How to connect the tablet to the PC

You've finally made up your mind to buy a tablet to use for work, or simply for leisure. You have configured it and explored its various functions, but you have not yet been able to figure out how to connect it to your PC.

After several attempts, therefore, you lost heart and decided to let it go. What if I told you that your problem can be solved easily? You already feel more relieved, right? Well, in this guide of mine I will explain how to connect the tablet to the PC using the USB cable or using wireless systems. I will show you the procedures to be adopted for sharing files, folders and the screen with both Android tablets and iPads.

OK! Then we are ready to go! Turn on your PC, grab your tablet, USB cable and make sure you have internet access. Give yourself some free time to read the tutorial carefully and you will see that, in the end, you will be able to connect your tablet to the PC without any problem!

How to connect the tablet to the PC via USB

The most intuitive way to connect the tablet to the PC is via the USB cable. Some tablets allow you to use their own file management software (iPad is essential), or you can simply use your computer's file manager to freely select files and folders, and then move them from one device to another. Here's everything in detail.

Android

In general, if you use a PC with a Windows operating system , you will not need special drivers or programs to be able to connect the tablet to the PC and transfer the files: just connect the device, wait for its automatic recognition by the operating system (operation which takes a few seconds on first connection, for automatic driver installation) and use the Windows File Explorer file manager to explore the folders and files in your tablet's memory.

Once you have connected your Android tablet to the PC, therefore, wait for it to be recognized and open File Explorer ; then look for the device in the left column and select it. Then click on Internal Memory , to access the folders and files of the tablet and transfer them with a simple copy and paste .

If the tablet does not appear in File Explorer, you will need to set the USB connection of the tablet to MTP ( Media Transfer Protocol ) mode. To do this you need to select the tablet Settings by pressing the gear icon.

At this point, tap on Device Connection , then on the USB item and then select File manger device (MTP) (or Transfer File ). Alternatively, you can change this same setting from the notifications drop- down , by selecting the item relating to the USB connection . Once this is done, you will be able to access your tablet's memory using File Explorer.

If you are interested in managing your tablet from a PC in a more complete way - or should you encounter device recognition problems - you can install the official software that the various hardware manufacturers offer , which in addition to containing the drivers to have their tablets recognized by Windows also allow you to back up your data, update the device's operating system and much more. To find out more, see my guides on how to connect Xiaomi to your PC , how to connect HUAWEI to PC , how Samsung Smart Switch works and, more generally, how to connect Android to PC .

To connect an Android tablet to a Mac you cannot use the operating system's default file manager (Finder) but you must use the official Android File Transfer application , which you can download for free on this page .

After downloading the AndroidFileTransfer.dmg package , open it by double clicking on it, then drag the program icon into the Applications folder . Once the transfer is complete, launch the Launchpad , click on the new application, and then click Open . Afterward, click the Get started button , then connect the tablet to your computer with the USB cable.

After a few seconds a window will open through which you can explore the files and folders of your tablet. To transfer files, simply drag and drop them from the Android File Transfer window to any folder on your computer. For more details, read my guide on how to connect Android devices to Mac .

iPad

To transfer media files such as videos, pictures and music from iPad to PC, you need to use Apple's official iTunes software (on outdated Windows PCs and Macs) or macOS File Manager Finder (on newer Macs). The two programs have a very similar interface, so the procedure for connecting the iPad and transferring files is very similar.

On Windows, iTunes is available as a free download directly from the Microsoft Store , while on older versions of macOS it is included “as standard”; in the more recent ones it has been removed and the iDevice management functions have been moved to the Finder. If you need more specific information on how to install iTunes , read my dedicated guide.

To connect iPad to the PC , therefore, use the USB-C or Lighting cable at your disposal and, if this is the first time you do this, authorize the communication between the two devices by pressing the appropriate buttons and entering the unlock code on the iPad . . Once done, you'll be able to see your iPad among devices in the left column of iTunes or Finder and sync or copy files to the latter, as well as manage backups and updates . For further information, I refer you to my tutorials on how to synchronize iPad , how to backup iPad and how to update iPad .

By connecting your iPad to Windows, you can also explore folders and files via File Explorer . Once connected via USB, in File Explorer you will be able to see the device in the left column, under the heading This PC . By clicking on it, you will be able to access the folders of your iPad, even if most of the app files will not be shown to you: you can only manage photos, videos and little else. For more details, read my guide on how to transfer photos from iPad to PC .

