# Android Phone Help Needed! Trying to save pictures to my computer **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 16, 2024, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-help-needed-trying-to-save-pictures-to-my-computer/1010339 "2024-11-16T23:28:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2024, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-help-needed-trying-to-save-pictures-to-my-computer/1010339/1 "2024-11-16T23:28:16Z")
I have a Motorola Moto G Play. Needs replacing, got a problem… But I want to save the 900 photos to my computer before shit-canning it. I messed around with it and saved them all in a folder, hook it up with the cord to my laptop and it recognizes as “moto g”, but when I click on it with the file manager (Windows laptop), it says “Folder Empty”. What do I have to do to get the computer and phone talk to each other?? I’m assuming something in the settings of the phone?? I don’t know… HELP! ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2024, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-help-needed-trying-to-save-pictures-to-my-computer/1010339/2 "2024-11-16T23:42:32Z")
If it’s an android phone, isn’t it connected to a Google account? Just download them from Google Photos. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2024, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-help-needed-trying-to-save-pictures-to-my-computer/1010339/3 "2024-11-16T23:43:40Z")
I don’t have a google account. I suppose I could make one, but don’t wanna, really. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2024, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-help-needed-trying-to-save-pictures-to-my-computer/1010339/4 "2024-11-16T23:55:33Z")
With my phone (YMMV), I connect with a USB cable. A little notification comes on the phone regarding the connection. I have to click to see the message, then click again to see “more options”. An option menu arises and I select “File Transfer”. At that point the computer actually recognizes the file system of the phone. I click on it in My Computer and see its file system. My photos, etc., are in the folder DCIM/camera. (That DCIM upper folder name is one of my long term peeves.) For some reason I often have to disconnect the cable and try again and then it works. If somehow the notification never appears, I go into settings, search for “USB” to get to the option menu. It used to be you had download a driver from the phone maker’s website to enable file transfers. Not sure if that is still needed. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2024, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-help-needed-trying-to-save-pictures-to-my-computer/1010339/5 "2024-11-16T23:59:33Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > My photos, etc., are in the folder DCIM/camera. This is how it was with my older, non-smart Trac phone. Worked like a charm! ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2024, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-help-needed-trying-to-save-pictures-to-my-computer/1010339/6 "2024-11-17T00:09:39Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > An option menu arises and I select “File Transfer”. In the time it took me to find a cable and hook up my Moto G to verify this, I see that **ftg** beat me to it. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2024, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-help-needed-trying-to-save-pictures-to-my-computer/1010339/7 "2024-11-17T00:14:21Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > I don’t have a google account. > > I suppose I could make one, but don’t wanna, really It’ll save you from losing your photos if your next phone dies or gets lost. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2024, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-help-needed-trying-to-save-pictures-to-my-computer/1010339/8 "2024-11-17T00:29:39Z")
Remember those days when you had a photo album or a box of photos? Yes, get a Google account. Life will be much easier. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2024, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-help-needed-trying-to-save-pictures-to-my-computer/1010339/9 "2024-11-17T00:35:22Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > hook up my Moto G Where does this menu show up? ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2024, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-help-needed-trying-to-save-pictures-to-my-computer/1010339/10 "2024-11-17T00:36:32Z")
Settings/Connected Devices/USB. Edit: Usually this option will automatically pop up when you connect your phone to a computer, but if it doesn’t, you can find it in settings as described above. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2024, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-help-needed-trying-to-save-pictures-to-my-computer/1010339/11 "2024-11-17T00:37:13Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Life will be much easier. Certainly Prettier. I’ve got some _real_ beautiful pictures! ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2024, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-help-needed-trying-to-save-pictures-to-my-computer/1010339/12 "2024-11-17T00:40:08Z")
Gotta love them dachshunds! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2024, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-help-needed-trying-to-save-pictures-to-my-computer/1010339/13 "2024-11-17T00:47:18Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > Settings/Connected Devices/USB. Yahoo! Found it, fixed it and saved my pictures! Thanks, Dopers! You the best! ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2024, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-help-needed-trying-to-save-pictures-to-my-computer/1010339/14 "2024-11-17T02:42:56Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Remember those days when you had a photo album or a box of photos? I remember those days when you had vastly fewer photos because of the price of buying and developing film, plus the unlikelyhood of always carrying a camera with you. I think of so many things from my youth that I have no photos of that with modern technology I would have had hundreds. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2024, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-help-needed-trying-to-save-pictures-to-my-computer/1010339/15 "2024-11-17T03:01:21Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > the unlikelyhood of always carrying a camera with you. I thi To that end, I know someone who, in all the decades I have known him, _always_ goes around with a camera on a strap around his neck. Got to be ready.