How to Transfer Files from a Motorola Phone to a Windows PC

You can copy photos, videos, music and documents from your Motorola phone to a Windows PC with just a USB cable — no extra software needed. Switch the phone’s USB mode to File Transfer and it shows up in File Explorer like a USB drive.

Quick steps: Connect the USB cable → swipe down → tap Charging this device via USB → choose File Transfer → on the PC open This PC → your phone → Internal storage.

On your phone

  1. Motorola phone Home screen
    Step 1

    Connect the phone to your PC

    Connect your Motorola phone to the computer with a USB cable and unlock the phone.

    Tip: Use a cable that supports data — some charging-only cables won’t show the phone on the PC.

  2. Motorola phone with the status bar highlighted
    Step 2

    Open notifications

    Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the notification shade.

  3. Notification shade with Charging this device via USB highlighted
    Step 3

    Tap the USB notification

    Tap Charging this device via USB.

  4. USB Preferences screen with File Transfer highlighted
    Step 4

    Choose File Transfer

    Under Use USB for, select File Transfer.

On your Windows PC

  1. Windows desktop with a device notification in the corner
    Step 1

    Select your phone

    A notification for your phone appears on the desktop. Click it. If it doesn’t appear, open File Explorer and go to This PC.

  2. Windows device options with Open device to view files highlighted
    Step 2

    Open device to view files

    Choose Open device to view files.

  3. File Explorer with the phone’s Internal storage highlighted
    Step 3

    Open Internal storage

    In File Explorer, open your phone and then Internal storage.

  4. File Explorer showing the phone’s folders such as DCIM, Download and Pictures
    Step 4

    Copy or move your files

    Copy or move files and folders to your computer. Photos and videos are in the DCIM folder (camera) and Pictures folder; downloads are in Download.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my Motorola phone not showing up on my PC?

Unlock the phone, make sure File Transfer is selected in the USB notification, and try a different USB cable or port. Some cables only charge and can’t transfer data.

Where are photos stored on a Motorola phone?

Camera photos and videos are in Internal storage > DCIM > Camera. Screenshots are usually in Pictures > Screenshots.

Can I transfer files without a USB cable?

Yes. Use Quick Share to send files to a Windows PC with the Quick Share app, or upload them to Google Drive or Google Photos and download them on the computer.

Still having problems? It may be a hardware fault. Check the Motorola spare part prices for your model, or compare battery and display replacement costs.

Related Motorola guides

See all 24 Motorola guides →

Steps and screenshots based on Motorola's official Transfer data from phone to computer (Windows) tutorial. Steps can vary slightly by model and Android version.