You connected your Samsung Galaxy M31 to the PC to transfer a huge file (Or a small one) but saw that it won’t connect to the PC. What’s wrong? Why is your PC not recognizing your phone? Let’s dive deep into what might be the reason behind it and how to fix it.
How To Fix Samsung Galaxy M31 Won’t Connect To PC?
1: Connect Samsung Galaxy M31 to the PC as MTP
By default, when you connect your Samsung Galaxy M31 to a PC, it will automatically assume the role of charging and thus, begin charging the phone. You will have to flick the option to MTP or File Transfer. So that the phone recognizes that it needs to use the phone for file transfers. Here’s how you can change the settings.
- First up, connect your Samsung Galaxy M31 to the PC using an OEM-provided charging cable.
- As soon as you connect the phone, you will get a notification that a connection was detected.
- On the notification panel, go to Android System or “USB Preference” notification. And change it to File Transfer or MTP from the “USB charging this device” which is selected by default.
2: Use Developer Options
The previous method works at the instance when you connect the phone to the PC via a charging cable. However, you can alter the system much before and set it as default whenever you establish a connection with a PC. Here’s how you can do it:
- First, go to Settings >> System >> Developer Options.
- Next, go to “Default USB Configuration”.
- Next, select “File Transfer” or “MTP” from the options so that your phone is always detected as a media device when connected to a PC.
3: Use a different USB port [ Samsung Galaxy M31 won’t connect to PC ]
Assuming that you are still facing the Samsung Galaxy M31 won’t connect to PC issue, check if there’s physical damage. Start with checking the USB port on your computer first. You can use a different USB port since most computers have multiple ports available. In case you were using a damaged port, the system must’ve been unable to register that a media device has been connected to it and thus, didn’t recognize it. Changing to a better USB port should yield better results.
4: Check the Charging Cable
We often neglect the fact that the charging cable lets you charge the phone and transfer data to and from the PC and mode. Yet, we usually abuse it by twisting, twirling, stretching, and turning it in absurd angles and expect it to work properly. A simple cut somewhere across the length of the charging cable and might stop working entirely.
So, check if the charging cable you are using is working properly or not. Perhaps using an incompatible or unofficial charging cable might prevent you from connecting your Samsung Galaxy M31 to the PC. It’s rare but it can happen. Use a different charging cable preferably an authentic first-party cable to check if the old cable was an issue or not.
5: Update the MTP driver of your Samsung Galaxy M31 on the PC
When establishing a connection between your Samsung Galaxy M31 and the computer, you must know that a driver is required to facilitate the connection. In case if you are facing issues with the driver, it must have become outdated. This means you will need to update it. Here’s how you can update the MTP driver of your phone.
- You need to download the driver for your Samsung Galaxy M31 beforehand. You will find it on your OEM’s website or search Google for a driver.
- First up, connect the phone to the PC using a compatible USB cable.
- Next, press the Windows + X button on your PC and go to Device Manager.
- Expand “Portable Device”.
- Next, find your phone as a peripheral listed on Device Manager, right-click on it to reveal a bunch of options. Select “Update Driver”.
- Browse through the folders on your PC to find the driver you downloaded some time ago and let it install.
- Once the driver is updated, you can now check if this method worked in your favor by fixing the Samsung Galaxy M31 won’t connect to PC or not.
6: Android File Transfer Utility for Mac
If you were trying to connect your Samsung Galaxy M31 to the Mac and failed, you need to know that you require Android File Transfer Utility to enable this feature. It is a bridge between Android and the Mac and without it, we highly doubt you will be able to connect to the PC anyways.
- First up, you need to download the Android File Transfer from this link.
- Now, launch the app from the Applications folder.
- Connect your Samsung Galaxy M31 to the Mac using a USB cable and check if this works.
7: Run Windows Device Troubleshooter
This method works on Windows PC. Since you are facing issues connecting your Samsung Galaxy M31 to the PC, you can run a troubleshooter to test what’s wrong with the hardware systems. Here’s how to do it.
- First up, open CMD or Windows PowerShell with Admin privileges.
- Next, enter the command “msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic”.
- A “Hardware and Devices” troubleshooter will appear on the screen. Run using the on-screen instructions and it should auto-detect what’s causing the issue and what needs to be done to fix it.
8: Use another PC [ Samsung Galaxy M31 won’t connect to PC ]
Somehow you are still struggling to connect your phone to the PC. So what needs to be done now? Why don’t you try using a different PC altogether? That should work we guess. If not, you have the last option too.
9: Visit an authorized service center
Assuming that you aren’t able to connect to any computer whatsoever, you can use this method. Walk into an authorized service center and dictate the issue asking for a resolution. It is perhaps either a software issue or a hardware issue so the technician at the center will be able to diagnose the problem and fix it.
Closing Words
If you were struggling to connect your phone to the PC, hope this troubleshooting guide helped you fix the problem.
Also read: How to disable in-app purchases in Samsung Galaxy M31? Check this