In this article we will see how to solve the problem when my PC does not recognize my cell phone and only charges . We are going to see step by step everything you need to do to find the solution.
Having trouble connecting your cell phone to your PC? Learn how to solve the problem when your PC does not recognize your cell phone with these troubleshooting steps.
When your PC does not recognize your cell phone, you can follow these troubleshooting steps in a tabular format:
| Step | Action | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check the USB Cable | Ensure the USB cable is not damaged and is capable of data transfer, not just charging. |
| 2 | Try Different USB Ports | Sometimes certain USB ports do not function properly. Try different ones on your PC. |
| 3 | Restart Your Devices | Restart both your PC and cell phone. This can resolve temporary software glitches. |
| 4 | Update Device Drivers | On your PC, go to Device Manager and update the drivers for your phone. |
| 5 | Enable File Transfer Mode | On your phone, after connecting to the PC, select ‘File Transfer’ or ‘MTP’ mode in the notification area. |
| 6 | Check for Software Updates | Make sure both your PC and phone have the latest software updates installed. |
| 7 | Use a Different Computer | Try connecting your phone to a different computer to determine if the issue is with the phone or the PC. |
| 8 | Disable USB Debugging | If USB debugging is enabled on your phone, try disabling it. |
| 9 | Consult Manufacturer’s Support | Visit the support website of your phone’s manufacturer for specific guidance. |
| 10 | Seek Professional Help | If none of the above steps work, consider seeking help from a professional technician. |
Remember, the exact steps might vary depending on the make and model of your PC and cell phone. Always ensure your devices are handled carefully during these processes.
My phone only charges when connected to PC
The first thing you should check is that the USB ports and the cable you are using are in good condition. If so, then what we should do is verify the configuration of the mobile device.
Generally when we connect the device to the computer via USB and it works properly. Options should appear in the notification bar to choose whether you want to use it for charging the phone or for file transfers.
It may happen that the MPT settings underwent some kind of change, especially if you recently rooted the device. What we will have to do is force the device to show said configuration.
For this we will need the “Developer Mode” which is hidden in the phone. To enable it, you must press several times in a row on “Build number” which you can find in Settings> About device> Software information> Build number.
My PC only charges the phone, it does not recognize my cell phone
After activating the “Developer Options” we will have to enter it from the “Settings” menu and here we will be able to select the “USB Configuration” option. A small window will appear with several options:
- Charge this phone
- MTP (Media Transfer Protocol)
- PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol)
- RNIS (USB Ethernet)
- Audio source
- MIDI
In order for the file transfer from mobile to PC to work, you must select between the second and third option from the list mentioned above. In case the phone does not recognize the changes we made to the settings, then you will have to restart the same and then, there should be no problem for it to recognize it.
How to connect the phone to my Windows computer
In many cases the problem is not the phone itself, especially after doing what we mentioned a little above. If not, the problem is Windows itself and the configuration of the drivers.
To solve this problem from the computer’s operating system. We will have to go to the “ File Manager ”. To do this, click on “Start” and then type ” File Manager.”
Here you will have to find the connection with your mobile device. It usually appears in the “Portable devices ” section. But as it does not recognize the connected phone, “Unknown device” will surely appear. What you will do is right click on it.
You will be able to appreciate that a drop-down menu appears with several options and you can try two of them: the first is to update the driver, generally it is not necessary because Windows 10 is in charge of keeping them updated, but sometimes this “fails” to say the least. .
Another thing you can do is directly uninstall the device, in many cases it is a way to solve the problem. Simply wait for the drivers to be uninstalled, restart the computer after disconnecting the mobile and once it starts again, connect the device from another USB input to the PC.
Setting everything up again
In case the above won’t work, the only option left is to configure everything from scratch . But for this we need to factory reset the mobile phone, something that is generally very annoying, since we will lose all our personal information, so we recommend making a backup before starting.
In the case of our computer, we must check the updates to return to a previous version (if it worked before updating) from Windows Settings > Update and Security> View update history.
Here you will have to select ” Uninstall updates” and you can choose the update that you think is causing the connection problem between your PC and the mobile phone. In case you have no problem with restarting the computer or formatting. From Recovery Options> Reset PC you can do it in a matter of a couple of hours.
