Google Pixel not found in Android Studio

Question

Having trouble with Android Studio connecting to my Pixel phone. I'm sort of out of ideas and am looking for suggestions. I feel like I'm missing an obvious step.

Things I've done:

Made sure developer options is on with USB debugging on.

Have tried switching from MTP to PTP.

My computer recognizes the Pixel just fine under windows 8.

Made sure android studio is up to date including "Google USB Driver" installed under SDK tools.

My previous phone (Droid mini) connects just fine.

Tried different USB ports for the cable to my phone.

Answer 1

Encountered this problem today as I tested on other people's phones. I found 4 possibilities why a device may not be recognized:

• Case #1: The USB cable supports charging but not data transfer.
• Case #2: Developer options haven't been enabled on target phone (see: https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/knowledge-base-215055/)
• Case#3: Developer options enabled, but USB debugging hasn't been enabled. Go to Settings > System > Developer Options > USB Debugging
• Case #4: Some (but not all) phones require MTP transfer mode to be enabled. It can be enabled by sliding a finger from the top of the screen and tapping "Android system - USB charging this device" > Tap for more options > Transfer files.

Hope this helps someone ^_^

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EDIT: It's come to my attention that there's another possibility. I don't know what causes this, but if you get really stuck, sometimes you need to go into Settings > Developer Options > Debugging > Revoke USB debugging authorisations. This will reset your device USB pairing fingerprint which will often bring the phone back as a device target in Android Studio.

Answer 2

I have had the same trouble with my Google Pixel 2 (Android 9); I couldn't connect it to ADB in Android Studio 3.3. In my special case, AS runs on Kubuntu 18.04 in a VMware Workstation on a Windows host. I have to do following steps every time I want to connect the phone (the phone is already in developer mode):

• Plug phone via USB into the computer (and connect it to the VMware guest, if you use it)
• Phone: Swipe down the notification bar, there should be a message 'Charging the device via UDB'
• Tab on it and change the 'Use USB for' from 'No data transfer' to 'File trasfer'

You can activate 'USB debugging' on your phone's developer screen before or after this procedure, both works for me.