Samsung Phone Not Connecting to PC? Here’s How to Fix It!

Want to transfer files or sync your new Samsung phone but can’t get it to connect? This guide will help troubleshoot and resolve PC connection issues. Let us explore the possible causes and solutions to this problem.

USB connection to PC not working on Samsung

One of the conveniences of owning a Samsung Android phone is the ability to connect it to a Windows or Mac computer. But sometimes your computer won’t detect or recognize your phone when you plug it into the USB port. This prevents accessing files and synchronization through the direct USB connection.

Why Won’t My Samsung Connect to My Computer?

There are a few common reasons why a Samsung phone may not be connecting to a PC via USB cable:

  • Damaged or faulty USB cable. This is the most common reason for connection problems. Try using a different USB cable, preferably the original cable that came with your phone.
  • Dirty or clogged USB port. Make sure that both the USB port on your phone and the USB port on your computer are clean and free of debris. You can use a can of compressed air to clean the ports.
  • Incorrect USB connection mode. When you connect your phone to your computer, you will be prompted to select a USB connection mode. Make sure that you are selecting the correct mode for the task that you want to perform. For example, if you want to transfer files between your phone and computer, you should select the “File Transfer” mode.
  • Outdated or corrupted USB drivers. Windows and Mac computers use drivers to communicate with USB devices. If the drivers for your Samsung phone are outdated or corrupted, your phone may not connect to your computer properly. You can try updating or reinstalling the drivers to fix this problem.
  • Software bug. It is also possible that a software bug on your phone or computer is preventing your phone from connecting properly. If you have tried all of the above solutions and your phone is still not connecting, you can try updating the software on both your phone and computer to see if that fixes the problem.

Pinpointing the specific cause informs how to resolve it. Now, let’s try to fix it with these subsequent tweaks!

Troubleshooting Samsung PC Connection Issues

There are several easy user-level troubleshooting steps that can often fix connection problems and get your Samsung phone linking successfully with a desktop or laptop PC. If you need more inputs, follow these tips to troubleshoot a Samsung phone that won’t connect to a Windows PC or Mac:

Step 1: Update Drivers (Computer)

Updating drivers on a computer is the process of replacing the old drivers for a hardware device with the latest versions. Drivers are software programs that allow your computer to communicate with your hardware devices, such as your USB ports, printer, and graphics card.

Update Computer Drivers - thecellguide

When you update a driver, the new driver replaces the old driver and installs any new features or bug fixes that have been released. Updating drivers can improve the performance and stability of your hardware devices, and can also fix problems such as USB connection problems.

To update a driver on a Windows computer, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open the Device Manager.
  2. Expand the category for the hardware device that you want to update the driver for.
  3. Right-click on the device name and select “Update driver software”.
  4. Select “Search automatically for updated driver software”.
  5. Windows will search for and install the latest driver for your device.

To update a driver on a Mac computer, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open the Apple menu and select “About This Mac”.
  2. Click on the “Software Update” tab.
  3. If there are any updates available for your drivers, they will be listed on this page.
  4. Click on the “Update Now” button to install the updates.

Updating drivers can help to fix USB connection problems between a Samsung phone and a computer in the following ways:

  • It can fix problems caused by outdated or corrupted drivers.
  • It can install new features that improve the compatibility between your phone and your computer.
  • It can fix bugs that cause USB connection problems.

If you are having problems connecting your Samsung phone to your computer via USB cable, it is a good idea to try updating the drivers for your phone and your computer. You can usually find the latest drivers on the website of the manufacturer of your phone and computer.

Step 2: Toggle Connection Modes

Toggling between connection modes on a Samsung phone is the process of switching between different ways that your phone can connect to a computer. There are three main connection modes:

  • Charging mode: This is the default mode when you connect your phone to a computer using a USB cable. In this mode, your phone will only charge and will not be recognized by your computer.
  • File transfer mode: This mode allows you to transfer files between your phone and your computer.
  • USB tethering mode: This mode allows you to use your phone’s internet connection on your computer.

To toggle between connection modes on a Samsung phone, follow these steps:

  1. Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable.
  2. Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the notification bar.
  3. Tap on the notification that says “USB charging this device”.
  4. Select the connection mode that you want to use.

Toggling between connection modes can help to fix USB connection issues between a Samsung phone and computer in the following ways:

  • It can fix problems caused by the wrong connection mode being selected.
  • It can reset the USB connection and fix minor software glitches.
  • It can help to identify if there is a problem with the USB cable or the USB port.

If you are having problems connecting your Samsung phone to your computer via USB cable, it is a good idea to try toggling between connection modes.

Important Note: You may need to unlock the USB Debugging Mode in the Developer Options menu to enable all available connection modes for your device.

Step 3: Switch Cables and Ports

Try connecting your Samsung device with a different USB cable and into multiple computer ports.

Doing this will help you determine if the USB cable is the cause of the problem. If the USB cable is damaged or faulty, it may prevent your device from connecting to the computer properly. Using a different USB cable, preferably the original cable that came with your device, can help to rule out this possibility.

