What is Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) on Android phones?

Your phone doesn’t automatically grant full access to a computer or any other connected device. This is to prevent data theft or the installation of harmful software on your phone. Instead, it uses MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) to establish a connection that only allows media transfer; you can’t make changes to files.

MTP provides various options to control what you can do with the connected device. Depending on your purpose for connecting the device to your phone, you should choose the appropriate option. Additionally, there are different ways to access, enable and manage MTP options.

In this post, I’ll explain two simple methods for accessing and managing MTP options.

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What is Media Transfer Protocol?

The Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) is a communication protocol for transferring files and managing media devices such as digital cameras, MP3 players, and smartphones. It was developed by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) as a standard protocol for transferring media files between devices and computers.

MTP is designed to replace the older USB Mass Storage (UMS) protocol, which treated the connected device as a simple storage device. Unlike UMS, MTP allows for more advanced features, such as browsing and managing files on the device without the need to mount it as a traditional storage drive.

MTP vs USB Mass Storage

MTP allows file access without mounting as a traditional storage drive, facilitating simultaneous access from both the device and the computer while USB Mass Storage requires the device to be mounted as a storage drive, allowing direct access to the file system but often necessitating exclusive access.

MTP permits simultaneous file access from both the device and computer without unmounting the storage, enabling the device to remain operational. USB Mass Storage typically requires exclusive access, potentially requiring unmounting or ejecting the device before file transfer.

MTP manages file transfers without exposing the full file system, reducing the risk of accidental corruption or deletion of system files. USB Mass Storage Grants direct access to the device’s file system, offering advantages and risks that come with direct manipulation.

MTP supports metadata transfer along with media files, providing additional information about the files being transferred. USB Mass Storage transfers files without inherent support for metadata, necessitating separate management of additional file information.

MTP is widely supported across various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux distributions. USB Mass Storage is generally supported but may vary in compatibility, especially on non-Windows systems.

MTP provides security by allowing file access without exposing the entire device file system. USB Mass Storage direct file system access can pose security risks if not carefully managed, potentially allowing access to system files.

Manage & Enable Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) on Android

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Method 1: Connect Phone via USB

When you link your phone to another device, MTP options usually appear. All you have to do is simply use a USB cable to connect your phone to the PC.

At this point, ensure your phone is unlocked to view the MTP options. If they don’t appear, swipe down to open the notifications bar. You should find a new option that says “USB Transfer is on.” Tap it to access MTP options.

No data transfer: In this mode, your phone solely charges, and the other device lacks access to your phone’s data.

File Transfer: This mode enables the transfer of any file type to and from the phone.

Photo transfer: As implied by its name, this mode only permits viewing and transferring of photos. Typically used when connecting the phone to a camera.

USB Tethering: This allows your phone to share its internet connection with the PC, but it doesn’t share any other data. However, you need to activate USB tethering in the phone settings to utilize this feature.

Method 2: Change MTP Options From Developer Options

The mentioned alternatives are effective for quickly adjusting your preference, but they don’t allow you to set a specific option as the default. Additionally, for some phones, the MTP might not appear, defaulting to file transfer. Fortunately, you can establish a specific MTP option as the default through the developer options without the need to connect to another device, unlike in the initial method. Here’s how:

To begin, enable the developer options on your phone. Unfortunately, the process varies between manufacturers, so I can’t provide exact instructions. However, on most phones, you can navigate to the “About” section in the settings and tap the “Build number” option seven times. Alternatively, refer to this Android developer guide for instructions on enabling developer options on various phones. After activation, locate the developer options either at the bottom of the Settings or within the Additional Settings menu. Access it.

Scroll down and open the Default USB configuration option.

Within this section, you’ll find all the MTP options. Any selection you make here becomes the default for all future connections.