Looking for a way to transfer or watch video from a Androidsmartphone on a large computer screen? Perhaps you lost an important video in a maze of folders, or your phone refuses to show files through the standard explorer. In this article we will look at all working methods of video search —from basic (via USB cable) to advanced (using ADB and cloud services).

We took into account the features of the latest versions Android 12-14, where manufacturers (for example, Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus) often restrict access to the file system. We’ll also tell you how to find hidden videosrestored from the recycle bin, or files that are not displayed in the gallery.

If you have previously tried to connect your phone to a PC and encountered errors like "Device not recognized" or "No access to folders" - here you are you will find solutions. All instructions were tested on real devices with different OS versions and brands.

📊 Which connection method do you use most often?
USB cable
Wi-Fi/Bluetooth
Cloud services (Google Drive, Yandex.Disk)
Never connected

1. Preparing the phone: why the computer does not see the video

Before searching for video on the phone via a PC, make sure that the device is correctly configured for data transfer. A common mistake made by users is connecting via USB in charging onlymode, when the file system remains locked.

On Android 10 and newer, when you first connect to the computer, a notification appears with the choice of mode. If you skip it, it will be activated by default restricted access. Here's how to fix it:

  • 📱 Unlock the screen phone - on a locked device, the choice of connection mode is not available.
  • 🔌 Use the original cable (or certified USB Type-C). Cheap cables often do not support data transfer.
  • 🔄 Change mode USB: lower the notification shade → tap on "Charging via USB" → select "File transfer" (or MTP).
  • 🔒 Allow access to files: on some phones (Huawei, Honor), you need to additionally confirm the trusted device in the security settings.

If after these steps the computer still does not see the video, the problem may lie in developer settings or a driver conflict. More on this in the next section.

⚠️ Attention: On phones with MIUI (for example, Redmi Note 12) system folders are hidden by default. To see them, in the file manager, click ⋮ → Settings → Show hidden files.

2. Search for video via USB: standard and advanced methods

The most reliable way is to connect via cable. Even if the video is not displayed in the phone gallery, you can find it manually through a PC.

Method 1: Windows/macOS Explorer

After connecting the phone in MTP (or File transfer) open Explorer (Win + E). A new device will appear in the "This computer" section (for example, Xiaomi Redmi or Samsung Galaxy).

Where to look for videos:

  • 📁 /DCIM/Camera —videos shot with the main camera.
  • 📁 /Movies or /Videos —downloaded videos (for example, from Telegram or WhatsApp).
  • 📁 /Download —videos downloaded through the browser.
  • 📁 /Android/data —videos from games and applications (for example, TikTok or Likee).

If the desired file is not in these folders, use search by extension. In the Explorer search bar, enter: 

.mp4 OR .mov OR .mkv OR .avi OR *.3gp

This will show all video files regardless of their location.

Method 2: ADB to access hidden folders

On some phones (for example, Samsung s One UI) some of the video may be stored in protected folders that are not accessible through MTP. To see them, you will need USB debugging (ADB).

Instructions:

  1. Enable mode Developer: Settings → About phone → Build number (tap 7 times).
  2. Activate USB debugging in Settings → System → For developers.
  3. Connect your phone to the PC and confirm the trusted device.
  4. Download Platform Tools (official tool from Google) and extract to a folder C:\adb.
  5. Open Command line in this folder and enter: 
    adb shell ls /sdcard/

    This will show all folders on the phone, including hidden ones.

To copy the video to PC, use the command: 

adb pull /sdcard/folder/video.mp4 C:\Users\Your_name\Videos
⚠️ Attention: On phones with Android 13+ and MIUI 14+ access via ADB may be limited. In this case, only root access or backup via Google Photos.

File Transfer (MTP) mode is enabled|The original cable is used|The phone screen is unlocked|Drivers for the phone model are installed|Hidden folders are checked in the file manager settings-->

3. Wi-Fi: without cables and restrictions

If the USB port is broken or you prefer wireless solutions, videos can be found and downloaded via a local network. This method works even on phones with damaged connector or a lost cable.

Method 1: Applications for remote access

The most reliable apps:

  • 🌐 FX File Explorer (with module FX Connect) - allows you to connect to the phone as an FTP server.
  • 📱 Solid Explorer — supports WebDAV i SFTP.
  • 🖥️ AirDroid —a convenient interface, but requires registration.

Setting example FX File Explorer:

  1. Install the application on your phone and open the side menu (☰).
  2. Select Remote access → Start server.
  3. Enter the address (for example, ftp://192.168.1.10:2221in Windows Explorer or FileZilla.
  4. Login and password - those specified in the application (by default often anonymous without password).

Method 2: Built-in FTP server (without root)

On phones with Android 9+ you can run an FTP server without third-party applications:

  1. Connect your phone and computer to the same Wi-Fi network.
  2. In the address bar of your browser on your PC, enter: 
    ftp://phone_address:2221

    (IP can be found in Settings → About phone → Status → IP address).

  3. Use login anonymous and any password (or leave the field blank).

The transfer speed will be lower than via USB, but you don’t need to install anything.

💡

If the video does not open after copying to a PC, check its codecs using VLC Media Player (supports almost all formats, including rare ones) like .mkv With HEVC).

4. Search for videos in cloud services and backups

If the video has been deleted from your phone or is not saved in memory, check your cloud storage. Many users don’t even suspect that their videos are automatically synchronized with services like Google Photos or Yandex.Disk.

