I found my old General Mobile Discovery, which I have not used since 2019. It still charges, but very slowly and inconsistently, and the phone itself is extremely sluggish. I can keep it turned on, but Wi-Fi and Bluetooth do not work. I tried connecting it to a computer with a USB cable, but it only charges—the computer does not detect it, and the phone shows no USB notification. There is no Google account currently signed in. I plan to take it to a professional, but I would like to try safe recovery steps first so I can save the photos and videos without risking the data.
3 Answers
First, make sure the cable supports data transfer. Many USB cables are charging-only, so try a known-good data cable and a different USB port or computer. If the phone is detected, unlock it and select File Transfer or MTP from the USB options. On older Android versions, you may need to open Settings and change the USB connection mode manually.
If the phone has a removable microSD card, power it down and check whether the photos and videos are stored there. A card reader or another phone may let you copy the files directly. Avoid factory-resetting, updating, or repeatedly restarting the device until the data is backed up.
Because the phone is unstable and the battery or charging port could be failing, keep it powered and avoid letting it shut off while testing. Try a different charger and cable, but do not spend too long experimenting if the photos are important. A professional data-recovery technician may be able to work around a damaged port or failing storage, and the safest option is to stop using the phone if it begins overheating or swelling.
USB debugging usually is not required for ordinary photo copying, but checking the USB settings or Developer Options can help if the phone never offers a connection mode.