What is a Phone?
A mobile phone is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while the user moves within a telephone service area, as opposed to a fixed-location phone.
How To Activate a Phone OS on a Laptop
- Make sure your computer has Bluetooth capability (not all do)
- Ensure that neither is set to Airplane mode and make sure Bluetooth is turned on
- From your PC, click Start, then Settings, and Devices
- Choose Bluetooth and other Devices
- If Bluetooth isn’t toggled to On, switch it to On
- Then select Add Bluetooth or other device and follow the directions for pairing
- You may be prompted to enter a code to confirm that your phone has permission to be paired
How do I connect my phone to my computer via USB?
A much simpler and more secure way to connect is through a USB cord specifically designed for your phone model. Most charging cords double as a standard USB cable by simply removing the large, square power adapter from the USB end.
To connect, place the USB end in your computer’s USB slot, then connect the other end to your phone. Await instructions on the computer screen to grant permission for the two to share data. Once you approve this, you can perform various tasks, such as transferring photos, performing backups, or sharing screens. USB is ideal when your computer doesn’t have Bluetooth technology. Bonus? It’ll charge your phone at the same time.
How to connect Android to PC
Using either the Bluetooth or USB method above, you can connect most smartphones or tablets that have an Android-based operating system to your desktop or computer.
Your computer will likely prompt you to permit to share files between the two devices. You won’t need to install any extra software to do most activities, but some brands of phones may prompt you to install their software for more functionality.
How can I see my phone screen on my computer?
For Android users, the process is much less difficult. Windows 10 has a built-in Connect feature that won’t require you to download or pay for any additional software. To use this method:
- Check that your computer has the latest version of Windows 10 installed, including recent updates
- Click Start and type Connect in the search bar
- Click Enter to open the Connect application. (If your computer doesn’t support the Windows Miracast function, you will be notified. Supported devices can continue with the rest of these steps.) You will see a message telling you that the Connect app is ready to connect wirelessly to your device
- From your Android phone or tablet, drag your finger from the top of the screen down to hide the Notifications Center and access Settings
- When shown the option to Enable Wireless Display, select it to start the process. If you don’t see this, click on the three-dot menu and access your phone’s options screen. If you still don’t find it, your phone may not support screen sharing with a computer
- Choose the name of your computer from the list of devices. Streaming should begin automatically
Which method is best?
If you’re not sure whether to connect via USB or Bluetooth, the answer may depend on your preferences. If you have a large number of files to transfer, USB is the fastest method. It’s also the most secure because it’s a direct connection. Bluetooth is relatively secure, but it has the potential to be accessed by outsiders.
If you don’t have a USB cord or want to quickly cast a screen or send a smaller file or two, Bluetooth is sufficient. It’s not a good option for working between Apple and PC devices, because Apple has designed their products to work best with other Apple devices. All of the workarounds for this issue involve using third-party software solutions that typically cost money.
Of course, if you back up your phone to the cloud regularly, for instance to Dropbox or Google Drive, you can also avoid connecting your phone to your computer altogether. Simply download the files you want from the cloud backup to your computer. It’s an extra step but it eliminates compatibility issues for people working between Apple and PC devices.
When I plug my phone in the computer nothing happens.
Try plugging the USB cable into different USB ports on the computer. Certain ports may not work. For Android devices, make sure Developer Options or USB debugging are turned off. Try another computer.