8 Ways to Transfer Files from PC to Android — you’ll like them

James Davis

Jan 06, 2021 • Filed to: Backup Data between Phone & PC • Proven solutions

Do you need to transfer files from your PC to Android? Well, the good news is that there are plenty of options at your disposal and fortunately, you do not have to waste time experimenting with different methods. This is so because we have provided a detailed guide on how to transfer files from PC to Android using Bluetooth, third-party software, Wi-Fi, and cloud-based platforms.

So, read this article and select the best possible file transfer method for your Android device.

Part 1: How to transfer files from PC to Android by copy & paste?

The simplest method to transfer files from PC to Android is to copy and paste files. To learn how to transfer files from PC to Android, you just need to follow these steps:

Step 1 – First of all, plug in your Android device via a USB device to the PC.

Step 2 – Please wait for your computer to read the device.

Step 3 — A program called File Explorer will open all the files in your device. Then, you simply have to visit the ‘Hard Drive’ folder on your PC and select the files that you wish to transfer to the Android device.

Step 4 – Now it is a simple case of cutting and pasting videos, songs, and images from PC to Android device by choosing or creating the desired folder on your Android device.

Copy and pasting is the simplest technique for users because you don’t need third-party software to complete the transaction and neither do you need to have good PC knowledge.

However, there are some drawbacks as well.

• This method only works with certain file types like photos and videos.
• There are other data types like messages, contacts, and social media messages that cannot be transferred through this method.
• There might be chances that not all files from your PC are compatible with the Android device.
• Also, the process of copying and pasting can waste a lot of your time if you have a large volume of content.

Part 2: How to transfer files from PC to Android with Dr.Fone?

Dr.Fone is a third party software specifically designed to make it easier to transfer files between different devices. It comes with several modules including Dr.Fone — Phone Manager (Android) which transfers file types across all devices including iOS/Android devices. Dr.Fone is a superior solution to other methods because you can transfer different file types such as text messages, contacts, podcasts, ebooks and so much more. Furthermore, Android devices come in different formats and versions. Not all these versions are compatible with your PC. However, compatibility is not a concern when using Dr.Fone — Phone Manager (Android). The software is compatible with more than 6000 devices. Dr.Fone — Phone Manager is also advantageous because the transaction can be completed in a single click.

Dr.Fone — Phone Manager (Android)

One-Stop Solution to Transfer files from PC to Android

• Transfer, manage, export/import your music, photos, videos, contacts, SMS, Apps, etc.
• Backup your music, photos, videos, contacts, SMS, Apps, etc. to computer and restore them easily.
• Transfer iTunes to Android (vice versa).
• Fully compatible with 3000+ Android devices (Android 2.2 — Android 10.0) from Samsung, LG, HTC, Huawei, Motorola, Sony, etc.
• Fully compatible with Windows 10 and Mac 10.15.

Do you want to use Dr.Fone — Phone Manager (Android) to transfer files from PC to Android? Well, the first thing you must do is download and install Dr.Fone — Phone Manager (Android). After that, follow the steps outlined below to complete the transaction.

Step 1 – The very first step, as usual, is to launch Dr.Fone software and select the ‘Transfer’ component, then plug in your Android device via USB.

Step 2 – Once the connection is established, you will see various options on the Dr.Fone main page. Select the section such as photos, videos, music, or others that you want to transfer to Android.

Here, we have taken the example of the Photo option.

Step 3 — Click on the ‘Photos’ tab to see all the photos stored on the Android device.

Step 4 – Now, select all the photos that you want to transfer and click on the Icon and select ‘Add File’ or ‘Add Folder’ to transfer them to an Android device.

Step 5 – Lastly, after selecting the relevant data, add all the photos to the Android device.

Part 3: How to transfer files from PC to Android using Wi-Fi?

Under this section, you will learn how to use Wi-Fi to transfer files from PC to Android. Using a Wi-Fi connection is helpful in the speedy transfer of data between different devices.

For the same purpose here we have chosen the app called “Dr.Fone — Data Recovery & Transfer Wirelessly & Backup”. The app is quite handy while dealing with all kinds of transfer tasks whatever be the medium and no doubt is the most reliable one.

The required process for the transfer of files from PC to Android through Wi-Fi by using the above app is as follows:

Step 1: First download and install the Dr.Fone — Data Recovery & Transfer Wirelessly & Backup from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wondershare.drfone using a fast Wi-Fi connection.

