Fix USB Options Not Showing on Android When Connected to PC

Connecting your Android device to a PC via USB is a common way to transfer data. However, you may face USB connected but notifications not showing issues sometimes. So, do not get frustrated as we have got you covered. Today’s guide will teach you how to fix USB options not showing on Android when connected to PC problem.

USB Options Not Showing on Android When Connected to PC: How to Fix the Issue

If you are trying to connect your phone to a PC through USB and facing issues like USB notification not showing up, then you’re not alone. This can be an irritating problem if you need to share files between your Android device and computer. So, keep reading this article to know the solutions to fix USB options not showing on Android when connected to a PC.

Quick Answer

Try updating the USB drivers on your PC. Follow the steps given below:

1. Launch Device Manager from Windows Search menu.

2. Go to Universal Serial Bus controllers device.

3. Here, right-click on USB driver and select Update driver option.

4. Select Search automatically for driver updates option and update your driver.

Why is my Phone Not Showing USB Options?

Before knowing how to solve it, let’s first try to find out the answer to your question why is my phone not showing USB options? There are many possible reasons and we will know them one by one. You need to understand the cause because when you will face the same problem again it will be easier to solve it and you don’t need to waste precious time searching for the fixes. So let’s know what is the origin of this mess!

• Broken USB port
• USB settings not configured in the smartphone
• Dust in USB Port
• Outdated Driver, Phone, PC
• Defected USB Cable

If any of these is the originator of your headache then you can certainly find a solution in this article itself. Also, another thing that you should know is the issue can be related to hardware or software. If it is a software one then that is easy to fix, but if it is a hardware one, then you might need to spend some bucks. Now let’s try to understand the fixes.

We will discuss all the possible solutions in detail so you might not need to read another article related to this topic. However, we will recommend you apply the methods with the same sequence we have mentioned, to get more out of this post. As we have shared the solutions from easy to difficult, we will highly recommend trying the first few methods and if they do not work then only use some of the last extreme ones.

Note: We have used Motorolla G71 5G for explaining the tutorials. So please keep in mind that some options might be different on your smartphone.

Method 1: Basic Troubleshooting Steps

These are basic troubleshooting methods which means you should try them first. This may fix USB options not showing on Android when connected to PC problem. These solutions are basic which are easy to implement and most effective. So let’s know them one by one,

1A. Clear USB Port

If there is dirt in the USB port then that can cause this issue. But fixing this hardware-related cause is simple, you just need to clean the USB port. However, if you are wondering how to clear a USB port which has a really small hole? You can use earpicks or special gadgets like small cleaners or air duster gadgets. There are many cheap but effective phone cleaners and air dusters available that you can use.

1B. Use Different USB Port

It is not rocket science and you might have used it already. But we have mentioned it either way as this can be an effective solution to this problem. There is more than one USB port in a computer so if one is broken then you can easily use the other one. However, this will only work if the USB port itself is the real cause and not something else. Also sadly if the USB port of your phone is broken in that case you can not use this method.

1C. Configure USB Settings

You need to turn on USB debugging on your device. If it is not turned on then the phone will only be charging and you cannot transfer any data with it. It is really easy, first, turn on the developer mode and then turn on USB debugging which is available in the developer mode. Follow the steps below if you don’t know what we are talking about,

1. Open Settings and tap About phone

2. Select on Android Version

3. Select Build number 7 times.

This will help you to enable the developer option. Now you have to turn on the USB debugging which you can access under this setting. Let’s see how to turn on USB debugging.

1. Open Settings then select System.

2. Select Developer Options.

3. Locate USB debugging then turn the toggle bar on.

1D. Restart Phone and Computer

If your computer is turned on for some time then it starts to accumulate cache files which are important to open apps and access certain features quickly. But these cache files when gathered in amass can slow down your device. However, the good thing is you don’t need to download any extra software to delete these files but when you restart your computer that can delete the cache files and make the computer fast and solve the cache-related issue.

