Edited By Piyush Kashyap, Reviewed By Gulshan
Mobile and PC are lifelines for every person, and rightly so, for they have profoundly infiltrated and influenced our day-to-day activities.
Whether its entertainment, business or social interaction, people look to mobiles and PCs for convenience and ease of access.
For this exact reason, everyone wants to be connected to their devices 24*7. However, there's a vast difference between the potential of a mobile and a PC.
How hard one may try, the qualities of both cannot be consolidated entirely into a single device, at least not in the present day.
Nevertheless, both of them can be connected by a variety of means to facilitate the integration of their abilities.
Connecting a mobile phone to PC means scaling up the technology, sharing the resources, assimilating the features and rendering the ease of access.
As a result, people highly operate their mobile phones and PCs concurrently. Now that you're aware of the vitality of the alliance of mobile and PC, will you link them? We'll tell you—You will, and that's why we have listed the different measures you can adopt for connecting your mobile to PC.
Using a USB Cable for Connecting Mobile to PC
The conventional method of using a USB cable for setting up the connection never gets old, principally due to the simplicity and swift alliance it allows.
Besides, there's no need for any installation, something that makes it ideal for individuals belonging to different ages. That said, follow the steps to connect your mobile to PC using a USB cable:
- 1Switch on your computer and mobile phone because this transfer is only possible when both the devices are running.
- 2The USB cable has a small and a wide end. Plugin the small end into the mobile's USB slot. Likewise, plugin the wide end into the USB slot of your PC. (USB slot on the mobile is usually the charging slot)
- 3As soon as you connect the USB to your phone and PC, you'll receive a notification on your PC or laptop requiring you to choose what you want to do with the connected device (Mobile).
- 4Once you click on the notification, you'll have to select from the options like "Configure this drive for backup", "Configure storage settings", "Open folder to view files" or "Take no action."
- 5A similar popup, as defined in step 3, can appear on your mobile screen where you'll have to choose whether you want to transfer files, share media, etc.
- 6Click on the option that resonates the best with your purpose. Once you do that, you are good to go.
In case, you don't receive a popup on your PC pertaining to the device's connection; you can always go to "My PC" or "My Computer" to access the contents of your mobile directly.
USB based connection is, undoubtedly, the easiest way to connect your mobile to PC; however, it might not be the most feasible in most of the situations. For instance, it won't work if your PC has a damaged or occupied USB port.
These days, laptops such as MacBook come with USB-C ports, which are different from the standard USB ports. This way, you won't be able to connect your device with the classic USB cable. Besides, your laptop can have occupied USB ports for several reasons. All-in-all, USB connection is enveloped by problems when the resources are inadequate.
Favourably, there is a solution to solve the problem with USB in the name of Bluetooth.
How to Transfer Files from Your Android Phone to Your PC / Mac
Using Bluetooth for connecting mobile to PC (For Windows)
Bluetooth was a buzzword a few years back predominantly because of the technology's ability to wirelessly transfer media between mobiles. But, do you know that it is one of the most extensively utilised conjunction methods employed today to connect mobile and PC?
Well, the prominence of Bluetooth can be inferred from the fact that it comes pre-installed in both mobile and PC and therefore, there's hardly any requirement of installation and setting up the connection.
To connect your mobile to PC via Bluetooth, you need to follow these simple steps:
- 1First and foremost, enable Bluetooth on both devices. (Bluetooth comes pre-installed. If it's not, you can purchase a Bluetooth USB dongle or a Bluetooth adaptor)
- 2For enabling it on PC, go to the "Action Center" icon at the bottom right corner of the screen. Amongst the various features, click on Bluetooth.
- 3Once the Bluetooth is active, right-click on its icon and click on "Go to Settings" to make it discoverable.
- 4For enabling the same on mobile, go to "Settings" and then switch on the "Bluetooth." The availability of Bluetooth in the settings will depend upon the device in use.
- 5After enabling the Bluetooth on both the devices, you need to pair them. For that, go to "Settings" on PC. Traverse down to the "Devices" option to open "Bluetooth and other devices."
- 6You'll see a big-font option "Add Bluetooth or other devices" on the right-hand panel. Press it for allowing your PC to discover nearby Bluetooth devices. (Searching is instant, but it can take a few minutes in some cases).
- 7Upon detecting the mobile, the mobile's Bluetooth name will display on the PC's screen. Press it to proceed with pairing.
- 8If it is the first time you are connecting your mobile with PC via Bluetooth, you'll have to undergo a verification procedure. The verification process will generate a PIN code that will display on both the devices. If the PIN codes match, click on Connect.
