Connect Your Android Phone to Windows 10 with “Continue on PC”

Your smartphone today has a ton of computing power, but not everything can be done on it. A lot of times, for complex tasks you need to complete your workflow on a PC. Microsoft understands this, and with the upcoming Fall Creators Update, it’s introducing a new Phone-to-PC linking feature that lets you start work on your phone, and then transition it to your Windows 10 system.

We have shown you how to use Continue on PC with iOS and here’s a look at connecting your Android phone with Windows 10. Note that for this to work you’ll need to be running Build 16251 or above.

Note: Since this article was originally written, Microsoft has rolled out the “Your Phone” app. It continues to gain features regularly. Make sure to read our article: How to Send Text Messages from Windows 10 with the Your Phone app.

Connect an Android Phone with Windows 10

To start off, you need to pair your Android phone with Windows 10. To do that head to Settings > Phone and then select the “Add a phone” button.

Next, you need to enter your mobile phone’s number to receive an SMS message.

An SMS message will be sent to your Android phone with a link to Microsoft Apps in the Play Store. Tap the link to install it.

After that, take a look at your Windows 10 system in Settings > Phone and you should see that your phone is paired with Windows 10 and listed as a device you can manage.

Back on your phone, open the app and in the Windows Insiders section tap on “Try It Now” and you’ll get a short tutorial and then introduction screen – tap Get Started.

To test out if it’s working, browse to a website you want to share with Windows 10 and tap the options button and then Share. That will open up the menu of sharing options on your phone — select Continue to PC.

If this is the first time sharing an item you’ll first need to log into your Microsoft Account and approve the connection via Microsoft Authenticator.

After you’re signed in, you won’t need to sign in again until you use a different device or log out of your account. Another step in the process to point out is when you tap the Continue on PC action, you’ll get the option to send now or later. After that, your phone will scan your network for devices capable of receiving the item. In the example below I have two different systems to choose from.

When you send an item over to the PC, you will receive a notification in Action Center that an item has been sent from your Android phone to the PC. For example, here I sent a link to one of our articles.

Summing Up

Keep in mind that this feature is still under development and, at the time of this writing, it’s definitely not perfect. I, like my colleague Andre with iOS, had varying degrees of success trying to send over websites. In my testing, I used a Nexus 6P running Android Nougat, a Lenovo Flex 2, and Dell Inspiron desktop (both running Windows 10 Build 16257). Sometimes nothing would be sent over, and sometimes I would receive the notification, but it wouldn’t open in my browser.

However, when things did work as advertised, it showed the potential of how this will surely be handy in the future. Right now it seems to be limited to just sending over websites, and not other items like Office documents. Although, I was able to send over searches from the Bing app for Android.

One more thing to point out is with Microsoft Apps for Android, which allows you to easily find official Microsoft apps has a lot of potential for this Continue on PC feature. Once the functionality gets integrated into more of the available Microsoft apps (and other apps for that matter), there is a ton of potential moving forward.

How to switch from Windows Phone to Android Phone

Windows Phones were unarguably a breath of fresh air back in 2011. But, let’s just accept the fact that Windows Phones aren’t competing well as people would expect. Surely, there’s the app store which is better than it used to be but few big names are still missing, and people are done living without those essential apps. I mean, of course, the lack of apps was one of the deal-killer factors here.

There are a lot of factors we consider these days before buying a new phone. The build quality, camera, hardware, display and most importantly its ecosystem because that’s what decides your overall experience. If you are already familiar with one OS efficiently, moving to another seems pretty daunting, and why wouldn’t it be? After all, you’ve invested time understanding the entire ecosystem.

So, now when you’ve finally decided to enter the realm of Android OS, your mind would definitely be flooded with lots of queries such as how to switch from a Windows Mobile Phone to Android phone without losing your data, how to transfer contacts & data from a Windows phone to Android phone, etc. Don’t you worry! We have got you covered and tried to make this transition smooth with this step by step guide.

How to switch from a Windows Phone to Android Phone

Step 1: Move Contacts and Calendar from Windows Phone to Android Phone

Since you are a Windows phone user, chances are pretty high that you are using a Microsoft account. All you have to do use your Gmail and the Microsoft account to transfer calendar and contacts from Windows phone to Android phone. Here is how you can sync Outlook contacts and calendar later on Android device.

1. First and foremost, take the backup and sync everything with your Windows account. You simply need to go to the Settings and tap on it. You will see Email+accounts on the list, tap on Hotmail and enter your credentials. When the screen prompts you to sync up the data, tap on Contacts, email and calendar. The phone will take some time to sync all your data and you are done with the first step.

