USB not reading phone

[Chillichill]

Hi, 

Thanks in advance to everyone on the forum, so helpful. 

So my new 2016 1.2 TSI isn't reading my Huawei P20 pro via USB. It will read a USB stick and other phones. Dealer (not skoda) said once I get smartlink activated it will work and thinks the the problem is the car trying to read the phone as a memory device and the phone not sending the info the right way. All settings in the phone should alow it (USB debugging, permissions, etc)

Anyone have any experience with this? Worried that it won't work with smartlink either and will need to fork out for a new phone 

[Rustynuts]

There are issues apparently with Huawei phones and Android Auto. I wouldn't think upgrading to Smartt Link and using Android Auto will be any help. Personally I'd be into a friends handbag and pinch their phone for a few minutes and make sure a different handset will work, then head down that route.

 

 

[Urrell]

Can you connect via bluetooth?

[Chillichill]

I can connect via Bluetooth and hand free phone works fine, can listen to spotify via Bluetooth as well and skip tracks via the bolero (although weirdly the track info is always one track behind but from some research ive done it looks like that's a spotify issue). 

Hope I don't need a new device, spent all my money on the car! 

[john999boy]

One other thing to try is a different cable as they're not all as good as what the sales spiel says!

[Chillichill]

will do but the dealer used my cable to connect his own phone and it  was fine. 

my husband also has a P20 pro and the car didn't like his either. 

 

[Rustynuts]

New handset I doubt.

[john999boy]

As Rusty mentioned, try someone else's phone to try and eliminate things.

[ejstubbs]

TL:DR - 99.9999% probability that it's not the car or the cable that's the problem, but the phone - and it's Huawei's fault.  And turn off USB debugging.

 

Here's the detail...

 

5 hours ago, Chillichill said:

All settings in the phone should alow it (USB debugging, permissions, etc)

 

You do not need USB debugging enabled for the phone to be able to act as a storage device.  In fact it's safest to leave it disabled unless you are actually going to use it for something like fastboot or ADB, since it is a potential route in to the phone for a malefactor.

 

More to the point, AFAIK most modern Android phones don't even offer USB connection as a block-level storage device which, going by your reference to a USB stick working, is what I believe you are expecting to be able to do.  AIUI it's been deprecated in Android for several releases now (read more about it here, for a start).  The options for USB on my phone and tablet, both running pretty stock Android 7.1.1 (i.e. with minimal manufacturer customisation) are:

• Charging.
• Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) for file transfer.  I understand that this is directly supported on Windows, but on other hosts e.g. Mac and Linux you need the Android File Transfer utility on the host machine to be able to exchange files the phone.  And all it does is transfer whole files, it won't stream data at the byte or block level from the storage on the device.
• Picture Transfer Protocl (PTP) whic is similar to MTP but designed for transferring images.
• RNDIS (a kind of virtual Ethernet, apparently).
• Audio source.
• MIDI.

I've just checked my wife's tablet which is running Android 8.1 and the list is the same.

 

There's no MSC on that list, so the device can't act like a USB stick.  I strongly suspect that the same will be the case with your Huawei phone.

 

The way I checked was to go in to Developer Options (which you must already have enabled in order to enabled USB debugging) and scroll down the list until you see the Select USB Configuration option.  Tap that and it'll list the options available.  No MSC, no block-level storage sharing.  Also, when you connect your phone to a USB host you should get a notification asking you to select which USB service you want to use.  I believe the list you are offered there is based on what the phone has agreed with the host they can both do.  Again, no MSC, no USB-stick-like block level storage.  If Audio source is offered then that might achieve something?  But as far as I remember from before I got Smartlink activated on my car, it's not offered so I presume the car doesn't support it.

 

I'm very happy with Android Auto (see this current thread, and other recent ones on the same subject, for more discussion about its pros and cons).  However, from scouting around online it looks like Rustynuts is right that Hauwei have managed to break Android Auto on their phones by over-customising their flavour of Android (there's even a Facebook page or group of whatever they're called about it)..  You could try asking the dealer if you can test your phone in one of their cars that already has Smartlink available (remember to install Android Auto on your phone first).  If that doesn't work then it looks like you're stuck with bluetooth unless and until Hauwei get their act together.

Edited 7 June, 2019 by ejstubbs

[Chillichill]

Thank you for the very detailed reply. 

I think you are right, it's the phone. A I can do is take the chance and e able smartlink and then see is Android auto will work. That Facebook page suggests that the latest oreo update fixed the issue. If it doesn't work look like I'll be buying a pixel or a Samsung. 

[mustrum]

33 minutes ago, Chillichill said:

Thank you for the very detailed reply. 

I think you are right, it's the phone. A I can do is take the chance and e able smartlink and then see is Android auto will work. That Facebook page suggests that the latest oreo update fixed the issue. If it doesn't work look like I'll be buying a pixel or a Samsung. 

The Android Nokias are very good (and much cheaper!)

 

[Nathanio]

Go with the Pixel. I have a 2XL I bought second hand from MusicMapgie and am absolutely blown away by it compared to my previous OnePlus, LG and Samsung's. 

 

The only annoying thing is it doesn't like non-FAT formatted USB sticks when plugging in on OTG and doesn't support anything other than Chromecast for screen sharing. 

[AshMcConnell]

Thanks to this thread, I got my Huawei Nova 5T to connect via USB.  I had developer mode on and I got "USB Error", I turned it off and now it is working for USB and Android Auto.  Thanks folks!