How to Access Phone from Computer [with or without USB]

Apart from accessing a PC from another PC, we also need to access a phone from a computer for viewing phone files from a PC or running a phone app on a large PC screen.  The post illustrates the three most common and popular ways to connect a phone to a PC; please choose one based on your specific demands. 

Way 1. Access phone files from computer with USB

This way is for users with a USB cable who want to access phone files from a computer for viewing or transferring.  Here are the detailed steps.

Step 1. Connect your phone to your PC using the USB that came with the phone.

Step 2. On your phone, tap the “Charging this device via USB” notification and choose “Transfer files/Android Auto” under “Use USB for”.

Step 3. On your PC, open Windows File Explorer, choose the drive that represents your phone, and double-click it to open it.

Step 4. Then, you are able to access and manage your phone files and folders from PC.  If you don’t need to view phone data from computer anymore, eject the device and unplug the USB cable.

Note: If your phone is iPhone rather than Android, you can only view iPhone photos on Windows Explorer. To access and transfer all files on iPhone from PC, you can ask for the help of iTunes. 

Way 2. Access phone files from computer over Bluetooth 

If you don't have the phone USB cable, you can access phone files from computer over Bluetooth. Follow the steps given below:

Step 1. Turn on Bluetooth for both the Android phone and the computer. Then, the computer will show up on your phone as an available device to pair with.  If it doesn't show up, click "Refresh". 

Step 2. Tap the computer name to pair with it.  And you can see a pairing code appear on your phone and device. Tap "Pair" to complete the connection. 

Step 3. Once connected,  right-click the "Bluetooth" icon on your computer and choose "Receive a File". 

Step 4.  On the phone, select the file you want to transfer to the computer, choose "Share" and choose "Bluetooth". 

Step 5. Choose the computer as the destination place. 

Step 6.  Then, click "Finish" to save the files to your PC. If you want to change the saving location of the file, click "Browse...".

Way 3.  Remotely access and control phone from computer 

If you want to not only view phone files from your computer but also take other operations to your phone from your computer, you can turn to an app to completely control phone from computer, AirDroid. You can use it to control phone without USB cable, transfer files, etc.  Now, see how to use it to access and control phone from computer remotely and wirelessly. 

Step 1. Download and install AirDroid on your phone and computer. 

Step 2. Sign up for an AirDroid Personal account and sign in to the same account on phone and PC.

Note: If your phone and computer are using the same WiFi, you can access your phone from PC over WiFi without signing up for an AirDroid account.

Step 4. Your phone will be detected automatically, and you can see the photos, videos, and files of your phone on the left panel. Then, you are able to manage the data saved on your phone remotely. 

 

Conclusion 

Now, you have realized three different ways to access phone from computer. To view and transfer phone files only from PC, you can complete the operation without a third-party app. To take full control of a phone remotely for accessing files and more advanced operations, like message reply from computer, AirDroid is recommended.