2. Now, here is how you can sync that data on your Android device. Just go to the settings, tap on the “Account” option and click on “Add account.” There, you are supposed to enter your Microsoft account email address and password. Once done logging in, you’ll be asked to set up your account. Click on the options of Sync email, calendar, and contacts. This way your Microsoft account will sync with the new device, and you will have your calendar and contact details on your new Android phone.

Step 2: Transfer your data from Windows Phone to Android Phone

1. You can painlessly transfer data from Windows phone to Android phone through your desktop in an old-fashioned way. Simply connect your Windows phone to your desktop using a Micro USB cable. Select the item you want to have on your new Android device and paste them into a folder. Then connect your Android device to your desktop in the similar fashion and get all the data on your phone from that folder be it photos, music, videos or documents.

2. If you don’t have PC, nevermind! We’ve got you covered anyway. There are plenty of third-party apps available, like Phone Copier, that help to transfer data between smartphones. SHAREit is another one that is available for both Windows and Android platforms. You just need to download SHAREit app on both the devices. And yes, don’t forget to connect to the Wi-Fi Hotspot created by SHAREit on the Windows device. You need to be connected with Hotspot to send the files.

Now open it up on Windows phone, tap on the send button and choose the photos, music, docs you want to have on Android device. Once selected, tap on the device name showing on the app’s radar and the files will be sent.

Step 3: Sync Old Data with Google Account

Unlike iOS ecosystem, the only Google necessity you need on an Android smartphone is a Google account. Now that you have your old data on your new Android device, we would suggest you sync it with your Gmail account. It makes things a lot easier to access, and it is always a good idea to do it in advance.

Pro Tip

As you’ve just been through the entire process of how to switch from a Windows phone to Android phone, let me tell you there is no way you can move app data. Hence, if your next question is “how to transfer WhatsApp messages from Windows phone to Android phone”, I am afraid there’s no such way. This is not just the case with Windows OS; even other ecosystems do not let users access the app data.

So, if you have been planning to move from Windows Mobile Phone to Android phone, these tips will come handy to make your transition as painless as possible. If you’ve done it using a different way, let us know your experience in the comment section, we would be more than happy to learn from you.

Planning to switch to iPhone? Read our post on how to switch from Windows Phone to iPhone.

Date: January 25, 2018 Tags: Android, Phones

Windows 10 doesn’t recognise Android phone [Full Guide]

• If the phone is not showing up on your PC, you might have a problem with the USB connection.
• Another reason why the phone is not connecting to the PC may be a problematic USB driver.
• A fix for the PC not recognizing the Android phone is to update the drivers automatically using a dedicated solution.
• You can also get to the bottom of this by trying another USB cable than the original.

1. Download Restoro PC Repair Tool that comes with Patented Technologies (patent available here).
2. Click Start Scan to find Windows issues that could be causing PC problems.
3. Click Repair All to fix issues affecting your computer’s security and performance

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Sometimes you need to connect your Android device to your Windows 10 computer in order to transfer certain files, but users have reported certain problems with Android devices and Windows 10.

It seems that Windows 10 doesn’t recognize Android devices, and today we’re going to see how to fix that.

Why is my phone not connecting to the PC via the USB cable? There may be a lot of reasons including a faulty USB cable.

What can I do if Windows 10 doesn’t recognize my device?

1. Check USB computer connection settings

1. On your Android device open Settings and go to Storage.
2. Tap the more icon in the top right corner and choose USB computer connection.
   
3. From the list of options select Media device (MTP).
   
4. Connect your Android device to your computer, and it should be recognized.

In order to transfer files from your computer, you need to connect your Android phone as a media device (MTP).

In certain cases, you might have to connect your Android phone to your computer and switch between different connection options a few times before your computer recognizes your Android device as a media device.

2. Install MTP USB device driver

2.1 Update the driver manually

1. Press Windows Key + X and choose Device Manager from the menu.
   
2. Locate your Android device, right-click it and choose Update driver.
3. Click Browse my computer for driver software.
   
4. Now click on Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.
   
5. From the list choose MTP USB Device and click Next.
6. After the driver has been installed, your Android device should be recognized.

Sometimes your Android phone isn’t recognized due to driver issues, so you might want to try updating your drivers.

2.2 Update drivers automatically

The safer and easier way to update drivers on a Windows computer is by using an automatic tool like the one recommended below that will fix and update them automatically in just a few seconds.

DriverFix

3. Download and install Media Feature Pack for Windows 10

We already mentioned that in order to transfer files from your computer to your Android device you need to use the MTP protocol.

