Connecting Samsung J5 Cell to Zorin OS

Help and Support
1

Connected my Samsung J5 (2016) Cellular Phone via USB;
“recognizes” as Samsung Android.
However, files (images) are not found as “disk”
States: “folder is empty”
Tried “other places” in disks window,
not seen as a disk.
What am I missing?

2

It seems like you are encountering an issue where your Ubuntu Zorin OS is recognizing your Samsung J5 (2016) phone but not displaying its files when connected via USB. This is a common issue related to the MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) used by most Android phones for file transfers. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve this issue:

  1. Check USB Connection Mode on Your Phone:

    • When you connect your phone to the computer, a notification usually appears on your phone asking you to choose the type of connection. Make sure it’s set to “File Transfer” or “MTP (Media Transfer Protocol)” mode and not just “Charging”.

  2. Install MTP Tools:

    • If your system doesn’t have the necessary tools to handle MTP devices, you should install them. You can do this by opening a terminal and running:
      sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install mtp-tools mtpfs

  3. Restart the Connection:

    • After installing MTP tools, disconnect and reconnect your phone, and then check if the issue persists.

  4. Check if gvfs-backends is Installed:

    • gvfs-backends is required for MTP to work properly on GNOME-based desktops (like Zorin OS). Install it by running:
      sudo apt-get install gvfs-backends

  5. Check USB Cable and Port:

    • Sometimes, the issue could be with the USB cable or port. Try a different cable or connect to a different USB port on your computer.

  6. Restart the Phone and the Computer:

    • Restarting both the phone and the computer can sometimes resolve connection issues.

  7. Check for Software Updates:

    • Ensure that both your phone and your computer are up to date with the latest software updates.

  8. Debugging Options on Your Phone:

    • If the above steps don’t work, you might need to enable USB debugging on your phone. This is found in the Developer Options, which can be enabled by tapping the Build Number in your phone’s About section several times. Once Developer Options are enabled, find and enable USB debugging.

  9. Check File Permissions:

    • There might be a permissions issue preventing the files from being accessed. You can check and modify the permissions using the file manager or terminal.

  10. Use Alternative Methods:

    • If all else fails, consider using alternative methods to transfer files, such as using cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.), or directly removing the SD card from your phone (if applicable) and connecting it to your computer using a card reader.

Remember, the exact steps might vary slightly depending on the version of Ubuntu Zorin OS you are using and the specific settings of your Samsung J5 phone.