard mode, go to the phone settings, then to the “USB” tab (it can be separate, located in the “Communication” or “Connection” menu), select the desired format.

The problem may be in the blocking of the ability to detect any USB connections (including flash cards) on the computer. To check this, just try connecting other devices to your laptop. If nothing works, go to the "Control Panel", then "Troubleshooting" and "Configure devices". You may need to manually configure it, and it may also be possible to do just installing the latest drivers.

Via bluetooth

When working via Bluetooth, you first need to make sure that the laptop has this module: either built-in or connected from the outside. The computer checks the mode of its operation, whether the ability to detect is enabled, whether the latest drivers are installed. There are also third-party modules that, in addition to being activated via a laptop, require mechanical pressing of a button on their own case. Most often this applies to connected devices (headset, speakers).


Try to scan your computer with Dr. Web CureIt!

Then the same actions are carried out on the smartphone. By default, on very many Android phones, the detection function does not work even when bluetooth is activated. The situation is similar on the iPhone.

Other reasons why the laptop does not see the phone when connected this way are hardly possible.

Nuances for phones from specific manufacturers


The problem of connecting the phone to the laptop mainly occurs with devices from Samsung, Lenovo, HTC, LG and Fly

In general, the operation of phones on the same Android operating system does not differ much. Even "apple" products, in principle, interact with a computer in the same way. However, some nuances are still present. For example, connecting an Android phone to a laptop with macOS installed most often requires special programs that are not needed when working with an iPhone or iPad. With Windows, this usually isn't necessary.

All Android devices, including Samsung and Meizu, have the same USB cable connectors.

Samsung


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) for Windows XP

Samsung phones are equipped with Android system. Certain nuances are possible only in the USB and Bluetooth settings menu. The drivers also differ - you need to search for a specific phone model and firmware version. Programs designed to work with Android (Android File Transfer for MacOS) will work with all Samsung devices.

Meizu

Smartphones from Meizu are also Android devices. There may be some changes in menu navigation in different firmwares and models. As with Samsung, Android File Transfer works great with them. Mobile devices of this company require drivers for a specific type of phone and software.

If you have eliminated the most likely causes of the problem, but you still have not succeeded in connecting the phone to the laptop, then it is recommended to contact a specialist. Perhaps we are talking about more serious problems with one of the devices.

You bought a brand new smartphone and, say, you want to upload your playlists to it from your computer. Or your phone is already a year old and only now you have decided to connect it to your computer. But that was not the case: the computer simply does not see the phone connected via a USB cable.

There may be several reasons why this happens. Let's deal with everything in order.

The first thing you need to pay attention to is the cable with which you connect the phone to the computer. If you have purchased an inexpensive cable for this, then it may simply not meet the necessary resistance or material requirements. In this case, it is better to use the standard cables that come with the phone.

The second thing to check is Computer USB portto which the phone connects. Connect the phone to any other port on the computer, if everything is in order, then the port itself is faulty. The reason for this may be either uninstalled drivers, or the USB port is simply not connected to the motherboard.

Now try restart computer and phone... It so happens that after a banal reboot, devices begin to "see" each other. When the phone is in the off state, remove the battery from it, wait a couple of minutes and put it back in - this can also help.

If your operating system is Windows XP and you connect an Android device to your computer, install the Media Transfer Protocol on your computer. It can be downloaded from the official Microsoft website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/download/details.aspx?id\u003d19153.

For some phone models, when connected to a computer, you can select uSB connection parameter... Place a marker in front of the item "Media device (MTP)"... If you do not have such a menu, then go to "Settings" - "Network" and enable one of the parameters: or "Media device (MTP)", or "USB stick".

Another reason why the computer does not see the phone via USB may be the installed drivers. First, disconnect your phone from your computer. Then we go to "Start" - "Control Panel""Device Manager".

Here we click on the transparent arrow opposite the item "USB Controllers"to open the list. Now connect your phone with a cable to your computer. The device manager should update and the new device will appear in the list. For comparison, I posted two photos. After connecting, on the second, it appeared.