1E. Use Alternative USB Wire

If the USB wire is broken then you can replace it with another USB wire and the issue will be solved. However, we will recommend you first check with other USB wires to make sure that it is the culprit. You can also try to fix it with adhesive tape, but if that won’t work then there is no way but to replace it.

Method 2: Use Pen Drive

If your USB not working then in that case you can use a pen drive. However, if you don’t want to buy an extra gadget as you already have a memory card, then it is also possible to use the memory card to share data between a computer and a smartphone. But how? As your computer might not have a dedicated slot like your phone! It is easy to share data using a memory card by using a card reader. The good thing is card readers are a cheaper option than buying a pen drive. However, if you don’t have a memory card and do not want to buy a pen drive, then use the other methods mentioned below.

Also Read: Fix USB-C to HDMI Not Working on Android

Method 3: Update Phone

If your phone is outdated then that can create USB options not showing on Android when connected to PC issue. So it is important to update your phone by using the steps shared below.

1. Open Settings then select System updates.

2. Tap on Check for updates.

3. Update the device.

We hope this will help you to solve USB options not showing on Android when connected to PC problem, USB connected notification not showing. If not then read the next method.

Method 4: Update Windows

You have updated the mobile phone, but what about the computer? As you are connected the phone to the computer you have to should update both of the devices. Follow the steps below to do that,

1. Open Settings by pressing Windows + I keys together.

2. Then, select Windows Update and then click on Check for updates.

3A. If a new update is available click on Install Now and follow the instructions to Update.

3B. If not, then you will get You’re up to date message.  

Method 5: Update USB Driver

Well, you have updated the smartphone and computer but what about the drivers? If your drivers are outdated then that can create this USB connected notification not showing issue. It is an important method to follow and we will advise you not to ignore it because it seems very technical as it won’t be hard after you follow the step-by-step guide mentioned below,

1. Use Windows key then search for Device Manager.

2. Scroll down then expand Universal Serial Bus controllers.

3. Select the relevant USB driver from the options and right-click then click Update driver.

After the drivers are updated you can connect the phone with the USB wire again and see if it is transferring files or not.

Also Read: Fix MTP USB Device Driver Installation Failed

Method 6: Use Another Device

It might be a device-specific issue. There could be two possible scenarios, first, the device’s software is causing a problem but you cannot detect it or solve it by using the methods mentioned above. The second thing can be hardware related and your hardware is broken and not working properly. In both of these cases, you can use another device and that should do the trick.

Method 7: Reinstall Connectivity Tool

If you are using a Samsung device then connectivity tools are preinstalled in it. There are other devices where the connectivity tools are preinstalled. In that case, you can reinstall them which can solve the issue. We hope that this will help to fix USB connected notification not showing.

Method 8: Use Alternative

There are other ways to share files than using a USB wire. So if you cannot use the USB cable to share the files then using an alternative is also a good option. You can read this article for a better understanding of this matter, How to Transfer Files from Android to PC.

Method 9: Repair Damaged Ports

If your device has a broken USB port then as we said that can also be the reason you are facing this issue. But if you cannot use another device as we recommended in method six we will suggest you repair the device. If the device is old and you already have repaired the USB port many times then it might be time for changing the device.

Note: It is possible that if you repaired your device from an unrecognized store then they might have used a cheap replacement and that’s why you cannot share data with the computer. As one of our members faced a similar problem. So if you are only facing the issue after repairing then you should contact the store or repair it from a recognized store only.

Method 10: Contact Brand Support

When nothing works then you should contact the respective brand to fix USB connected notification not showing issue on your phone. If it is under the warranty period then confirm with the brand if the broken USB port is replaceable for free. If not then you can visit the brand-recognized repair store or service center and repair the part. You can contact the brand via Twitter or their official support page.

We hope this article helped you to solve USB options not showing on Android when connected to a PC. If you still have any queries related to this issue, then don’t forget to comment it and our team will try to solve it. You can also suggest to us what we should write next and we will try to write a dedicated article on that. Save our site as a bookmark for future reference. Thank you for reading.