Android Phone Not Showing Up on PC? Here Are the Fixes

Part 1. Why is My Phone Not Showing Up on My Computer?

Not sure about the reasons why can't I see my Android phone on my computer! No worries, below are the two main reasons why Windows 10 doesn't recognize Android phones!

• If the phone does not show on your PC, there may be an issue with the USB link.
• A faulty USB driver could also be the reason for the phone's inability to connect to the PC.

Part 2. 8 Tips When Android Phone Won't Connect to Computer

Now you know the reasons that are resisting your device to connect to your PC. Let's look at the eight tips to fix android phone won't connect to pc problems!

Tip 1. Restart Both Your Phone and the PC

If you attach your Android device and nothing happens, this should be your first step. USB ports will quickly fail, so it's generally best to rule out the obvious first. Here's what you need to do:

Step 1. First, disconnect the cable and "Restart" both devices.

Step 2. After both devices are restarted, reconnect the cable, but make sure you use another thread.

Tip 2. Try a Different USB Cable

It is not always true that your phone or PC is at fault. It can be the USB cable you are using to connect your device and PC. To fix the phone not showing up on the pc problem, try using a different USB cable. To do this: follow the steps below.

1. Step 1. Connect your "Phone" to another "Cable" and check if it appears on My computer.
2. Step 2. If it appears the problem is fixed. If not, try changing the USB port and check if you hear a sound.
3. Step 3. If you hear any sound, you probably have no hardware problem, but it might be because of a faulty driver.

Tip 3. Clean the micro-USB port

The next tip is to check for any foreign objects blocking the micro-USB port and preventing the file transfer from taking place. If you are keeping your phone in your pocket all the time, the micro-USB port can become clogged with lint. This can impede electricity transmission and prevent your smartphone from exchanging data.

Try cleaning this port before connecting the USB to the device. Check to see if the PC can now detect the handset. If not, the micro-USB port on your phone is clean.

Tip 4. Check USB Connection Mode

If your Android tablet is not showing up on PC, then you must consider checking USB connection mode as a next step. Follow the below steps to fix it!

1. Step 1. Go to Settings and open Storage.
2. Step 2. Next, choose USB computer connection.
3. Step 3. Next in the list, select Media Device.

4. Step 4. Finally, connect your Android Device to your pc and check if it is connected.

   

Tip 5. Update MTP Driver

If you need to use your phone as a media device on your pc, you must allow MTP mode on your phone. This means that you have MTP drivers enabled and up to date on your device. If they're out of date, you may get an android that won't connect to pc error. To update MTP drivers, follow the steps below.

1. Step 1. Through a USB cable, connect your phone to your PC.
2. Step 2. Open Device Manager.
3. Step 3. Search for Android Device and click on Update Driver.
4. Step 4. Next, tap on Browse my Computer for driver software.
5. Step 5. Tap on List of available drivers.

6. Step 6. Choose MTP USB Device and click Next.

   

Your phone can now act as a media device after the drivers have been updated!

Tip 6. Uninstall Android Drivers

If you are not having the latest drivers installed, then there are chances your android phone doesn't show up on pc. It is always recommended to keep your drivers updated. To update your driver's, follow the steps below.

1. Step 1. Connect “Android Device” to PC and open “Device Manager.”

2. Step 2. Next, click "Device" and choose the "Uninstall" driver.

   

3. Step 3. Once the drivers are uninstalled, disconnect your “Android Device.”
4. Step 4. Again reconnect and wait for drivers to update.
5. Step 5. Check to see if your Android device is now recognized.

Tip 7. Connect Your Android Phone As a USB Mass Storage Device

Some Android versions (particularly older versions) will allow you to connect as a USB Mass Storage device. It's the same as attaching an external SD card or flash drive to your computer. Here's how to attach your device to your computer:

1. Step 1. Go to “Settings” and open “More Settings.”
2. Step 2. Open “USB Utilities” and then connect “Storage” to PC.
3. Step 3. Connect “Storage” to PC and turn on “USB Storage.”
4. Step 4. Wait till the drivers are installed.
5. Step 5. Next open “My Computer” and see if an Android device appears.

Tip 8. Enable USB Debugging

If none of the tips helped you fix android not connecting to pc error, you must try enabling USB debugging. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Step 1. Navigate to “Settings” and open “About.”
2. Step 2. Click on "Build Number" seven times.
3. Step 3. Next, you will see a "Developer Option."
4. Step 4. Click on “Developer Option” and tap on “USB Debugging” to enable it.

5. Step 5. Finally, plug in your Android device and agree to all terms.

   

Part 3. A Bonus Tip: Android Data Recovery on PC without Root

The data in Android phone is important nowadays for everyone. Unfortunately, it is inevitably to lose data due to human error or virus infection, OS update, etc. We recommend you a powerful Android data recovery software here which aims to recover deleted files from Android phone without backup. Unlike most desktop software in the market, UltFone Android Data Recovery supports to recover data without rooting your phone.

The UltFone Android data recovery software supports all devices and can recover your data in one go! Below we have highlighted the top features of this software!

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• Without rooting your Android device, you can recover deleted photos, videos, contacts, messages, wechat data, and WhatsApp info.
• Data can be extracted in various situations, including a broken screen, a black screen, and others.
• Support for over 7000 Android phones and tablets.

Now it’s time to get started with recovering your data! Just follow the steps outlined below.

• Step 1 Install the UltFone Android Data Recovery software and select a feature from the main interface.

  

• Step 2 Connect your phone to computer via a USB cable. If the USB debugging is not turned on, please follow the onscreen instructions to enable it.

  

• Step 3 Select the file type(s) and click Start button to start scanning files.

  

• Step 4 Now select the files you want and click the “Recover” button..

  

The Conclusion

In this article, we mainly talk about how you can do when Android phone won't show up on computer. Hope the tips we elaborated on above did the treat. Meanwhile, if you lose data on Android, UltFone Android Data Recovery is a top-rated desktop recovery tool for your reference.