Where to look:

Service Path to video Features
Google Photos photos.google.com → Albums → Video Automatic download if backup is enabled. Videos in original quality are stored up to 15 GB (free).
Yandex.Disk disk.yandex.ru → Startup → Camera Synchronizes only when the option is enabled in the application settings.
Samsung Cloud Gallery → ☰ → Samsung Cloud → Video Available only on devices Samsung with an account Samsung Account.
Telegram Saved messages → Media Videos sent to chats or channels are saved in the cloud Telegram without time limits.

If the video was deleted from the gallery, but synchronized with the cloud, it can be restored:

  • 🗑️ V Google Photos: Cart (stores files for 60 days).
  • 🔄 B Yandex.Disk: Recently deleted (30 days).
⚠️ Attention: On phones Huawei s HMS (instead of Google Mobile Services) video backups are stored in Huawei Cloud. Access to them is possible only through an account Huawei ID.

5. Search for deleted or hidden videos

If videos have disappeared from the gallery, but take up space in memory, they could be:

  • 🔍 Hidden (for example, through .nomedia file).
  • 🗑️ Deleted, but not yet overwritten with new data.
  • 🔒 Encrypted (on phones with Secure Folder from Samsung or Private Safe from Xiaomi).

How to find hidden videos

Some applications (for example, Gallery Lock or Vault) hide files by adding a file to the folder .nomediaTo see them:

  1. Connect your phone to the PC and open Explorer.
  2. Turn on display of hidden files: View → Hidden items.
  3. Delete the file .nomedia from the video folder (or rename it).
  4. Update the gallery on your phone (restart the application Gallery).

Recovering deleted videos

If the videos were deleted, but the phone did not reboot and did not record new files, they can be restored from using:

  • 🛠️ DiskDigger (works without root, but with limitations).
  • 💾 Recuva (requires connecting the phone as a drive, does not work on all models).
  • 🔧 EaseUS MobiSaver (paid, but with a high chance of recovery).

Important: do not write new files to the phone before recovery - they can overwrite the deleted data.

How do recovery apps work?

They scan the phone's memory at the bit level, looking for signatures of video files (for example, titles MP4 or MKV) and restore them even if the entry in the file system is deleted. However, fragmented files (broken into parts) are more difficult to recover - they may open with artifacts or without sound.

6. Search for videos from specific applications

Videos from instant messengers, social networks or games are often stored in separate folders that are not displayed in the standard gallery. Here's where to look for them:

Application Path to video on phone How to download to PC
TikTok /Android/data/com.zhiliaoapp.musically/cache/video Via USB or ADB (the folder is hidden by default).
WhatsApp /WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Video Send the video to your chat or copy it through Explorer.
Instagram /Android/data/com.instagram.android/cache/video Use ADB or a file manager with root access.
VK /Android/data/ru.mail.mailapp/cache/vk_video Videos from the feed are saved temporarily - download immediately.

For YouTube and Twitch videos are cached in folders: 

/Android/data/com.google.android.youtube/cache

/Android/data/tv.twitch.android.app/cache

But they encrypted and are played only through the app.

7. Alternative methods: if nothing works

If standard methods did not help, try these options:

  • 📱 Screen mirroring: Connect the phone to the PC via Miracast (Windows) or QuickTime Player (macOS), then record the screen using OBS Studio.
  • 🔄 Backup: Create a backup via adb backup or Samsung Smart Switch, then extract the video from the archive.
  • 🖥️ Virtual machine: Install Android-x86 on a PC, connect the phone as an external drive and use Linuxsearch utilities (for example, find / -name "*.mp4").

On phones with a chip MediaTek (for example, Realme, Oppo), sometimes resetting the settings to factory settings while saving the data helps (Settings → System → Reset → Reset settingsAfter this, hidden videos may be displayed again in the gallery.

⚠️ Attention: On Android 14 Google has tightened its security policy for third-party file managers. Some applications (for example, ES Explorer) may lose access to folders. Use official tools (Files by Google) or ADB.

1) Is it saved in the cloud (Google Photos, Yandex.Disk).

2) Is it hidden in a protected folder (Secure Folder, Private Safe).

3) Is it permanently deleted (try recovery via DiskDigger).

4) Is this video DRM-protected (for example, from Netflix or Disney+).-->

FAQ: Frequently asked questions

My computer does not see the phone via USB. What to do?

1. Check the cable - try another (original).

2. Update drivers: download Google USB Driver or drivers for your model from the manufacturer's website.

3. Switch USB mode: in the notification shade, select File transfer (MTP).

4. On Windows, try USB troubleshooting (Control Panel → Troubleshooting).

How to find the video I downloaded in Telegram?

Open My files → Device memory → Telegram → Telegram Video.

If there is no folder, check the settings Telegram: Settings → Data and memory → Download folder.

Videos from channels can be stored in /Android/data/org.telegram.messenger/cache (available only through root or ADB).

Is it possible to find video if the phone is broken but turns on?

Yes. Connect the phone to the PC via USB and use ADB or FX File Explorer in FTP mode.

If the screen does not work, but the sensor responds, try connecting a mouse via USB OTG and control the phone with it.

For Samsung suitable Samsung Smart Switch - it can create backup copy even with a broken screen.

Why are some videos not copied to the PC?

Probable reasons:

  • The file is protected by DRM (for example, video from Netflix or Amazon Prime).
  • Video fragmented or damaged (try restoring via VLC: Tools → Recover media).
  • The folder is locked by an application (for example, Snapchat or Signal encrypt media files).
How to search for videos on a phone with root access?

With root you get full access to the system. Use:

  • Root Explorer — to search all folders, including system ones.
  • Command find / -name "*.mp4" v Terminal Emulator.
  • SQLite Editor — to view the gallery database (/data/data/com.android.providers.media/databases/external.db).

Caution: incorrect actions with root can lead to loss data or briku phone.