The computer does not see your phone
I plugged my phone in with USB and nothing shows up. How do I get to my photos?
Written by The CommonFixes team · fact checked by CommonFixes review desk
Last updated
Short answer
Phones default to charge only mode over USB, and many cables sold with power banks have no data wires inside at all. The quickest thing to try first: change the usb mode on the phone — Unlock the phone, pull down the notification shade, tap the USB notification and choose File transfer or Photo transfer instead of Charging. Most people are done in about 5 minutes.
Full walkthrough below: 4 steps for Windows and Mac, rated easy.
Sounds like this
- •Phone charges but no drive appears
- •MTP device shows with a yellow warning
- •Empty folder when opened
Why it happens
Phones default to charge only mode over USB, and many cables sold with power banks have no data wires inside at all.
Work through these in order
0% done- 1
Change the USB mode on the phone
Unlock the phone, pull down the notification shade, tap the USB notification and choose File transfer or Photo transfer instead of Charging.
- 2
Unlock the phone first
An iPhone shows nothing until you unlock it and tap Trust this computer. Android hides storage while locked.
- 3
Use a data cable
Swap to the cable that came with the phone. Charge-only cables look identical but carry no data.
- 4
Reinstall the phone driver
In Device Manager right click the phone entry, Uninstall device, unplug and plug it back in. For iPhone, reinstall the Apple Devices app.
If none of that worked
If USB still fails, send the photos wirelessly. Google Photos, iCloud, or Quick Share and AirDrop move everything without a cable.
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Who wrote this and how we checked it
The CommonFixes team
Writer and researcher
We are a small group of people who spend our days repairing laptops and desktops for family, friends and small offices. Every guide here starts with a problem someone actually brought to us, and we only write down the steps that put the machine right.
- Everyday repairs
- Windows and Mac
- Plain language
CommonFixes review desk
Technical editor
Before a guide goes live, a second person walks through it on a real machine and checks each instruction against the maker's own support pages. Anything we cannot confirm is removed rather than guessed at.
- Fact checking
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This guide was last updated on 10 August 2026. If a step no longer matches what you see on screen, tell us on the contact page and we will test it again.
A gentle reminder: back up anything you cannot afford to lose before major repairs. If a step ever feels risky, stop and ask a technician. There is no shame in that.