Phone Not Showing Up on Your PC? How to Fix It

1. Unlock the phone and keep it unlocked while you plug it in.
2. Android: pull down the notifications, tap the USB notice and choose File transfer.
3. iPhone: tap Trust on the Trust This Computer prompt and enter your passcode.
4. Try a different cable, ideally the one that came with the phone.
5. Use a USB port on the PC itself, not a hub, keyboard or monitor port.
6. Restart the phone and the PC.

For privacy, Android connects as charge-only by default, so the PC sees nothing. To switch:

1. Plug in and unlock the phone.
2. Swipe down from the top and tap the notification that mentions USB (for example Charging this device via USB).
3. Under Use USB for, choose File transfer (on some phones File transfer / Android Auto or Transferring files). PTP or Transfer photos only shows the camera folders.
4. Open File Explorer on the PC. The phone appears under This PC; open it, then Internal storage.

If no USB notification appears, the cable may be charge-only. Some phones also let you set a default in Developer options > Default USB configuration, but most people do not need it.

An iPhone shares nothing until you trust the computer. If you tapped Don't Trust by mistake, unplug and plug in again; if the prompt never comes back, reset it under Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy, then reconnect.

Windows also needs Apple's drivers. Installing the Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store (or iTunes on older setups) adds them. After that, the iPhone appears in File Explorer as Apple iPhone, and the Windows Photos app can import from it.

Keep in mind that File Explorer only shows the photo library (the DCIM folder), not documents in the Files app. For those, use the Apple Devices app's file sharing for supported apps, iCloud Drive, or a link.

For driver problems, right-click Start, open Device Manager and look under Portable Devices or Universal Serial Bus devices. Right-click the phone and choose Update driver, or Uninstall device and then unplug and reconnect so Windows installs it again. Windows Update can also offer optional driver updates. Some manufacturers offer their own USB drivers on their support sites.

• Try another PC. If the phone works there, the problem is your PC's ports or drivers.
• Try a USB-C to USB-C cable if both ends support it, or the other way round.
• Close phone management or backup apps from the manufacturer that may grab the connection.
• On work PCs, USB storage may be blocked by company policy. Ask IT, or skip the cable.

You do not need the cable at all to move files. Send via Wi-Fi works in the browser:

1. Connect the phone and the PC to the same Wi-Fi (or the PC to the phone's hotspot, with mobile data on).
2. Open sharelargefilesfree.com/send-via-wifi on both.
3. On the phone, tap the PC when it appears and pick the files.
4. On the PC, click Accept. Files land in Downloads.

The files go directly between the two browsers over an encrypted connection, with no size limit beyond free disk space. Both devices need internet so they can find each other. On a guest or office network that blocks device-to-device connections, use the 6-digit code from a hotspot, or a link.

A download link also works: upload from the phone (up to 20 GB per transfer), then type the short download code on the PC.

For a whole camera roll, the cable is worth fixing. For a few large files, Send via Wi-Fi is often quicker than hunting for the right cable. More detail: Android to PC and iPhone to PC.

Share Large Files Free is independent and is not affiliated with Apple, Google or Microsoft. iPhone and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Inc.; Android is a trademark of Google LLC; Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.