Step 2: Now visit http://web.drfone.me/ through the browser on your PC and open the app on your Android device.

On your PC: Here you will be provided with an option to upload files from your PC using the “Add Files” option. Once uploaded, simply press the send button after entering a 6-digit key on your PC.

On your Android device: To receive the files, verify those 6-digit key and receive the files

That’s it, by following the simple steps as above you can easily transfer the files from PC to Android.

Part 4: How to transfer files from PC to Android using Bluetooth?

Bluetooth is one of the older methods of transferring files between devices. Long before Wi-Fi-based solutions came along, Bluetooth was the only option available. The method is still valid today and is a viable alternative to Wi-Fi and third-party programs. One advantage of using Bluetooth is its accessibility. Most phones and computers come with Bluetooth capability built into them. Hence, anyone with an Android and PC can use Bluetooth to facilitate file transfers.

If you are interested in using Bluetooth as a method to transfer your files from PC to Android, then follow the steps outlined below to get the job done!

Step 1 – First you must make sure that Bluetooth is activated on both your Android device and PC.

For Android, go to Settings > Bluetooth while for PC click on Start > Settings > Bluetooth.

Step 2 — Connect both the devices to each other and make sure they are both set to discoverable mode.

Step 3 — The Android device should now appear on the list of available devices. Click on ‘Pair’ to create the connection.

Step 4 — The devices should now be paired together. However, on Windows 10 you might get a passcode that must match with the one given on the Android device. Once you match the codes, accept the connection request.

Step 5 – Now, on your PC (here we have taken the example of Windows 10) Go to Settings > Bluetooth Click on ‘Send and receive files via Bluetooth’.

Then click on ‘Send Files’ to send data to your Android phone> Select your Android device and click ‘Next’ to complete the transfer of the file.

Though Bluetooth is readily accessible it is not the perfect method to facilitate Windows to Android transfer.

• One reason is efficiency as there are newer technologies that can complete transfers in a single click. Bluetooth takes longer to complete the file transfer process.
• The other reason is reliability, as there are chances of data getting corrupted due to virus attack (if one device is already affected by a virus)

Part 5: Top 3 Apps to transfer files from PC to Android

There are several apps designed to share files from PC to Android. After a comprehensive study, we discovered the three best apps for transferring data between the two devices.

Dr.Fone — Data Recovery and Transfer Wirelessly & Backup

Dr.Fone — Data Recovery and Transfer Wirelessly & Backup is the top app for file transfer. Originally designed to restore missing data, the latest updates bring transfer functionality to this feature-loaded app. The app comes with several features including:

• Easy transfer of files between PC and Android
• Recover data deleted due to overwriting.
• Recover data from the cache without rooting.
• No need for cables to do transactions wirelessly.
• The only thing to do is open we.drfone.me in a browser.

Dropbox

Dropbox is one of the most popular file hosting services available. The program works on both mobile devices and desktop PCs. It is a fantastic option because it is so simple and accessible. You will be completing transactions like Windows to Android transfer in a matter of moments. Dropbox performs several operations like personal cloud, file synchronization, and client software. It is perfect for transferring files between desktop computers and mobile devices.

Android

Another fantastic app for file transfers, Airdroid is designed specifically to transfer content from mobile to computer and vice versa. If you are looking for a simplified, streamlined method for transferring content from PC to Android, then look no further than Airdroid.

Sharing Files Between Windows and Android over WiFi

Is there a way ( protocol ?) to share & exchange files between pc with Windows os and a mobile phone with Android os over WiFi ?

2 Answers 2

For an Ad Hoc Android to PC connection (Per the source below):

Connect your computer with virtual hotspot created by Android device.

Install any FTP Server app on Android device. It’ll NOT give you IP of device for sure.

In your computer, find IP of Default Gateway of Wi-Fi network of Step 1 (In Windows, you can use ipconfig cmd command). Its the IP of your device.

Use any FTP Client software on computer. Use ftp://IP:Port (Port is generally configurable in FTP server app). Enter username & password configured in FTP Server app. Done!

Then they said «After some testing with different settings I got it to work flawlessly, thank you very much. For anyone else looking to do this: I used Android Wifi Tether to start the network using Softap mode, connected to it with the computer, started an FTP server (some server apps might need you to enable 3G mode, even though 3G data isn’t actually used, you can turn data connections off if you’re paranoid.»

