# What do the USB options mean when I plug my Android into a computer, and which one moves files? — Adinand Auto File Sorter

Last reviewed: October 29, 2026. HTML version: https://adinandsorter.com/answers/usb-options-when-you-plug-android-into-a-computer

When you plug a phone into a computer, Android starts by only charging it. The menu that appears when you tap the USB notification decides what else the cable is for. Google's own steps for moving files start exactly there: "tap the "Charging this device via USB" notification", then "Under "Use USB for," select File Transfer" ([*Transfer files between your computer & Android device*, Android Help](https://support.google.com/android/answer/9064445?hl=en), read 29 October 2026). Google's page names only that one option. The others are explained by the phone makers and in Android's developer documentation.

## The options, one by one <p>Sony's guide for its Xperia phones lists the choices under **Use USB for** with a line each ([*Connecting your device to USB devices*, Sony Xperia Help Guide](https://helpguide.sony.net/mobile/xperia-10m8/v1/en/contents/connect_device_usb_accessory.html), read 29 October 2026):</p>

| Option | What Sony says it does | Pick it when |
|---|---|---|
| File transfer / Android Auto | "You can manage files or update the device software. This option is used with Microsoft® Windows® computers." | You want to copy documents, downloads or music |
| PTP | "Your device is recognized as a camera. You can only transfer photos and videos." | A photo app on the computer only offers to import from a camera |
| USB tethering | "Your device can function as a tethering device." | The computer needs the phone's internet connection |
| MIDI | "Your device can function as the MIDI input for musical instrument applications." | You are using the phone with music software |
| No data transfer | "Just charge your device" | You only want power |

Android's developer guide describes the same menu from the other side, in its developer setting for the default: you can configure the device "for charging only, to transfer files (MTP), to transfer pictures (PTP), to use your mobile internet on the PC (RNDIS), or to transfer audio or MIDI files" ([*Configure on-device developer options*, Android Developers](https://developer.android.com/studio/debug/dev-options?hl=en), read 29 October 2026). That is where the two abbreviations come from: File transfer is MTP, and Samsung's Windows guide names it both ways, telling you to "Select the option for MTP or Transferring files" ([*Share and transfer files with your Galaxy phone and Windows*, Samsung US](https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS10001478/), read 29 October 2026).

## File transfer or PTP? <p>Our view: File transfer, nearly every time. By Sony's description PTP limits you to photos and videos, so it is only worth choosing for a program that insists on seeing a camera. File transfer shows the phone's storage as a drive with its folders, so you can reach Download, Documents and the rest.</p>

## Where else to find the menu <p>If the notification has gone, Sony gives a route through settings: **Settings › Connected devices › USB** (the Sony page above). Menu names differ between makers, so on another phone search Settings for "USB". The same Sony page also lists a **USB controlled by** choice ("which device controls the other"), and setting it to the connected device is Sony's way to make the phone charge whatever is plugged into it.</p>

## When nothing appears on the computer <p>Google's troubleshooting list starts on the computer ("make sure that Windows automatically detects new hardware") and then moves to the cable: "Try a different USB cable. Not all USB cables can transfer files" (the Android Help page above). A cable that charges but never shows the phone in File Explorer is the most common reason, in our experience, and the easiest one to rule out. The full Windows steps, including Samsung's, are on [our page about reaching a Samsung's files from a PC](https://adinandsorter.com/answers/access-samsung-files-on-my-computer); for a Mac, which Google's page does not cover, see [the Mac page](https://adinandsorter.com/answers/transfer-files-from-android-to-mac).</p>

Related: [Accessing Samsung files on a computer](https://adinandsorter.com/answers/access-samsung-files-on-my-computer) · [Transferring files from Android to a Mac](https://adinandsorter.com/answers/transfer-files-from-android-to-mac) · [Copying from a USB drive to Android](https://adinandsorter.com/answers/transfer-files-from-a-usb-drive-to-android) · [Where downloads go on Android](https://adinandsorter.com/answers/where-do-downloads-go-on-android)