Back in the day, transferring files between a computer and your phone could be a real pain. You’d have to find the right cables, go through a messy process, deal with formatting issues, and more. Today, things are much easier. If you need to send files from a smartphone to a Windows PC, you’ll find lots of tools that will help you do it effortlessly.
Today, we are looking at how to transfer files between Android and Windows 10. And in this post, we will show you several options for transferring files from your phone to a PC — both wirelessly and with the use of cables. We will also look into how to move large files from an Android phone to Windows 10.
What Are the Best Ways to Transfer Files From Android to a Windows 10 Computer?
There are several things you can do to get files from your Android phone to your PC. Here is what you can do:
· Transfer photos via the Your Phone app
· Transfer all types of files via a USB cable
· Transfer all types of files wirelessly
· Transfer large files with FileWhopper
Now, let’s look at all of these options in more detail.
How to Transfer Photos From Android to Windows via the Your Phone App
If what you need to do is get photos from your Android device to your Windows PC, you can use a dedicated app called Your Phone to do all the work. Here’s how:
● First, download and install Microsoft’s Your Phone Companion app on your phone.
● Next, sign in to your Microsoft account. If you’re already signed in, tap Continue.
● Provide the permissions the app is asking for: tap Allow on the pop-ups asking you to provide access to your contacts, phone calls, media, text messages, and more.
● Go on and tap the blue Continue button followed by Allow to grant the app permission to refresh in the background.
● Next, on your Windows 10 PC, launch the Your Phone app. You should be already signed in with your Microsoft account.
● Click to allow pairing.
● Back on your phone, tap the “My PC Is Ready” option.
● Tap the blue Allow button.
● Tap Done to complete the setup process.
● On your PC, allow the Your Phone app to pin itself to the taskbar. This permission is optional, but it makes accessing the app easier and faster compared to scrolling down the Start menu to locate the app.
● Your Phone app will divide all content into several categories: Notifications, Messages, Photos, and Calling.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to transfer just any file you want from your phone to your computer. This file transfer method is limited to photos only.
How to Transfer Files From Android to Windows via USB
If you want to transfer more than just photos from your phone to a PC, you can use your good old USB cable to do so. Here are the cable pairs that are most frequently involved in this process:
● Micro-USB to USB-A
● Micro-USB to USB-C
● USB-C to USB-A
● USB-C to USB-C
So, if your Android phone has a USB-C connector but your PC only comes with a rectangular USB-A port, you will need to use a USB-C to USB-A cable.
Here’s how to transfer files from your phone to your PC using a USB cable:
● Unlock your phone and connect it to your PC with the right USB cable.
● On the phone, you may see a notification saying “Charging this device via USB”. Tap the notification.
● Under the “Use USB for” menu, select the File Transfer option.
● You should now see your phone appear as a USB drive in File Explorer on your PC.
● Now you can go on and move the files you need from your phone to your PC — just like you would with any USB flash drive.
● When done, eject the phone and unplug it from your PC.
How to Transfer Files From Android to Windows Wirelessly
If you don’t want to mess with cables and are wondering how to transfer files from Android to Windows without using a USB cable, you can use Bluetooth or cloud storage.
Here’s how to send a file using Bluetooth:
● First, make sure that Bluetooth is enabled on both your phone and your PC.
● Next, go to the Settings app on your PC and select Devices.
● Go to Bluetooth & Other Devices.
● Click “Add Bluetooth or other device”.
● In the pop-up window, select Bluetooth.
● Click your Android phone and follow the prompts on each device to conclude pairing.
● Go to File Explorer.
● Find the file you want to send.
● Right-click the file and select “Send to” in the pop-up menu.
● In the new menu, select Bluetooth Device.
● Click Next.
● On your phone, click Allow.
● On your PC, click Finish.
Here’s how to send a file using Bluetooth on your Android phone:
● On your computer, locate and right-click the Bluetooth icon next to the system clock.
● In the pop-up menu, select the “Receive a file” option.
● On your phone, long-press the file you want to send via Bluetooth.
● Tap the Share button.
● Next, tap the Bluetooth button at the bottom of the toolbar.
● From the list, select your Windows 10 PC.
● Now, on your computer, you will see the transferred file in the Bluetooth File Transfer window.
● Click Finish.