For Internet Based Connections:

You may simply want to transfer the files to a hosted server with push notifications to «pull» down the files to the various devices.

The coder of that app may be willing to help you get off to a better start, email him.

How to Access Shared Win­dows Fold­ers On Android Over WiFi

Ashish Mundhra

20 Apr 2012

While talking about the AirDroid for Android the other day, we discussed how you can use the application to manage your phone’s data and files from your PC using a WiFi connection. But what if you want it the other way? What if you wanted to access a folder on your Windows PC on your phone and edit the files present in it?

Of course using an online backup tool is an option but you might not want to put a folder there just because of the purpose of sharing on your phone. You should be able to access it directly through WiFi, right?

You all probably know about file sharing in Windows and how it can be used to work on files hosted on different computers using a network connection (LAN or WiFi). Today we will see to use the same principle of file sharing and access files shared on your Windows PC on your Android.

Let me first show you how you can share a particular folder on Windows. And then we will move to the Android part of the process.

Sharing folders on Windows 7

Step 1: Right-click on the folder you want to share on your Windows and click on Properties to open the folder properties. Navigate to the Sharing tab and click on the Share button to open the File Sharing window.

Step 2: On the File Sharing window, you will be asked to enter the name of the group you want to share the folder with. Write Everyone and click on the Add button. You may give Read or Read/Write permission to the share access depending on your needs. Once you are done, click on the Share button.

Step 3: Now you can opt for two types of sharing, either password protected or open. If you are on a secure home network, I would recommend you go for the open file sharing as it makes things a bit easier. But if you are on an unsecured WiFi network, you must go for the password protected sharing.

To change these settings, navigate to Control Panel —> Network and Sharing Center. Here click on the link Change advanced settings on the left hand sidebar to open Advance sharing settings. Scroll down to the end of the page to find the Password protected sharing option, choose a password and save the settings.

Cool Tip: To see list of all the folders you have shared on your computer, right click on the Computer icon in the start menu and click on Manage. Having done that, click on the Shared Folders—>Shares to list all the folders shared on your computer.

You may share any number of folders you want to access on your Android.

So that was all we needed on the Windows side of the equation. Now let us configure settings on the Android.

Accessing Shared Folders on Android

Step 1: Download and install ES File Explorer on your Android device. It’s an amazing and one of the most acclaimed file managers for Android. It works on all the devices running on Android version 1.6 and above. One of the features of ES File Explorer is that it allows you to access your Home PC on WiFI via Server Message Block (SMB).

Step 2: Once you have downloaded the app, launch it. The home screen will display all the files and folders that are on your SD card. Swipe your finger to the left on the screen to move to navigate to the right to the LAN share screen. Also make sure both your computer and your Android phones are connected to the same network.

Step 3: Touch the button New on the top bar to add a new server (your computer in this case).

Step 4: Here leave the Domain field empty and do one of the following tasks depending upon your sharing security.

a) If you have opted for non-password protected sharing, enter the IP address of your computer (use the command ipconfig on the command prompt of your computer to know your IP) and check the anonymous option. Give your server an alias to identify if (it’s useful when you are using the app to access shared folders on different computer) and press the OK button to add the server.

b) For those who have enabled the password protected sharing option, do not check the anonymous option, instead provide the username and password you use to login to Windows and add the server.

That’s all, you can now browse through all the files and folders that are shared on the computer on your Android. That’s not all, depending upon the type of sharing privileges you have granted on Windows, you can do tasks such as:

• Viewing images and streaming live video. Though in the past, we have covered a dedicated app for this, I prefer ES File Explorer now because it’s ad-free and smooth.
• Open and edit text files, documents and save the changes directly without downloading the files on your phone.
• Copy a file from your computer to your phone easily. You can also modify and delete the files on your computer from your Android.
• You can view almost all the files on your Android provided you have a supported viewer for the specific file type.
• If you have write access to the shared folder on Windows, you can copy files and folders from Android to computer as well.

Video

Here’s our video on this entire process. Watch it to learn exactly how it is done.

My Verdict

This feature of ES File Explorer has made me fall in love with it. Now I can work on my computer while roaming in the house or while having a cup of coffee on the balcony… I just need the phone. So do try it out and mobilize your work.

Last updated on 8 Feb, 2018
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.

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Did You Know

Google Assistant debuted in May 2016 as part of Google Allo.