My drivers are fine. If you have a yellow exclamation mark or a red cross next to this item, as shown in the figure below, this means that the drivers require updating or are not installed at all.

To fix this, right-click on the item USB Mass Storage Device and select "Properties" from the context menu.

Further, you can find drivers by the device instance code. How to do this is described in the article. If you have Windows 7 operating system, from the drop-down list instead of "Device Instance Code" look for "Equipment ID".

Viruses can become another problem why the computer does not see the phone. Check the devices with an anti-virus program, if it finds something - delete the malicious files. Then restart your computer.

I hope one of the tips will help you and this problem will not arise in the future.

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Possible reasons include incorrect connection actions, outdated or incorrectly configured software, faulty USB cables, ports, or the devices themselves.

Follow the tips below, they can save you a lot of connection problems.

How to properly connect Android devices to your computer via USB

If you're on Windows, ignore this paragraph. If using macOS, install Android File Transfer.

Make sure your mobile device is turned on and connect to your computer. Then pull down the notification panel on the gadget - you will see a special switch. Click on it and in the menu that appears, select the "File Transfer" mode. The mode names may differ depending on the Android version and model of the unit.

After these steps, the computer should see the mobile device. On Windows, it will appear in File Explorer, on macOS, in the Android File Transfer window. But in the case of a Mac, you need OS X 10.5 and Android 3.0 or later, or it won't work.

How to properly connect iOS devices to your computer via USB

Make sure your mobile device is turned on and unlocked, then connect it to your computer. The first time iOS will ask for permission to access the media and you will need to grant it.

In the case of a Windows PC, the connected iPhone or iPad will appear in File Explorer in the Media Devices section. They will appear like regular digital cameras - you can view and copy photos and videos. To access other data, you will have to use iTunes, which can be downloaded from the Apple website. The registration procedure will not cause any difficulties, you just need to follow the prompts of the setup wizard.




On a Mac, things are a little simpler. iTunes is already included with macOS, so it will launch automatically when you connect your iPhone or iPad. Interaction with content is carried out through a media combine, but iTunes is not needed to access media files. The standard "Photos" application will help you to view and import them, which also starts automatically when iOS devices are connected.

What to do if the computer does not see the USB device

1. Disconnect unnecessary USB devices from your computer.

2. Try using a different cable or port.

3. Restart your computer and mobile device.

4. If you are on Windows, update the driver required to recognize the USB device.

Run Command Prompt (Windows Key + R), paste into it devmgmt.msc and press Enter. When the "Device Manager" opens, find the connected gadget in the list of equipment.

Right-click on the device and select "Update driver" → "Search for drivers on this computer" → "Select a driver from the list of available drivers on the computer."

In the list of drivers, check "USB MTP device" and click next to reinstall.

5. If your device does not appear in iTunes, please refer to Apple's guide to resolve this issue.

6. Update the operating systems on your computer and mobile device to the latest versions. If you are using Windows Vista or XP, first try installing MTP by downloading it from Microsoft.

7. Check the functionality of the port in the gadget by connecting it to another computer. If the problem persists, contact the manufacturer's support.

What to do if your computer can't see your Bluetooth device

If you experience visibility issues when connecting via Bluetooth, try the following solutions. Follow these steps one at a time, and perhaps one of them will help you.

1. Make sure that Bluetooth is turned on on both devices, and in the settings on each of them the visibility mode is activated for all other devices. On iOS, these settings are part of the AirDrop service available in Control Center.

2. Place your tablet or smartphone closer to your computer.

3. Restart your computer and mobile device.

4. If the devices have successfully connected to each other before, delete the saved pair in the Bluetooth settings and try to reconnect.

5. Update the Bluetooth drivers on your computer.

6. Update the operating systems of the devices to the latest versions.

Alternative connection methods

You always have a fallback - services with which you can transfer files between a computer and a mobile device via the Internet. These are AirDroid, Pushbullet, as well as cloud storage like Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox. They allow you to do without Bluetooth and USB if those options don't work or don't work.