MTP protocol is related to Windows Media Player, and some versions of Windows 10 don’t have Windows Media Player and support for related technologies such as MTP protocol.

If your version of Windows 10 doesn’t recognize Android devices, download and install the Media Feature Pack for N and KN versions of Windows 10.

4. Use a different USB cable

If you aren’t using the original cable that came with your device, you might want to consider switching your USB cable.

In some rare cases, some USB cables are just designed for powering and not for file transfer, so you might have one of those USB cables.

In order to be sure, try using a different USB cable, or try connecting your Android device to a different computer using the same USB cable.

5. Uninstall Android drivers

1. Connect your Android device to your computer and open Device Manager.
2. In Device Manager locate your Android device. Usually, it’s located in Other Devices or in Portable devices section, but the location might be different on your computer.
3. Right-click the device and choose Uninstall.
   
4. After the drivers have been uninstalled, disconnect your Android device.
5. Reconnect it again and wait for Windows 10 to install its drivers again.
6. Check if your Android device is now recognized.

Sometimes you might not have the latest drivers, or your drivers might not be properly installed, so in order to fix issues with Android devices and Windows 10, it’s advised that you uninstall your Android drivers.

Keep in mind that sometimes, Windows cannot find and download some drivers. In this case, you can check out this guide to make sure that your Android drivers will be installed properly.

6. Connect your Android phone as a USB Mass Storage device

1. On your Phone go to Settings and select More Settings.
2. Chose USB utilities and tap Connect Storage to PC.
3. You might be asked to unplug and plug your Android device in order to install the necessary drivers. In addition, you might also get asked to turn off USB debugging.
4. After you’ve completed all the steps, check if your Android phone is recognized.

To connect your Android phone as USB Mass Storage device you will need to perform the steps above.

7. Enable USB debugging

1. Go to Settings and tap Developer Options.
2. If you receive a warning message, click OK.
3. Now you need to enable Developer Options and check USB debugging.
4. After the warning message appears, click OK to close it.

If you are using Android 4.2 or newer, USB Debugging option might be hidden on your device. To enable USB Debugging, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings and tap on About phone.
2. Scroll to Build Number and tap it seven times.
3. After doing that, you’ll be able to turn on USB Debugging.

Users have reported that enabling USB debugging can sometimes help with this issue. To enable USB debugging on your Android phone, do the following:

After you’ve enabled USB debugging, check if your Android phone is recognized. In the particular case that you own a Samsung Galaxy device, we’ve covered the same issue in this dedicated article.

8. Turn on the Airplane mode

Run a System Scan to discover potential errors

If Windows 10 doesn’t recognize your Android phone, you might want to turn on Airplane mode.

Users have reported that after turning on the Airplane mode, your Android phone will be recognized by your computer and you’ll be able to transfer files without any problems.

After you’re done with file transfer, just turn off the Airplane mode. As you can see, this is a simple workaround, so you might want to try it.

Furthermore, if you bump into some weird Airplane mode errors, here’s a usefull article that will help you solve them.

9. Reboot your phone into ODIN mode

1. Hold Volume Down + Home + Power to turn on your phone.
2. Press Volume Up.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and let it install the necessary drivers.
4. Remove the phone’s battery and start your phone normally.
5. Check if your Android phone is now recognized by Windows 10.

This solution applies only to Samsung’s devices since they are the only devices with access to ODIN mode.

We have to warn you that ODIN mode is in charge of flashing your Android phone, and if you’re not careful, you can cause permanent damage to your phone.

10. Install KIES software / use USB 2.0 ports

If your Android phone isn’t recognized by Windows 10, you might want to download KIES software. We have to mention that installing KIES software only works for Samsung’s devices.

Update: Samsung KIES is now part of Samsung Smart Switch.

Users have also reported that plugging in your Android phone to USB 2.0 port instead of USB 3.0 port on your computer fixes issues with Windows 10.

Sometimes, USB 3.0 can be slow, or it won’t be recognised. These issues can also trigger the connection problem with Android, so make sure to fix them first.

11. Reinstall Composite ADB Interface

1. Open Device Manager and locate Android Composite ADB Interface.
   • This device might have a different name sometimes, such as ACER Composite ADB Interface, so look carefully.
2. Once you’ve found Composite ADB Interface right click it and choose Uninstall.
3. Make sure that you check the Uninstall driver software for this device option.
4. Restart your computer and reconnect your Android device. Check if your device is recognized. If it’s not, proceed to the next step.
5. Download USB Driver from Google and extract it to your computer (Remember the extract location because you’ll need it later).
6. Open Device Manager.
7. Click the Scan for hardware changes button.
   
