Fix Android USB File Transfer Not Working in Windows 10

In this technological era, few activities are expected to be performed by machines without any issue. One of the routine activities is the file transfer from an Android phone to Windows 10 PC using a USB Cable. However, one may experience the issues of Android USB file transfer not working Windows 10 PC. This issue is a nightmare for all the people working desk jobs as this is a major part of their job. The methods to fix Android phone USB connection problem are discussed in the article.

How to Fix Android USB File Transfer Not Working in Windows 10

The section provides the possible reasons for which the file transfer from Android phone using a USB Cable to your Windows 10 PC may fail.

• Hardware issues- There might be some issues in the hardware devices such as faulty ports, or damage to the USB cable.
• Outdated Device Drivers- The drivers corresponding to Android phone may be outdated or corrupt.
• Outdated OS- The Operating System of the devices may be outdated and might pose an incompatibility issue for connection. The OS on both Android Phone and Windows PC needs to be updated to the latest version.
• Incorrect Settings- The Media Transfer setting may not be enabled on Android phone and it might cause an issue with the file transfer.
• Third-party Applications- Third-party applications for transferring files may disturb the regular method to transfer files.

Note: Since smartphones do not have the same settings and may vary from device to device hence, ensure the correct settings before changing any. The methods explained in this article are considering a Samsung Galaxy A21s phone and the settings may differ on other models based on various factors.

Method 1: Basic Troubleshooting Methods

The first approach to fix this issue is to try the basic troubleshooting methods on the connected devices.

1A. Troubleshoot Hardware Issues

The issue may be caused due the defects in the hardware of the connected devices and checking the hardware issues can help solve the issue.

• Check if the USB Port on your Windows PC is in good condition or broken.
• Connect the USB Cable to a different USB Port on your Windows PC.
• Use the USB cable provided along with the Android phone.
• Try using another USB Cable, which is compatible, to connect the Android Phone to Windows PC.
• Clean the charging port on your Android phone using a toothpick.
• Make sure to plug the USB cable into the ports properly and completely on both devices.
• If you can remove the battery on your Android phone, remove it from the slot and replace it in the slot.

1B. Unlock Android Phone

One of the reasons why you may not be able to use the File Transfer feature is because the phone is locked with the password. Make sure to unlock your phone, so that the Windows PC can access the files on your phone.

1C. Use Another Windows PC

This issue may be caused if the Windows 10 PC has some fault or is not compatible with the Android phone. Try connecting Android phone to another Windows PC and check if you can transfer files to the PC.

1D. Connect Android Phone Directly to Windows PC

If you are using any USB hub to connect Android phone to the Windows 10 PC, you can try disconnecting the USB cable from the hub and connecting the USB cable directly to the USB port on your PC to fix the issue.

1E. Use Alternate File Transfer Method

Another option to bypass Android phone USB connection problem is to use an alternative method to transfer files to check if it is working on your Android phone. Turn on the Bluetooth on both devices and check if you can transfer files through the Bluetooth connection.

Option I: On Android Phone

1. Go to Settings option on your Android phone

2. Tap on Connections tab

3.Turn On the Bluetooth toggle.

Option II: On Windows

1. Press the Windows + I keys together to open Settings.

2. Click on Devices setting.

3. Turn on the Bluetooth Toggle On

1F. Disconnect External Devices Connected to Windows PC

Another possible reason for this Android phone USB connection problem is the interference from other media and external devices. Try disconnecting the devices from your PC and then connect Android phone alone to the PC.

1. Press the Windows + E keys together to open File Explorer.

2. Open This PC, right-click on the USB device, and click on the Eject option.

1G. Run Hardware Troubleshooter on Windows PC

Android USB file transfer not working Windows 10 PC issue may be caused due to minor glitches on the PC. If there are small bugs on Windows PC, you can easily clear them using the Windows Hardware troubleshooters. Read the article in the link provided here to learn the method to Run the Windows troubleshooter to diagnose the issue.

1H. Turn On Flight Mode

While transferring files, there are chances for some external interference to disturb the MTP or Media Transfer Protocol. Turning on the Flight mode can prevent external interference while transferring files.

Option I: Android Phone

The method to turn the Flight mode on your Android phone is discussed below. You can turn the mode on and then transfer files from your phone.

1. Open the Settings app from the menu on your Android phone.

2. Tap on Connections tab.

3. Toggle On the Flight mode option.

Also Read: Fix Android Wi-Fi Authentication Error

Option II: Windows PC

You can follow the steps given below to turn the Flight mode on your Windows 10 PC and then attempt transferring the files.

