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Can't connect Pixel 7 Pro to PC (Windows 11)

dan97520

Lurker
The mystery: I cannot establish a USB connection between my Pixel 7 Pro (Android 13) and PC (Windows 11). When I try, the PC makes that characteristic "connected device" sound, but Windows Explorer doesn't discover the Pixel, nothing shows up anywhere in the Windows Device Manager, and the ADB command
.\fastboot device
returns nothing. The Pixel is similarly not discoverable as a bluetooth device to the PC, although it IS to other devices (like my earbuds).

This is the first task I have attempted since I performed a factory reset (and walked through the automated Pixel setup process) last night. I have spent the last three and a half hours reading Android forums, testing USB port-cable permutations, and installing and uninstalling drivers. There is no obvious solution to this problem within the first ten pages of Google search results. I would be beyond grateful for any possible insight, but please, take a moment to review what I have attempted already before you expend any effort helping me troubleshoot.

The Pixel CAN connect to an older laptop running Windows 10, appearing both in the Windows Device Manager (which says my drivers are up to date) and in File Explorer (where I can access the internal memory). But ADB similarly returns nothing on the ADB
.\fastboot devices
command. Also, my old phone (a Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G running Android 13) connects fine--both by USB and by bluetooth--to all three devices.

So the PC (Windows 11) connects to the Galaxy and the laptop (Windows 10) connects to the Pixel (kinda), which fairly well eliminates the possibility of an issue related to my hardware or USB cables. But the PC (Windows 11) won't connect to the Pixel--not anymore. Everything worked just fine when I unlocked the Pixel's bootloader a few weeks ago.

What I need now is to recover the functionality of the USB and bluetooth connectivities between the Pixel and the PC running Windows 11, especially for file transfers. For several reasons, WiFi reliant solutions are untenable for my situation. I also need to re-lock the bootloader by any method (not necessarily with the PC). As mentioned above, ADB has not succeeded in finding the device on either platform.

Finally, in case it's relevant: when I open the Pixel's USB Preferences menu, I cannot switch from "USB controlled by...This device" to "USB controlled by...Connected device"--in both cases, the Pixel returns a "couldn't switch" dialogue. And yes, I have of course enabled USB debugging.

If you took the time to comb through all those particulars, Thank you. I'm getting desperate for some thoughtful expertise, and while I'm open to retrying anything for the fifth or sixth time, (maybe I somehow missed the magic driver package), it is a special kind of tribulation to review the same tired list of perfunctory solutions to a different problem. I promise, the solution I need isn't one of the usual suspects.

I spent $800 on this device. That's a lot of money for me. It feels absurd and unfair that such a basic functionality--one that far more affordable devices have been delivering reliability for decades--should be missing from the Pixel 7 Pro. Please please please help me!
 
Does " .\adb devices " return anything? " .\fastboot devices " will only indicate a device when the phone is in fastboot mode.
 
Update: I've been using File Transfer / Auto Android, but when I switch over to P2P, The Windows 11 PC can at least detect the DCIM and Pictures folders, and when I run execute .\adb devices in P2P mode, the terminal returns
List of devices attached
29141FDH300043 unauthorized
 
Last edited:
Try KDE Connect. It has never failed me KDE Connect
hey thanks, this looks like a super useful app. Unfortunately I don't have wifi; I can only connect my desktop to the internet using a mobile hotspot, so I still need a reliable USB connection. But when I get it up and going I'll for sure be using this app
 
Does " .\adb devices " return anything? " .\fastboot devices " will only indicate a device when the phone is in fastboot mode.
Hey thank you for the speedy reply!
On PC running Windows 10, .\adb devices does return the device number. On the PC running windows 11 it doesn't - however I have discovered one thing new. I've been using File Transfer / Auto Android, but when I switch over to P2P, The Windows 11 PC can at least detect the DCIM and Pictures folders. When I run execute .\adb devices in P2P mode, I get the same device number, but it says "unauthorized"
 
Hey thank you for the speedy reply!
On PC running Windows 10, .\adb devices does return the device number. On the PC running windows 11 it doesn't - however I have discovered one thing new. I've been using File Transfer / Auto Android, but when I switch over to P2P, The Windows 11 PC can at least detect the DCIM and Pictures folders. When I run execute .\adb devices in P2P mode, I get the same device number, but it says "unauthorized"
In the phone Settings, you need "USB Debugging" enabled in "Developer Options". I leave it to someone else for instructions to enable "Developer Options", but it requires 7 taps of the Build number if I recall correctly.
 
In the phone Settings, you need "USB Debugging" enabled in "Developer Options". I leave it to someone else for instructions to enable "Developer Options", but it requires 7 taps of the Build number if I recall correctly.
That was the first thing I did of course. Thank you for taking the time, but please might I entreat you to read the entire post and share your thoughts with me after? I know it's long but I have spent a long time troubleshooting.
 
That was the first thing I did of course. Thank you for taking the time, but please might I entreat you to read the entire post and share your thoughts with me after? I know it's long but I have spent a long time troubleshooting.
hmmm.. You did that, and are you using your original phone charger to connect with the windows, although it does not matter with mine most of the time.. :)
 
Good morning,

Has anyone found a solution to this?

I'm using a Win 10 22H2, but have the same symptoms for the Pixel 7 as mentioned in the initial post.

Tried the same steps as mentioned above and only PTP allows Windows Explorer to see the phone (see above for limited functionality in this case).

Have been using a Oneplus phone several years ago (without issues), then an iPhone and now a Google phone, but considering the problems the Pixel gives me from a control perspective (the limitations of only being to charge the phone or access the Pictures via PTP, using USB cable), might go back to "monkey phone" (iPhone, sic.; and give all control to OEM).

Thank you for your help.
 
Hi all,

After pointlessly downloading and installing the Google USB Driver (see Get the Google USB Driver | Android Studio | Android Developers), opening Device Manager (device visible in "Android device" section as Google Nexus) and updating the drivers as per instructions (see Install OEM USB drivers | Android Studio | Android Developers) have restarted the machine, but still the same. Now Device Manager sees it as "ADB device" (N.B. Device is connected as File transfer and not PTP, but not visible in Windows Explorer)
Have uninstalled device from Device Manager, reconnected it and still seen as Nexus device.
Have used Update driver, browse my computer for drivers/let me pick from a list, MTP USB device option, updated, still the same. Have used Update driver again, selected ADB device(?, not sure, because I didn't take screenshots, sorry), restarted machine when prompted and then device appears as Pixel 7 in Portable Devices in Device Manager. All folder structure (and not just Pictures and DCIM) is now visible. ADB sees it in the same way as when it was connected as PTP before starting to play with Windows Device Manager driver update.
This is not a USB cable, Pixel or Android issue. As always, Windows platform of managing connected hardware is lame beyond any weakness.
 
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