Another option to send your files wirelessly is by using a cloud storage service like OneDrive. If you don’t have the app yet, you will first need to install it on your Android phone and then upload the needed files to Microsoft’s cloud. It’s good practice to create an Android folder on OneDrive so that you know where all of your phone files are.
Make sure that all of your files are synced to your Windows 10 PC — so that you are swapping files via File Explorer and not your browser.
Here’s how to transfer files using OneDrive:
● Right-click the cloud icon next to the system clock.
● Go to Settings.
● You will see a new pop-up window.
● Click the Account tab.
● Click the Choose Folders button.
● Next, click the box next to the folder that you want to sync with your Windows 10 PC.
● Click OK.
● Go to File Explorer.
● Click the Folder option listed under OneDrive on the left.
● Here, you should be able to access all the files from your Android device.
● Now, in your OneDrive app on your phone, you should also be able to access the same folder and download files uploaded from your PC.
How to Transfer Files With FileWhopper
Now, if you don’t want to bother with cables, spend hours tweaking settings or face file size limits when uploading your files to the cloud, there is another way to transfer files that you definitely need to know about. And it is particularly helpful when transferring large files like photo albums, videos, and even software.
If you want to transfer large files, you can use a service called FileWhopper. FileWhopper lets you transfer files and folders of any size online on a pay-as-you-go basis. This means that you don’t have to commit to a long-term subscription and will only need to pay for the files or folders you are transferring based on their size. This is a very nice arrangement and a useful alternative to cloud-based data-sharing platforms that typically require a financial commitment and impose limitations on the amount of data you can keep and share. So, here’s why transferring files and folders with FileWhopper is a convenient option:
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● First, as we’ve mentioned earlier, there is no limit on the size of the file or folder that you can send. This means that you won’t have to bother with archiving your files and folders to make them smaller or splitting your transfer into several parts. And you get to send any files you need, such as photo albums, videos, software programs, and more.
● One of the best things about FileWhopper is that you don’t have to commit to a monthly subscription. Instead, you simply pay for the files or folders you want to transfer, and that’s it. This is especially useful when you don’t need to send data on a regular basis and it’s just a one-off transfer. What’s more, FileWhopper offers you two ways to pay for your transfer: you can do it yourself or ask the recipient of the data to make the payment.
● FileWhopper is great at saving time. The recipient of your file or folder can start downloading it while it’s still being uploaded. This makes the whole transfer process much faster for both the sender and the recipient.
● You don’t have to worry about connection or other computer issues messing up your transfer. If your transfer gets interrupted (for example, because of a poor internet signal or a power outage), FileWhopper will automatically pause and then resume the upload and download without any damage to your data. Additionally, your data is also protected with zero-knowledge encryption.
● FileWhopper won’t shorten the link to the file or folder you are sending. This is important because it will allow the recipient to see exactly where the data is coming from. This way, the file recipient gets to avoid potential issues related to phishing and malware.
● There is no bulky software to download to make a file transfer. All FileWhopper needs is a tiny app that will auto-delete once the upload is finished.
● FileWhopper is a very straightforward service, and it doesn’t bug you with extra functionality that you probably won’t need. However, if you do need extra functionality, you can get it: for instance, for an additional fee, you can send your file or folder to multiple recipients (up to 6) all at once.
Here’s how to transfer files and folders with FileWhopper:
● First, browse for the file or folder that you want to transfer and select it on your computer.
● Give FileWhopper a few seconds to evaluate the size of your file or folder and calculate your transfer fee.
● You will then receive a quote for your transfer and will be given two options to pay it: you can do it yourself or ask the recipient of the file or folder to handle the payment. This is a nice option to have if you work freelance and are sending your assignments.
● You will then be asked to download a small app that is designed to make the transfer process quick and easy. Note that once the transfer is done, the app will auto-delete.
● You will then receive a link to the file or folder you have just uploaded. You can now share this link with the intended recipient.
● Your data will then be encrypted with a secure password and sent to its destination. You will also have the option to set the password yourself.
● Once the recipient of the file or folder gets the link and the password, they can start the download. There is no need to wait for the upload to be complete on the sender’s side.
And there you have it. Your file or folder can now be easily accessed by the recipient. There is one more great thing about FileWhopper — your first 5GB transfer is absolutely free.
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