How to Transfer Files From a Laptop to an Android Device

Android devices can share files with laptops out of the box.

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You can transfer files between your Android device and your laptop without installing any additional software using the included USB cable. Devices running Android versions as early as 2.1 behave like USB mass storage devices when directly connected to a Windows PC. Once you've connected the two devices, you can use the laptop's "File Explorer" interface to transfer files between the two systems.

Transfer Files From a Laptop to an Android 4.2+ Device

Step 1

Connect the Android device to the PC with a USB cable. Skip to Step 7 if Windows launches an Autoplay prompt. If Autoplay does not open, you'll need to enable USB debugging.

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Step 2

Open the "Settings" app and select "About phone" or "About tablet" on the Android device.

Step 3

Tap "Build Number" seven times to enable developer mode.

Step 4

Press the "Back" button and choose "Developer Options" from the "Settings" menu.

Step 5

Select "Developer Options" and tap the box next to "USB Debugging."

Step 6

Cycle the Android device's USB cable connection by disconnecting and reconnecting either end of the cable, then wait for the Autoplay prompt to launch.

Step 7

Open File Explorer from the Desktop on the computer, select the Android device from the "Computer" tree and use File Explorer to transfer files.

Transfer Files From a Laptop to an Android 4.0 - 4.1 Device

Step 1

Open the "Settings" app on the Android device and select "More...."

Step 2

Select "USB utilities" and tap the "Connect storage to PC" option.

Step 3

Connect the Android device to the PC with a USB cable.

Step 4

Open File Explorer from the Desktop on the computer, select the Android device from the "Computer" tree and use File Explorer to transfer files after Windows displays the Autoplay prompt.

Transfer Files From a Laptop to an Android 2.x - 3.x Device

Step 1

Enable USB debugging on the Android device: open the "Menu," select "Settings," choose "Applications," tap "Development" and select "USB debugging."

Step 2

Connect your Android device to your laptop, then open the Status Bar on the Android device, select the "USB connected" notification, tap the "Connect USB storage" button and wait for the laptop to launch the Autoplay prompt.

Step 3

Open File Explorer on the computer, select the Android device from the "Computer" tree and use File Explorer to transfer files after Windows displays the Autoplay prompt.

Tip

Some Android tablets use a non-standard USB cable: the non-standard side connects to the device in the place of a micro-USB connector. The Autoplay prompt may take a few minutes to launch the first time you connect an Android device to a PC. Mac Users need to install the Android File Transfer program. Alternatively, you can use cloud storage services like Dropbox and Google's Auto Backup to transfer files between devices. Apps like AirDroid and WiFi File Transfer as well as Samsung's exclusive Kies can also transfer files over Wi-Fi.

Warning

Restart the Android device and computer if you experience connection issues. If possible, try running a hard or battery reset on the Android device.