The Ultimate Guide to Transferring Videos from Android to PC

Transfer video files of any size from your Android to your computer

This wikiHow article shows you how to move videos from your Android phone or tablet to your PC. Fortunately, transferring these videos is much easier than transferring videos from a camera. For shorter videos, you can send them to yourself over email. For larger files, though, you'll want to either connect your Android to your computer with a USB cable or upload the video file to Google Drive. Either way, we have you covered with everything you need to know!

Things You Should Know

  • Video files under 25MB can be easily transferred from Android to PC via e-mail
  • Larger videos can be uploaded to Google Drive on an Android device and then retrieved on a PC
  • If you have a USB cable handy, you can easily use it to connect your Android to your PC.
  • Drag and drop any videos from your Android to your PC to begin transferring them.
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Transferring Large Video Files on Google Drive

  1. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 1
    1
    Tap the Google Drive icon to open the app. The icon looks like a green, yellow and blue stylized triangle.
    • You can find the Google Drive app in the Google Play Store if you do not own it already.
    • If this is your first time using the app, you'll be prompted to sign in with your Google account information.
  2. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 2
    2
    Tap the multicolored plus sign icon. This icon is near the bottom right side of the screen.
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  3. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 3
    3
    Tap the icon labeled Upload. This icon looks like an upward-pointing arrow over a straight horizontal line.
  4. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 4
    4
    Tap Photos and Videos. This opens your media library.
  5. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 5
    5
    Tap the video you'd like to transfer to PC, then tap Upload. The Upload option is in the upper right corner of the screen.
  6. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 6
    6
    Switch to your computer and visit drive.google.com.
    • If you're not currently logged in to Google on the computer, you'll be prompted to log in upon visiting the site.
  7. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 7
    7
    Tap Recent. This option is on the left side of the Google Drive screen. You may need to scroll down a bit to reveal it.
  8. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 8
    8
    Right-click on the name of the video you just uploaded. This brings up a contextual menu.
  9. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 9
    9
    Click Download from the contextual menu. The video is downloaded to your computer.[1] [2]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Transferring Videos Using a USB Cable

  1. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 21
    1
    Unlock your Android phone or tablet. Enter your passcode to unlock the device.
  2. Image titled Attach a USB Drive to Your Computer Step 4
    2
    Connect a USB cable from your phone to your computer. The small end goes in your device and the large end goes in your computer.
    • The exact location of the USB plug will vary depending on your hardware, but the mini-USB port on the device is usually on the bottom. On laptop computers, the port is usually on the side, and on desktop computers, it's usually on the front or back.
  3. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 12
    3
    Tap the Charging this device via USB notification on your device.
  4. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 13
    4
    Tap File Transfer. This opens a file transfer window on your computer.
  5. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 14
    5
    Double-click on the folder that contains your videos.
    • The exact name of the folder that contains the videos varies by device, but you can usually find them in the DCIM folder, the Camera folder, the Photos folder, or the Videos folder.
  6. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 15
    6
    Drag and drop the videos from your phone to your PC.
    • To drag and drop, click on a video and hold the mouse button down, then move the video to a folder on your PC and release the mouse button.[3]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Transferring Videos from Android to PC over Email

  1. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 16
    1
    Visit your phone or tablet's photo gallery. It is likely the Photos app on a Google Pixel, but its exact name may vary across different Android models.
  2. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 17
    2
    Tap the video you want to transfer to a PC. Scroll through your gallery until you find the video you need to transfer.
  3. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 18
    3
    Tap the
    Android Share
    icon.     It is along the bottom of your screen on most phones.
  4. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 19
    4
    Tap an email option. Use Gmail, Outlook, or your e-mailing app of choice. This will open an e-mail template with your video already attached.
    • If your video is over 25MB, Gmail may prompt you to upload it to Google Drive. If this is the case, you may consider using this method instead.
  5. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 20
    5
    Send the email to yourself. Enter your own email address, or any email address that you can check from a PC.
  6. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 21
    6
    Tap Send.
  7. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 22
    7
    Open a browser on a PC. Open the email you just sent to yourself. The method you use to check this email will vary depending on your email service.
  8. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 23
    8
    Right-click on the attached video.
  9. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 24
    9
    Click Save Link As from the pop-up menu.
    • Depending on your email service or browser, this option may be listed as Save or Download instead.
  10. Image titled Transfer Videos from Android to PC Step 25
    10
    Click OK. This opens the video on your computer.
    • Depending on your browser, the option may be listed as Open or Open File instead.[4]
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References

  1. ↑ https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2424384?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid
  2. ↑ https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2424368?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&oco=1
  3. ↑ https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/9064445?hl=en
  4. ↑ https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/knowledge-base-97807/

About This Article

Cory Stillman
Written by:
Cory Stillman
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Cory Stillman. Cory Stillman is a Technology Writer for wikiHow. Cory has experience writing about Film and TV for several online publications, including Screen Rant and Film Cred. He earned a degree in Film and Media Studies with a minor in Creative Writing and certificates in Global Studies and Children’s Literature from the University of Pittsburgh. This article has been viewed 120,316 times.
How helpful is this?
Co-authors: 9
Updated: February 20, 2023
Views: 120,316
Categories: Android
Article SummaryX

1. Connect a USB cord from your phone to your computer.
2. Tap the Charging this device via USB notification on your device.
3. Tap File Transfer on your phone.
4. On your computer, double-click the folder that contains your videos.
5. Drag and drop the videos from your phone to your PC.

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