1. Hit the Windows + I keys at the same time to open the Settings app.

2. Click on the Network & Internet settings in the menu.

3. Click on the Airplane mode tab and toggle on the Airplane mode option.

1I. Restart Device

The universal method can be used to fix this issue. You can try restarting the devices to clear all the glitches and errors in the processes.

Option I: On Android Phone

Follow the steps in the method below to restart your Android phone.

1. Unplug the Android phone from the USB cable, press the Power button , and tap on Restart option.

2. Tap on the Restart option to restart your phone.

Also Read: Fix USB OTG Not Working On Android Devices

Option II: Windows PC

You can follow the steps given below to restart your Windows 10 PC.

1. Unplug the USB Cable from the USB port and press the Windows key.

2. Click on the Power icon at the bottom and select the Restart option to restart your PC.

1J. Update Device

The issue with the file transfer may be due to the corrupt or outdated OS on the devices. To fix the problem, you can try updating the OS to the latest version.

Option I: On Android Phone

Using an outdated version of Android OS may cause the issue, you can update the OS to fix the issue. Read the article in the link given here to know how to manually update the Android phone to the latest version.

Option II: On Windows PC

Owing to the compatibility issues, the Windows PC may not support the Android phone. In this case, you can update the Windows OS to the latest version to fix the PC issue. Use the link given here to know more about this method.

Method 2: Change USB Preferences on Android Phone

One of the basic methods to fix the issue with the file transfer is to check if the file transfer option is enabled. You can try enabling the transferring files option on your Android phone using the following methods.

Option I: Allow Access to Phone Data

The first option for allowing the file transfer is to allow it in the pop-up message on your Android phone. This message would be displayed immediately after you connect Android phone to your Windows PC.

1. By default, when Android Phone is connected to your Windows PC, you will receive the Allow access to phone data. message.

2. Tap on the Allow option in the message.

Option II: USB Options

If the pop-up message is not displayed on your phone, you can enable the file transfer option from the Quick Access menu on your phone.

1. Swipe the screen down to view the Quick Access Menu and tap on the USB for file transfer option.

2. Tap on the Transferring files /Android Auto option in the Use USB for section.

Also Read: Fix System UI has Stopped Black Screen on Android

Method 3: Use Developer Options

As an alternative approach to fix Android USB file transfer not working Windows 10 PC issue, you can try to enable the file transfer is to enable it from the Developer options on your Android phone.

Step I: Enable Developer Options

The first step in this option is to enable the Developer Options on your phone. Read the article with the link given here to know how to enable developer options on your phone.

Step II: Enable File Transfer Option

The second step in this option is to enable the file transfer option on the Developer Options on the Settings app.

1. In the Settings app, tap on the Developer options tab.

2. Tap on the Default USB configuration tab.

3. Tap on the Transferring files option.

Step III: Enable USB Debugging Option (If Applicable)

This step is to enable the USB Debugging option on your phone in the Developer Options. This option should fix Android phone USB connection problem immediately as you can transfer the files as a Developer. This step has to be only attempted if you cannot transfer files after enabling the file transfer option.

1. In the Settings app, tap on Developer options tab.

2. In the Debugging section, toggle On the USB debugging option.

3. Tap on the OK option.

Method 4: Clear Device Cache

If there are numerous external storage files on the installed apps on the Android phone, you may not be able to transfer files. You can clear the cache data on the apps to fix Android USB file transfer not working Windows 10 PC issue.

1. Open Settings app on your Android phone.

2. Tap on Apps tab.

3. Tap on the app one by one on the list.

Note: For explanatory purposes, the Samsung Internet app is chosen.

4. Tap on Storage in the Usage section.

5. Tap on Clear cache option at the bottom.

Method 5: Install MTP Device Driver

One of the reasons for the unsuccessful file transfer between Android phone and Windows PC is the absence of an MTP device driver. The driver of the MTP device or the Media Transfer Protocol of Android phone has to be installed on the Windows PC.

Step I: Check for MTP Driver

The first step of this method is to check if the MTP device driver is installed on your PC.

1. Hit the Windows key, type Device Manager and click on Open.

2. Expand the Portable Devices, right-click on the Android phone, and click on the Properties option.

3. Move to Driver tab and click on Driver Details button.

4. If you see drivers in the Driver files section, then the drivers are installed on your PC.

Note: If the drivers are not available on the section, reconnect the Android phone to your Windows PC.

Step II: Manually Install MTP Driver

The next step to fix Android USB file transfer not working Windows 10 PC issue is to install the MTP driver of the device manually on your PC.