Using Bluetooth for connecting mobile to PC (For Mac)
Transferring files from mobile to Mac via Bluetooth is no different than doing the same with Windows. Moreover, the approach to establish the connection is the same.
Nevertheless, Mac and Windows are contrastive with respect to structural orientation, and so is the enabling of Bluetooth.
Here's what you need to do to pair your mobile with Mac:
- 1Head to "System Preferences" and click on "Bluetooth."
- 2Make sure that you change the status of Bluetooth to "On."
- 3Enable the Bluetooth on your mobile device by following step 4 the preceding section.
- 4Pair the devices using the verification procedure just like you did while connecting mobile with Windows.
- 5Once the devices are paired, head again to "System Preferences" on Mac and click on "Sharing."
- 6A checkbox menu will appear on the left-hand side. Check the "Bluetooth Sharing" option to start transferring the media and files.
Establishing a Bluetooth connection is simple, considering the fact that it only takes a minute or two and doesn't involve any installation procedure. Nevertheless, Bluetooth technology is vulnerable to threats like eavesdropping, bluesnarfing, blue bugging and Denial of service (DOS).
In addition to that, Bluetooth might not satisfy your expectations if you want to share a large amount of media in a relatively short period of time. As a result, people are shifting to Wi-Fi direct. Scroll down to know more about this buzz phrase technology.
Using Wi-Fi Direct for connecting mobile to PC
Since 1994, Bluetooth has dominated the market for its simplicity and ease of access.
But, the slow rate of transmission has paved the way for fresh technologies, and Wi-Fi Direct is, unsurprisingly, an ideal candidate for fulfilling the expectations. Having said that, we must recognize that Wi-Fi Direct is much like Bluetooth with regards to the functionality; however, the data is transmitted faster.
- 1First off, you need to know whether your PC is Wi-Fi direct compatible or not. This analysis can be done by heading to the command prompt and checking for the "Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter" label under ipconfig/all.
- 2If yes, you must install a third-party application to use Wi-Fi direct. Some of the prominent applications using Wi-Fi Direct for transfer include Files by Google, WiFi Shoot and Feem.
- 3Set your mobile as a hotspot by enabling "Hotspot and Tethering" in "Settings." Connect the PC or laptop to the mobile hotspot.
- 4Leverage the third party application on the mobile to commence an initial connection using Wi-Fi Direct.
- 5Send files from mobile to PC using Wi-Fi Direct. This process pertains to the application you are using.
In concrete terms, Wi-Fi Direct is a very underappreciated technology that removes the hassle of connecting the two devices.
Besides, it facilitates faster exchange than the universal option of Bluetooth. Most importantly, it eliminates the requirement of a central wireless router, which is a conspicuous example of the transformation of networking technology.
Accessing the PC from a remote location
That's right. Your PC can be connected to your mobile from a remote location courtesy of software like Chrome Remote Desktop and TeamViewer. Both the aforementioned software comply with Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS.
Remote access is one of the better ways to administer the working of the PC from an entirely different location. The reasons for remote control can be many, including updating software, rebooting the PC, playing games, enabling media servers, accessing the crucial files, etc.
Besides, remote accessing can be advantageous if you want to teach someone about specific functionality. For instance, managers extensively use TeamViewer to access the screens of employees from their own PCs to explain the latter about the application's functionality and how to operate it.
Remotely Access Your PC from Anywhere!
Your phone application in Windows 10
"Your phone" is a Windows 10 application that aptly suits the android users.
That said, it allows you to sync your mobile device to the laptop or PC by downloading the Your Phone Companion app. What follows is the ability to view and reply to the phone's text messages, sync the notifications and transfer photos from PC to phone and vice-versa.
Your phone app is also available for iPhone users, but they can only leverage the feature of transferring the web pages back and forth.
To setup Windows 10 Your Phone app, these are the steps that you need to follow:
- 1The app is pre-installed in Windows 10 and can be launched from the Start menu.
- 2When the app opens, select "Android" and a prompt will appear where you have to enter your mobile number.
- 3Once done with step 2, a wizard will appear, and you will be asked to download the Your Phone Companion app on your Android phone.
- 4Sign In the app with your Microsoft account and password.
- 5Finally, tap allows you to link the phone and PC.
Microsoft will soon launch screen mirroring with Your Phone app, which will allow the android phones to reflect the phone screen on the PC. However, for this feature, specific mobiles (Samsung or OnePlus) and the PC and Bluetooth 4.1 are a requisite.
Other technologies to connect your mobile to PC
There is no shortage of methods to adopt for connecting your mobile to PC, something that is justified by numerous data transfer applications serving the market. The list below highlights some of the most prominent apps that you can install to get yourself going.