How to connect the tablet to the PC with WiFi

OK, at this point of the tutorial, you may be wondering how to connect the tablet to the PC without a cable , in order to take advantage of the Wi-Fi connection and avoid the clutter of the USB cable. Perfect, I'm here to answer this question too!

Android

If you want to transfer files from Android tablet to computer via Wi-Fi , I suggest you try Snapdrop : it is a free service accessible from any web browser that allows you to share files between two devices without installing any app or additional software. Snapdrop uses the local network to transfer files, ensuring a good level of privacy and a high transfer speed. Not bad, isn't it?

All you have to do is log into Snapdrop's main page from your PC and tablet.
Once done, Snapdrop will assign a random nickname to your tablet and PC, which you can see under the blue monitor icon.

At this point, to transfer a file from PC to tablet or vice versa, from the Snapdrop page on your browser, click on the blue icon to select the file to send to the other device. Now, on the Snapdrop page of the other device, a screen will open with the file sent: press Save to save the file in memory and that's it. If you want subsequent downloads to occur automatically, you can uncheck Ask to save each file before downloading .

If you don't just want to transfer one-time files from tablet to PC or vice versa, but need constant synchronization of files on your devices , I can only recommend the use of cloud storage services , such as Google Drive , OneDrive and Dropbox , which allow you to have a sort of online hard disk accessible from any device on which to store your files (the basic plans of a few GB are free, to increase the space you need to activate paid plans).

Alternatively, you could also think about transferring files from one device to another using messaging systems like WhatsApp and Telegram or sending files via email . Check out the tutorials I just listed for you to find out more.

iPad

On iPad you can activate Wi-Fi synchronization with iTunes and Finder and, therefore, transfer your data without having to physically connect the two devices (as long as they are connected to the same wireless network). To do this, open iTunes or Finder, connect your iPad via cable (only necessary at this initial stage) and click on the tablet icon to open the Settings . From here, look for Options ( General ) and check Synchronize iPad via Wi-Fi . In this way, the computer will reveal your tablet connected to the Wi-Fi network and you can synchronize files without using the cable.

For the transfer of files, as seen above for Android tablets, it is possible to use services such as Snapdrop , cloud storage services (to which the native iCloud service is added on the Apple platform ), messaging apps and emails .

How to connect the tablet to the pc to use it as a graphics tablet

Would you like to know if it is possible to draw using the tablet as if it were a graphics tablet ? The answer is yes: to do this you will need to use PC software and tablet apps. Some apps allow you to use your tablet as a graphics tablet by sharing your screen.

• SuperDisplay ( Android ) - a free app for Android tablets that allows you to connect your tablet to your PC via USB or via Wi-Fi and share your screen. To do this, you need to download the app from the Google Play Store (or alternative stores ) and install the driver for Windows by downloading from the software web page . Once done, open the SuperDisplay program on your PC, then connect the tablet to the PC and tap OK to the Open SuperDisplay question when this USB accessory is connected . This way, you can see your PC desktop on your tablet and use a touch pen to let your imagination run wild with your favorite drawing program.
• Astropad ( iPadOS ) - is an app available on iPad that allows you to use the tablet as a real graphics tablet. The Standard version costs € 29.99 and is compatible with Mac, while the Astropad Project Blue app can also be used with Windows PCs, but is currently only available in beta.

For more details, I invite you to read my specific tutorial on how to use the tablet as a graphics tablet .

How to connect the tablet to the PC monitor

If you want to connect your tablet to your PC or Mac to share your screen , you can take advantage of several solutions. For example, if you have a recent Mac and iPad, you can take advantage of the sidecar function included “standard” on these devices and which I told you about in a dedicated tutorial .

Alternatively, among the third-party solutions, you can turn to the Duet Display app , which is compatible with both Windows and macOS as regards computers and both with iPad and Android as regards tablets.

The program allows you to use the tablet as a secondary computer screen, by connecting the device via USB cable or Wi-Fi. The app costs € 9.99: you can download it from the Google Play Store and alternative stores for Android and from the App Store for iPad , while you will find the Windows and macOS PC software on this web page .