While there exist quite a few ways of transferring data between your device and PC, including the popular nearby/Quick Share, however, its the wired connectivity that has forever been the go-to choice for the masses. Due to the minimal setup and complexities involved, many users prefer to use it over its wireless counterpart. With that said, you might come across an instance or two wherein the Android USB File transfer might not be working along the expected lines.
In some cases, your device might be visible under File Explorer but you wouldn’t be able to copy/move files to your PC or vice versa. And in the majority of cases, your device might not even be visible on your PC in the first place. Along with that, you might also get greeted with the “USB device not recognized” error. With that said, there do exist numerous nifty workarounds that should help you address this bug. So without further ado, let’s check them out.
Fix Android USB File Transfer not working
It is recommended that you try out each of the below-mentioned workarounds and then see which one spells out success. So with that in mind, let’s get started.
FIX 1: Try USB Tweaks
First and foremost, you should try using a different USB cable as well as a different USB port. If we talk about the former, then you may use the one that belongs to a different OEM, if the one that came with your device didn’t work out. On the other hand, as far as the ports are concerned, it is highly recommended that you use the USB 2.0 port instead of the 3.0 [3.0 are the blue ones whereas the 2.0 are the black ones]. So try out these tweaks and check if they rectify the issue.
FIX 2: Install Google Android USB Drivers
In most cases, the USB drivers are automatically installed the first time you connect your device to your PC via USB. However, in rare instances, your PC is unable to do so, or over time the installed drivers might get corrupted. So in all such cases, your best bet is to install/reinstall these drivers. Here’s how it could be done:
- First off, connect your device to your PC via a USB cable.
- Then download and extract the Google USB Drivers on your PC.
- Now, press Windows+X and select Device Manager. Then expand the Other Devices section.
- Your device will be listed with a yellow warning sign. So right-click on it and select Update Drivers.
- Then, select Browse my computer for drivers > Let me pick from a list of available drivers.
- Then select Show All Devices and click Next. Now click on the Have Disk > Browse button.
- Then navigate to the folder where you have extracted the Google USB Drivers, and select the android_winusb.inf file, and click Open > OK
- Windows will now bring up a list of drivers. Select Android Composite ADB Interface and click Next > Install.
- The Android Composite ADB Interface drivers will now be installed and you will be notified of the same.
- Once the installation is complete, your device will automatically move from the Other Device section over to Android Device/Phone.
- Moreover, it would be named Android Composite ADB Interface, signifying that Android USB Data Transfer is now working well and good.
FIX 3: Boot to Safe Mode
In some instances, a third-party app might prevent the device from establishing a successful USB connection. In such cases, you should boot your device to Safe Mode, which in turn will disable all third-party apps, and then check if your PC is able to identify the connected device. Here’s how it could be done:
- To begin with, press and hold the Power button to bring up the Power menu.
- Then long tap on the Restart option. This will bring up the Safe Mode prompt.
- Tap OK and your device will boot to Safe Mode. Check if it fixes the issue or not.
- If it does, then reboot your device back to normal mode.
- Then uninstall each of the newly installed apps, one at a time, until the issue no longer appears.
FIX 4: Change Default USB Configuration
By default, the USB configuration for your device is set to No Data Transfer. So you should change it to File Transfer and check if it spells out success for you or not. Here’s how it could be done:
- Head over to Settings > System > About Phone > Tap on Build Number 7 times.
- Then go to System > Developer Options > Default USB Configuration.
- Now choose File Transfer/Android Auto from the list.
- Then unplug and replug your device to the PC and check out the result.
On that note, we round off this guide on how you could fix the issue of Android USB File Transfer not working. Still, have any doubts? The comments section is all yours, make your voices heard there and we’ll chalk out the best fix for you.
