How to Enable USB Debugging and Connect Android Phone to PC

One of the main concerns of Android mobile phones users is how to connect Android to PC, moving data, make changes in the mobile system, or doing anything with your mobile phone through your computer will require connecting both of them together whether by Wi-Fi or by -the preferred- USB Cable.

Unfortunately, it’s not always so easy to plug and play your Android phone, as you may have to enable a function called Android USB Debugging.

What is USB Debugging?

Android USB Debugging is a function that has one job to do which is to allow your phone to be recognized by the development tools and to track bugs and fix it when connecting your phone via USB. This is one of the most commonly used functions for developers as they use it when they try to test their software using the Android Studio Development kit.

Moreover, it's now used by ordinary Android users, as it's considered to be the main step when installing a custom recovery, rooting your phone, or installing new custom ROM on it.

Also, in case you have a totally lost Android pattern, you may need to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) commands, and you will not be able to use them without enabling USB Debugging on Android.

In today’s article, we are going to learn together how to enable USB debugging on different Android OS versions, we will discuss some tips about how to connect Android to PC, and how to fix the problems you might face when connecting your phone.

How to Enable USB Debugging on Different Android OS Versions

It may and may not differ so much between an Android OS version and another one in terms of enabling USB Debugging mode. In the following lines, I will explain how to enable USB Debugging on different Android OS versions so you will need no more articles to find your way to enable it.

Before we start, you have to know that enabling USB Debugging will require enabling Developer Options, and to enable it, follow these steps:

• First: Open Settings, and scroll down until you find About Phone.
• Second: After you open About Phone, click several times on Build Number, it differs from a manufacturer to another, it may be 3 or 5 or 7 times, and you will know the number through the message you will see.
• After finishing that step, you will have a message telling you that you have become a developer, and you will find a new option on the Settings menu called Android Developer Options.

Enable USB Debugging on Android 2.3 and Below

First, we will start with the oldest available version of Android, Android 2.3 and the versions below.

In order to enable USB Debugging on Android 2.3 and below, First, head to the Settings, then select Applications, and Click on Development.

After opening the Development menu, you will find USB Debugging as the first choice to select, click on it and it will be enabled.

Enable USB Debugging on Android 4.0 and 4.1

It’s the same method as the above one, but here, you will not have to go to Applications, as all you will have to do is to head to Settings, then scroll down until you find Android Developer Options, click on it and search for USB Debugging and allow it.

Enable USB Debugging on Android 4.2 and above

Starting from Android 4.2, it’s the same steps you will follow to enable Android USB Debugging, after following the above steps of enabling Developer Mode, follow these steps:

• First: Open the Settings menu.
• Second: Scroll down until you find the Android Developer Options.
• Third: Find USB Debugging and click on it, then click on OK to complete the process.

Is It Safe to Enable Android USB Debugging?

In my personal prospect, I don’t recommend enabling it unless you really need it and not for long, as it’s considered to be a double-edged sword.

In case you have lost your phone or have been stolen with USB Debugging mode enabled, the robber can unlock it using some ADB commands, and this is the same method you may use if you forgot your phone pattern and want to recover it or break the mobile security.

Tip: Don’t forget to set up Android Device Manager on your Android phone to avoid losing it or having your data stolen as it allows you to remove them all and to locate your device or lock it.

Also, in case you have an enabled USB Debugging mode and plugged your phone into a public charging port, your personal data and information may be stolen by some hackers who have access to this port.

Possible Causes of Not Being Able to Connect Android to PC

You may face some problems connecting your Android to PC, whether you have enabled USB Debugging mode or not, these are some common solutions for the problems you might face.

First: USB Cable

A fake USB Cable is on the top of our list of the causes that may lead to an improper connection between Android phone and PC, make sure that you have the right and the true cable that's suitable with your mobile phone, and it's preferred to use original USB cables.

Second: USB Port

Try changing the USB port you are connecting through on your PC, it might be broken, and if you ensure the USB Port on PC, check the one on your phone, is it working well?

Third: Device Confliction

Connecting many USB devices to your computer may cause a confliction between them all so your PC will not recognize your Android phone, remove all the other USB devices before connecting your phone and try to see the results.

Fourth: Download and Install USB Drivers

If the previous three steps haven't gone well, then the last thing I recommend - in case you haven't done it already- is to download and install the proper USB Drivers for your Android mobile phone.

• Download Latest Samsung USB Drivers for Mobile Phones 
• Download and Install Huawei USB Drivers for Windows

Pro-Tip

In case you are trying to connect Android to PC in order to unlock it or to recover your data, I recommend you using our Free Android Data Recovery Software as it’s considered to be the best in the field of recovering data on Android phones, and it’s FREE!

User Guide: How to Recover Lost/Deleted Data from Android for Free

Now you have learned what is USB Debugging, how to enable USB Debugging, and how to protect yourself when using it. Share the article with your friends and family to warn them of the faulty usage of their phones, and write down your comments in the comments section below.