• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Help Phone Only Charges When Connected to PC

Lana30

Android Enthusiast
Aug 11, 2015
336
48
Hi Everyone,
When I connect my phone Galaxy S7 it only charges and is not recognized by the computer. I think I read somewhere that you have to change some type of setting from Charge to something else in order for the computer to recognize your phone, is that true? Thanks in advance.
 
Indeed, connect your phone and wait for the beeps, making sure your phone is unlocked. Now pull down the status bar and click USB settings and choose file transfer mode. You will hear the normal disconnect and reconnect beeps, you should now be able to browse your files.
Thank you! That is exactly it! I just couldn't remember the steps. ;)
 
Upvote 0
Indeed, connect your phone and wait for the beeps, making sure your phone is unlocked. Now pull down the status bar and click USB settings and choose file transfer mode. You will hear the normal disconnect and reconnect beeps, you should now be able to browse your files.
One more question, if your screen were to go black for whatever reason, there is no way to connect your phone to your PC because if first needs to be unlocked in order to recover anything, right? So basically you lose everything?
 
Upvote 0
That is a possibility, I do however seem to remember you maybe able to issue a command via the ADB console to allow your phone to connect. But you would need to have enabled USB Debugging in the (hidden) developers section on your phone first.

But I am no expert on the finer points of ADB.

Notes: search Google for Android ADB for more information. To enable developers mode go into the phones settings page, about phone and keep tapping on the Build number and the hidden menu will appear. Be warned, you cannot turn this feature off once enabled, not that it does any harm. :p
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lana30
Upvote 0
That is a possibility, I do however seem to remember you maybe able to issue a command via the ADB console to allow your phone to connect. But you would need to have enabled USB Debugging in the (hidden) developers section on your phone first.

But I am no expert on the finer points of ADB.

Notes: search Google for Android ADB for more information. To enable developers mode go into the phones settings page, about phone and keep tapping on the Build number and the hidden menu will appear. Be warned, you cannot turn this feature off once enabled, not that it does any harm. :p
Thanks! I get it now. If you have that USB debugging on and follow and guide with ADB on how to unlock you should be able to, I mean as long as the guide you are following knows what it talking about, right?
 
Upvote 0
Correct, one issue you may find is that ADB is very fussy when it comes to phone drivers and normally it does not like the default ones that get installed the first time you connect your phone to your PC.

So it would be best to find the official drivers for your phone and install them, then test to connection between your phone and ADB. :goofydroid:
 
Upvote 0
Correct, one issue you may find is that ADB is very fussy when it comes to phone drivers and normally it does not like the default ones that get installed the first time you connect your phone to your PC.

So it would be best to find the official drivers for your phone and install them, then test to connection between your phone and ADB. :goofydroid:
Thanks! This is excellent stuff. I am learning a lot! I hope you don´t mind me asking a few more questions; I was wondering, sometimes I read on how people want to unlock their phones with their PCs but forgot to enable USB debugging, since it is not something that is recommended you leave on. What can be done in that case? Is it even possible for them to get their info off their phones? Hopefully, this never happens to me but if it does I want to be prepared. Thanks a lot for your answers
 
Upvote 0
In that case you can only hope that you have an external sd card you can take out to get to your files or having enabled backup of your photos through Google photos app or have a recent backup.

By default Google backs up your normal app data (if your lucky save data), WiFi logins and contacts unless turned off. But you will probably loose a lot of stuff even then.

There maybe another way, but I don't know of one.
 
Upvote 0

BEST TECH IN 2023

We've been tracking upcoming products and ranking the best tech since 2007. Thanks for trusting our opinion: we get rewarded through affiliate links that earn us a commission and we invite you to learn more about us.

Smartphones