How to get photos from phone to windows 11 via USB. Files showing with mobile icon, not available until online. I am online..

Question

How to get photos/videos from samsung phone to windows 11 via USB. in explorer, Files showing with mobile icon, not available until online. I am online.. also usb connected, where are my videos?

this used to be straight forward....

I do not want to use one drive , i want to transfer direct from the phone that shot the video to my laptop.

Why are shot videos showing as 0mb size? yet I can watch on my phone? they are not stored online.

Why are they not transferring?

thanks

John

Answer 1

Hi,

It looks like you’re opening your files through the device listed in the navigation pane. That one is tied to the Phone Link app, so your phone needs to be connected for it to work. If you want to access your files offline, go to This PC instead. Your device should appear alongside your system drive, and you can manage your files from there without needing a connection.

Answer 2

Follow these steps to transfer photos and videos directly from the Samsung phone to Windows 11 and avoid the “mobile icon / online-only / 0 MB” issue:

1. Use classic USB file transfer (bypass Phone Link online view)
   This avoids the “online-only” mobile device view and treats the phone like a USB drive.
   1. Connect the Samsung phone to the PC with a USB cable that supports data (not charge‑only). If in doubt, try another cable.
   2. Unlock the phone. A locked phone will not expose storage.
   3. On the phone, pull down the notification shade and tap the USB notification. Set it to File transfer / MTP or Transfer files (not “Charge only”).
   4. On Windows 11, open File Explorer → in the left pane, look under This PC or Devices and drives for the phone (often shows as the phone’s model name).
   5. Open the phone → open Internal storage (or similar) → go to DCIM → Camera (and any other folders where the Samsung camera app saves media).
   6. Select the photos/videos and Copy → Paste them into a folder on the PC (for example, Pictures or Videos).
   This path copies the actual files; they should not show as 0 MB once copied locally.
2. Avoid the new “Show mobile device in File Explorer” online-only view
   On Windows 11, Phone Link photos have moved into File Explorer as an online-only view. Files there:
   • Show a mobile icon.
   • Are not stored on the PC.
   • Can be deleted from the phone if deleted in File Explorer.
   To ensure real copies on the PC:
   • Use the USB method above, or
   • If using the mobile-device entry in File Explorer, always copy files to a local folder before working with them.
3. Why videos show as 0 MB or won’t transfer
   Based on the behavior described, typical causes are:
   • The view is online-only (Phone Link/File Explorer integration) and not yet fully downloaded.
   • The transfer is happening from the Phone Link photos integration, which originally focused on recent photos and did not import videos.
   To fix this, always:
   • Switch the phone’s USB mode to File transfer/MTP.
   • Access the phone under This PC as a USB device, not via the Phone Link photos view.
   • Copy from DCIM (and other media folders) directly.
4. Alternative: use the Photos app’s USB import (still direct, no OneDrive)
   If preferred, Windows can import from USB without using OneDrive:
   1. Connect and unlock the phone; set USB mode to File transfer/MTP.
   2. On the PC, select Start → Photos to open the Microsoft Photos app.
   3. Select Import → choose the connected device (the Samsung phone).
   4. Pick the items to import and choose a local folder on the PC.
   This also transfers directly from the phone; OneDrive is not required.
5. If files still appear online-only or missing
   • Confirm the phone’s camera app is saving to device storage, not only to a cloud service.
   • If using Phone Link/File Explorer mobile view, remember those are online-only representations of what’s on the phone; always copy to a local folder first.
   • Try another USB cable and another USB port if the phone does not appear under This PC.

Once the phone is in proper USB file-transfer mode and accessed under This PC, videos should show their real size (not 0 MB) and copy directly to the laptop without involving OneDrive.

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References:

• Import photos and videos from phone to PC
• Setting up photos in the Phone Link
• Seamlessly transfer content between your devices