Why the computer does not see the phone or tablet and what to do about it

Why the computer might not detect the phone or tablet
How to properly connect Android devices to your computer via USB
How to properly connect iOS devices to your computer via USB
What to do if the computer does not see the USB device
What to do if the computer does not see a Bluetooth device
What other connection methods are there

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

You will find instructions for gadgets connected via USB or Bluetooth.

Why the computer might not detect the phone or tablet

Possible reasons include incorrect connection actions, outdated or incorrectly configured software, faulty USB cables, ports, or the devices themselves.

Follow the tips below - they can save you a lot of connection problems.

How to properly connect Android devices to your computer via USB

If you're on Windows, ignore this paragraph. If using macOS, install Android File Transfer. To use it, you need a device running Android 3.0 or later and a computer with Mac OS X 10.5 or later.

Make sure your mobile device is turned on and connect it to your computer. Then pull down the notification panel on the gadget - you will see a special switch. Click on it and in the menu that appears, select the "File Transfer" mode. The mode names may differ depending on the Android version and model of the unit.

What to do if the computer does not see the phone: pull down the notification panel on the gadget

What to do if the computer does not see the phone: select the "File Transfer" mode

After these steps, the computer should see the mobile device. On Windows, it will appear in File Explorer, on macOS, in the Android File Transfer window.

How to properly connect iOS devices to your computer via USB

Make sure your mobile device is turned on and unlocked, then connect it to your computer. The first time iOS will ask for permission to access the media, and you will need to grant it.

In the case of a Windows PC, the connected iPhone or iPad will appear in Explorer, in the media devices section. They will appear like regular digital cameras - you can view and copy photos and videos. To access other data, you will have to use iTunes, which can be downloaded from the Apple website. The registration procedure will not cause any difficulties, you just need to follow the prompts of the setup wizard.

On a Mac, things are a little simpler. MacOS Mojave uses iTunes for mobile devices, macOS Catalina and later use the Finder. Both programs are already included with macOS, so they will start automatically when you connect your iPhone or iPad. Interaction with content is carried out through them, and for direct access to media files, you can use the standard "Photos" application. It also opens automatically and allows you to view and import files.

What to do if the computer does not see the USB device

We will assume that you did everything according to the instructions above. If the computer still does not recognize the tablet or smartphone, follow these steps in order. The first will not help - go to the second and so on.

Disconnect unnecessary USB devices from your computer.
Try connecting with a different cable or port.
Restart your computer and mobile device.
If you are on Windows, update the driver required to recognize the USB device. Run Command Prompt (Windows Key + R), type devmgmt.msc into it and press Enter. When the "Device Manager" opens, find the connected gadget in the list of equipment.

What to do if the computer does not see the USB device: update the driver

Click on the device with the right mouse button and select "Update driver" → "Search for drivers on this computer" → "Select a driver from the list of available drivers on the computer."

In the list of drivers, check "USB MTP device" and click "Next" to reinstall.

If your device does not appear in iTunes or Finder, please use Apple's guide to resolve this issue.
Update the operating systems on your computer and mobile device to the latest versions. If you are using Windows Vista or XP, first try installing the MTP protocol by downloading it from the Microsoft website.
Check the functionality of the port in the gadget by connecting the device to another computer. If the problem persists, contact the manufacturer's support.

What to do if the computer does not see a Bluetooth device

If you encounter visibility issues when connecting via Bluetooth, try these steps one at a time. Perhaps one of them will help you.

Make sure that Bluetooth is turned on on both devices, and in the settings on each of them, the visibility mode for all other devices is activated. On iOS, these settings are part of the AirDrop service available in Control Center.
Place your tablet or smartphone closer to your computer.
Restart your computer and mobile device.
If the devices have successfully connected to each other before, delete the saved pair in the Bluetooth settings and try to reconnect.
Update the Bluetooth drivers on your computer.
Update the operating systems of the devices to the latest versions.

What other connection methods are there

You always have a fallback - services with which you can transfer files between a computer and a mobile device via the Internet. These are AirDroid, Pushbullet, as well as cloud storage like Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox. They allow you to do without Bluetooth and USB if those options don't work or don't work.

This material was first published in August 2017. In February 2021, we updated the text.