8. Find Composite ADB Interface and right-click it.
9. Choose Update driver.
10. Click Browse my computer for driver software.
    
11. Find the location where Google USB driver is extracted, and check the Include subfolders option.
    
12. Click Next to install the driver.
13. Open Command Prompt as administrator
14. You can do that by searching for cmd and selecting Run as administrator under Command Prompt.
15. When Command Prompt starts, type the following lines and press Enter after each line:
    • adb kill-server
    • adb start-server
    • adb devices

Sometimes, Windows 10 doesn’t recognise your Android phone due to problems with Android Composite ADB Interface. If your device isn’t recognised by Windows 10, you might want to reinstall it.

This solution works with Android 5.0 and newer devices, but it should work with older versions of Android as well.

Some users have reported that there’s no need to download USB Driver from Google and that this issue is resolved in most cases simply by following the first four steps of this solution.

If you can’t run the commands because Command Prompt isn’t working, follow the steps in this detailed guide to repair it.

12. Restart your Android device

Sometimes the best solution is the most obvious one, and some users have reported that after restarting their Android device it was successfully recognized by Windows 10, so it won’t hurt that you try that.

Android devices get clogged like any other device that runst an operating system so restarting it can also refresh it.

13. Connect your phone directly to your computer

Certain USB devices might not be recognized if you connect them to a USB hub, and this is a relatively frequent problem.

Users have reported that their certain devices, such as Android phone or external hard drive, aren’t being detected if they are connected to a USB hub.

If you use a USB hub, unplug your Android phone from it and connect it directly to your computer in order to resolve this issue.

14. Delete cache and data for the External Storage and Media Storage app

1. Open Phone settings and go to Apps.
2. Tap the dots in the top right corner and choose Show system apps.
3. Select the External Storage and Media Storage app and delete its cache and data.
4. After you’ve deleted cache and data, restart your phone and connect it to your PC again.

This solution works on Android 6 devices, but if you have an older version of Android, you can try it out as well. To delete cache and data for External Storage and Media Storage app, perform the steps above.

15. Use a third-party app

This is not the Holy Grail but for some users, it worked. You simply install a sync app that might make your PC recognize your phone due to its functionalities.

We would recommend the following tools to make sure your PC will always recognize your Android device:

⇒ Get Syncios (free version download)
*Note: download will start immediately from the official websites

These are some of the best apps on the market. They synchronize and transfer data from both Android and IOS to PC. Download them and try to sync your phone with your computer.

There are many reasons why Windows 10 won’t recognize your Android device, and in most cases, the issue was fixed by downloading Media Feature Pack for Windows 10 or by updating your drivers.

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2. Click Start Scan to find Windows issues that could be causing PC problems.
3. Click Repair All to fix issues with Patented Technologies (Exclusive Discount for our readers).

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We hope that our solutions were helpful to you and that you’ve managed to fix this issue. If any of them worked, feel free to leave some feedback in the comments section below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my phone not showing up on my computer?

Try plugging it into your PC directly instead of using a USB hub. If that doesn’t work, follow our guide if your Android device is not recognized.

Why is my phone USB not connecting to the computer?

It might be a problem with your USB cable. Check our selection with the best USB cables to replace the faulty one.

Why my laptop is not detecting my phone?

If you’re trying to connect your phone through Bluetooth, here’s what to do if your laptop can’t detect Bluetooth devices.

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problem not solved . applied all 14 solutions.

The question was “windows-10-doesnt-recognize-android”

How can you “Locate your Android device, right click it and choose Update Driver Software” if as the question states “windows-10-doesnt-recognize-android”, its not there to update the driver .

“From the list of options select Media device (MTP).” Newer Android phones don’t show MTP

KIES is outdated and is now part of Smart Switch.

Tried all the other options and none worked.

The only thing I can get to work is open MS Photos App on my laptop. This recognizes my phone I can browse to photos and videos on my phone from my laptop and import from my phone however, whilst connected my Phone is still not recognized in Windows 10 in either Device Manager or from within File Explorer.

Problem with MS Photos App, once you have browsed to the photos on your phone and imported and selected to delete the photos from source once imported, it doesn’t actually delete them. If I import and delete the photos and then disconnect the phone and close down the photo app. Then got to my phone and check the source folder for my photos they are not there. Thats correct as I have just deleted them on import.
I f I reconnect my phone and open MS Photo and click import it searches my phone and displays all the photos its just deleted which according to the phone are not there.
Have tried resetting the app have tried uninstalling the app adn installing from new but hits the same problem.