5. Open the Run dialog box, type %systemroot%\INF and click OK button.

6. Right-click on the wpdmtp.inf file and click on the Install option.

7. Wait till the driver is installed and Restart your PC from the START menu.

Method 6: Update Device Driver

The next method to fix the issue with the file transfer is to update the device driver on your Windows PC. To update device drivers refer our guide How to update device drivers.

Also Read: Fix Unknown USB Device in Windows 10

Method 7: Reinstall ADB Driver (If Applicable)

The second option in this method to fix Android USB file transfer not working Windows 10 PC issue is to uninstall or reinstall Android Composite ADB interface driver. This can be useful if you are using an Android phone with an ADB interface. To uninstall and reinstall driver refer our guide How to Uninstall and reinstall drivers.

Method 8: Restart ADB Command (If Applicable)

As an additional step, you can close all the processes operating with the current ADB driver and prompt it to use the updated driver. This would ensure fixing all glitches in Android USB file transfer not working Windows 10 PC issue.

1. Press the Windows key, type Command Prompt, and click on the Run as administrator.

2. Type the following command and press the Enter key to close the existing ADB process.

adb kill-server

3. Type the following command and press the Enter key to start the ADB server.

adb start-server

4. Execute the adb devices command to check for the Android devices connected through the ADB service.

5. Try transferring the files from your Android phone using the USB cable.

Also Read: Fix USB Keeps Disconnecting and Reconnecting

Method 9: Install Windows Media Feature Pack

If you are using the Windows 10KN and 10N editions, you can install the Windows Media Feature Pack to fix the issue with the connection.

1. Open the Google Chrome web browser from the search bar.

2. Open the official website of the Windows Media Feature Pack and log in to your Microsoft account.

3. Select the Media Feature Pack – Version 1903 (May 2019) in the drop-down menu of the Downloads section and click on the Confirm button.

4. Click on the 64-bit Download button and follow the on-screen instructions to install the pack.

Note: If the Windows Architecture is 32-bit, you have to click on the 32-bit Download button. To know the System type, open the Settings app using the Windows+ I keys and click on the Display option. Click on the About tab and check the System type in the right pane of the window.

Method 10: Install MTP Porting Kit for Windows

To fix this issue, you can install the Media Transfer Protocol porting kit on your Windows PC.

1. Download the Media Transfer Protocol Porting Kit 12.0.

2. Follow the instructions on the installation wizard to install the kit.

Method 11: Uninstall Unnecessary Software (If Applicable)

Sometimes, the unnecessary software on your Windows PC may conflict with the regular method of transferring files. You can uninstall these apps and software to fix Android phone USB connection problem.

Option I: Samsung Kies Software

The Samsung Kies file transfer software is used to transfer files from the Android phone to the Windows PC. You can uninstall the software using the Control Panel app to fix the issue.

Note: The software is used only if you are using Samsung Galaxy S4/ S5/ S6/ S7/ S8/ S9/ S9+/ Note 5/ Note 8 Android phone.

1. Press the Windows key, type Control Panel, then click on Open.

2. Choose the option Category in the View by drop-down menu at the top-right corner.

3. Click on the Uninstall a Program in the Programs category.

4. Select the Samsung Kies software, click on the Uninstall button at the top, and follow the on-screen instructions.

Option II: Samsung SideSync Connectivity Tool

Some Android phones come with a built-in connectivity tool such as Samsung SideSync. You have to uninstall the tool to fix Android phone USB connection problem.

1. Open Control Panel app from the search bar on your Windows PC.

2. Choose the option Category in the View by drop-down menu at the top-right corner.

3. Click on Uninstall a Program in the Programs category.

4. Select the Samsung SideSync tool, click on the Uninstall button at the top, and follow the on-screen instructions.

Also Read: How to Disable Samsung Discover Option From App Screen

Method 12: Reboot Samsung Phone in ODIN Mode (Not Recommended)

If you cannot transfer the files from your phone in the normal mode, you can try using the ODIN mode to transfer the files. Read the article on the link given here to know how to reboot your Samsung phone in ODIN mode.

Note: As an alternative method of transferring the files, you can try installing the AirDroid app on your Android phone. This allows you to access files on your phone through the web interface on the PC.

Method 13: Contact Manufacture Store

The last resort is to visit the Manufacture’s store from which you have purchased the Android phone and ask them for assistance on Android phone USB connection problem.

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The article has explained the methods to fix Android USB file transfer not working Windows 10 PC. Please let us know your thoughts, suggestions, and queries in the comments section.