Transfer files between your phone and computer

You can move music, photos and other files between your phone and computer, in either direction.

Move files with a USB data cable

ImportantMake sure you use a USB data cable. Many cables included with cheap accessories are ‘charge-only’ and can't allow the computer to see your phone.

  1. Power on your phone and computer, then connect them with the USB data cable.

  2. Unlock the phone.

  3. Set the USB mode: swipe down from the top of your phone screen to see the Charging this device via USB. notification. Tap it and select:

    • File transfer: for most files (recommended)
    • PTP: for photos and videos
  4. Optionally, if you're transferring high-quality video and want to ensure it plays on older media players, turn Convert videos to AVC on . This may slightly reduce file quality.
  1. On your computer, open File Explorer and click on your phone's name in the sidebar.
  2. Double-click Internal shared storage or SD card.
  3. Open a second File Explorer window to see your computer's folders.
  4. Drag and drop files between the two windows.
  1. On your Mac, download and install a third-party app like OpenMTP.
  2. Use the app to move files from your phone to your Mac.

Where to find files on your phone

Once transferred to your phone, files are automatically sorted into these standard folders:

  • DCIM: (Digital Camera Images) photos and videos taken with the Camera app
  • Pictures: photos you edited and photos from apps other than Camera
  • Download: files downloaded from the internet
  • Music: files for apps that play music
  • Ringtones: sound files for ringtones
  • Notifications: sound files for notifications
  • Alarms: sound files for alarms

Fix an issue

If you're having issues, try these troubleshooting steps.