USB cables and ports

To check if the USB port on the computer is the cause of the problem, try plugging the USB cable into any other USB ports available. If the USB port is dirty or clogged, or if there is a problem with the port itself, it may prevent your device from connecting to the computer properly. Connecting your device to multiple USB ports on the computer can help to rule out this possibility.

If you have tried connecting your Samsung device to multiple computer ports using different USB cables and it is still not connecting, then the problem is likely with the device itself or with the computer software.

Step 4: Clear Phone Cache Partition

Wiping the cache partition on a Samsung phone is the process of deleting temporary files that are stored on the phone. These temporary files are used by apps and the system to improve performance, but they can sometimes become corrupted or outdated, which can cause problems such as USB connection problems.

Samsung Galaxy wipe cache partition

To wipe the cache partition on a Samsung phone, follow these steps:

  1. Turn off your phone.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up button and the Power button at the same time.
  3. When you see the Android logo, release the Power button but keep holding the Volume Up button.
  4. When you see the Recovery Mode menu, release the Volume Up button.
  5. Use the Volume Up and Down buttons to navigate to the “Wipe cache partition” option.
  6. Press the Power button to select the option.
  7. Press the Volume Down button to highlight “Yes” and press the Power button to confirm.
  8. Your phone will wipe the cache partition.
  9. When the process is complete, your phone will restart.

Wiping the cache partition can help to fix USB connection problems between a Samsung phone and computer in the following ways:

  • It can delete corrupted or outdated temporary files that may be causing the problem.
  • It can reset the USB connection and fix minor software glitches.
  • It can help to identify if there is a problem with the USB cable or the USB port.

Step 5: Reboot Computer and Phone

Restarting your computer and power cycling your Samsung often resolves transient glitches because it can clear out any temporary files or settings that may be causing the problem. It can also reset the hardware and software on your devices, which can fix minor software glitches.

Restart computer and Samsung phone

Transient glitches are temporary problems with electronic devices that are often caused by software bugs or hardware errors. They can cause a variety of problems, such as USB connection problems, app crashes, and system freezes.

Restarting your computer and power cycling your Samsung can help to fix transient glitches in the following ways:

  • It can clear out any temporary files or settings that may be causing the problem.
  • It can reset the hardware and software on your devices, which can fix minor software glitches.
  • It can help to identify if there is a problem with the hardware or software on your devices.

A. Restart Samsung Phone

There are two main ways to restart a Samsung Galaxy phone:

  • Using the power button:
    1. Press and hold the power button.
    2. When you see the power menu, tap on Restart.
    3. Tap on Restart again to confirm.
  • Using the keyboard shortcut:
    1. Press and hold the power button and the volume down button at the same time.
    2. Hold the buttons until you see the Samsung logo.
    3. Your phone will restart.

If your phone is frozen or unresponsive, you may need to force restart it. To do this, press and hold the power button and the volume down button for about 10 seconds until the phone turns off completely. Then, turn the phone back on.

B. Restart Computer

There are two main ways to restart a computer:

  • Using the Start menu:
    1. Click on the Start menu.
    2. Click on the Power button.
    3. Select Restart.
  • Using the keyboard shortcut:
    1. Press and hold the Ctrl and Alt keys.
    2. Press the Delete key.
    3. Select Restart.

If your computer is frozen or unresponsive, you may need to force restart it. To do this, press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds until the computer turns off completely. Then, turn the computer back on.

Step 6: Reset App Preferences (Samsung Phone)

Resetting app preferences on a Samsung phone is the process of restoring the default settings for all of the apps on your phone. This means that all of the permissions that you have granted to apps will be revoked, all of the notifications that you have enabled will be disabled, and all of the default apps will be restored.

To reset app preferences on a Samsung phone, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Go to Apps.
  3. Tap on the three dots in the top right corner of the screen.
  4. Select Reset app preferences.
  5. Tap on Reset app preferences again to confirm.

Resetting app preferences can help to fix USB connection problems between a Samsung phone and computer in the following ways:

  • It can fix problems caused by incorrect app permissions.
  • It can fix problems caused by corrupted app settings.
  • It can reset the USB connection and fix minor software glitches.
  • It can help to identify if there is a problem with a specific app.

Here are some additional tips for resetting app preferences:

  • Resetting app preferences will not delete any of your personal data, such as your photos, videos, or music.
  • It is a good idea to reset app preferences on a regular basis, even if you are not having any problems. This can help to improve the performance of your phone and prevent problems from occurring in the future.

And that’s all there is to troubleshooting the Samsung Galaxy phone that’s not connecting to a computer via USB connection. If you have tried all of the above steps and your Samsung phone is still not connecting to your PC, you may need to contact Samsung support for further assistance.


Posts you might like

1 thought on “Samsung Phone Not Connecting to PC? Here’s How to Fix It!”

Leave a Comment