If you want to transfer files from your phone to your computer, the easiest and fastest way is to use a USB connection. But even with this connection method, a number of problems can arise, and they can be associated with both a computer and a phone.

Possible problems when connecting the device

If you suddenly encounter difficulties when connecting the device to a computer via a USB port, before trying other ways to solve the problem, regardless of the version of your device, try restarting both the computer itself and your phone. The reboot updates the USB port settings and after that the device can be detected. If that doesn't work, you might want to consider other connectivity issues.

The phone does not charge and the computer does not detect the connected device

In order to determine the causes of the problem, it is worth asking the question: after what events did your phone stop being detected by the computer. This will save you a lot of time figuring out the real cause of your problem.

For example, Windows XP does not work well with modern phone models. Therefore, if the problem surfaced after replacing the device, then this is precisely the point. In order for your Android phone to connect properly to Windows XP, you need to install Media Transfer Protocol.


Click the Download button to download the Media Transfer Protocol

If the installation did not help, then the problem is probably in the connectors of the device or computer. Installing MTP does not make sense on modern operating systems.

Video: the reasons why the computer does not see the phone via USB

The phone is charging, but the computer does not detect the connected device

If the device is connected and the battery is still charging, but the computer does not detect it in any way, you should try the following:

  • connect the device through a different USB port on your computer. If the other ports on the front panel give the same result, try using the ones on the back of your system unit;
  • use a different USB cable to check if the problem is cable damage;
  • check the cable connector on your device. Connector damage is a very common cause of device connection problems;
  • connect your phone via USB to another computer. If it doesn't work, the problem is in the phone. And if it did, then it is worth checking the settings of your computer and, in particular, USB connectors.

To check your computer settings:


The device connects, but the internal phone memory is not displayed

If the phone memory is not displayed when connecting, first of all you should make sure that the device is connected exactly as a data storage device.

Older versions of Android firmware may provide more connection options. The best of all file transfer connections is USB Mass Storage. Choose it if you are offered that option.

Video: what to do if the device is connected but the memory is not displayed

Device connects but no specific files or photos

One of the reasons that the files in the connected phone are not displayed may be problems with the memory card:

  • try to insert the memory card into another phone and connect it;
  • make sure that there is no dirt or visible damage to the memory card slot;
  • pull out and reinsert the memory card into the phone, then try connecting it again.

And also the reason may be some applications that changed the standard file location on the phone. For example, the QuickPic application can lead to just such a problem. You need to find out where the photos are stored now and look for them in the appropriate directory. You can usually find out the new location of the files in the program itself that moved them.

Ways to help with connection problem

Several universal solutions to try in any case of breakdown:

Some Android devices have their own connection software. Installing such a program will automatically install the necessary drivers. For example, Samsung PC Studio for Samsung phones.

My phone won't turn on or charge via USB

If the smartphone does not react to the connection in any way, the output will be to first restore the operation of the device, for example, by charging it from the mains, and not via USB. If the smartphone does not turn on for another reason, then this is a separate problem that can be helped by restoring the phone's firmware. This can be done through the phone manufacturer's software, if your device model has one. For example, Kies Samsung for Samsung phones or LG Mobile Support Tool for LG phones. For the last example, the recovery steps are as follows:

Of course, there can be many reasons for the malfunctioning of a device, but they are rarely directly related to the reasons why the device does not connect via USB.

Video: fix the problem of connecting the phone via USB

How to avoid future problems

To avoid future problems, it is enough to use a protective case and do not use the phone with dirty hands - then the USB connector will not become clogged. Do not bend or kink the cable. Thus, you will avoid problems in the future due to broken cable contacts.

Problems may arise when connecting the device to a computer via a USB connection. Any difficulty can be easily resolved if you follow the setup instructions carefully.

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