Phone-to-PC connection app

[Soporose]

Hi folks.

Big hands + small phone = need for a GOOD phone-to-PC connection app.

Phone is a Medion E4002 (bought from Aldi) running Android 4.1.1. Does everything I want and great value for money.

I've tried a few apps but so far not found anything that easily allows me to do all my phone editing on the PC screen ? mainly extensive contacts editing, but also file transfer etc. Texting is a big one too, as I need to frequently send text messages to groups.

I want an app that loads when I want to use it, not when it thinks it's needed ? some are really annoying in this respect.

I sit at my desk all day with phone beside me so connection will always be via USB cable. Don't care about other connection types (Bluetooth, etc).

Any suggestions?

 

[anon(847090)]

AirDroid https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...s/details?id=com.sand.airdroid&token=XUjlDf63

not sure if it does USB connection

 

[srkmagnus]

There are several apps you can use to accomplish this.

For texting via computer, consider an app like DeskSMS: https://forums.androidcentral.com/e....koushikdutta.desktopsms&hl=en&token=18J_DxX2

For exploring files wirelessly, consider WiFi File Transfer: https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...erdroid.wififiletransfer&hl=en&token=vPKmYB4i

Contacts can manually be edited via your Google Account. Just log into your account and look for the contacts options and edit. Changes will appears on your Android device if you are logged into the same account. Here is a quick how-to provided by Google: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/14001?hl=en

Hopefully this post is of some assistance to you. Let us know if you have further questions.

 

[bismarcksd]

AirDroid https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...s/details?id=com.sand.airdroid&token=0dhgfGqR

not sure if it does USB connection

yes you can tether airdroid via usb.
you can also tether it via your wifi, which is pretty easy.
airdroid will fit all your needs, i love the program and highly recommend it.

 

[Soporose]

I've decided to go with MyPhoneExplorer for now, though it does seem to be a bit weak in working with Groups for messaging. Could be wrong on that score though, as I haven't researched it exhaustively yet.

I still haven't found anything that comes close to WonderShare MobileGo, but at 40 bucks it's a bit too expensive for me at the moment. But I think I'll probably end up coughing up for it eventually. You can trial it for I think it's 15 days if you want to give it a run.

Thank you all for your input.

 

[lorwoods35]

you dont need apps to connect this phone to your PC. - go to USB connections, turn on USB storage - enable usb debugging - plug in your USB cable to pc and phone , and follow instructions.

 

[Soporose]

you dont need apps to connect this phone to your PC. - go to USB connections, turn on USB storage - enable usb debugging - plug in your USB cable to pc and phone , and follow instructions.

Yes, that allows a connection between the phone and the PC, and is a pre-requisite for any app of the type we are discussing. However the mere connection doesn't give you very much of use. For example it doesn't open up a simple way to send SMS using a decent sized screen and a proper keyboard. For that you need apps like those mentioned above.

 

[Rukbat]

I still haven't found anything that comes close to WonderShare MobileGo, but at 40 bucks it's a bit too expensive for me at the moment.

And, in violation of one of your requests, it starts running when you plug in the phone. It's easy enough to cancel it, but that's just one more step. (I let the 15 days run out, then uninstalled it. MPE works, the keyboard works, texting works (I don't do groups), file transfer works - you just have to remember to turn on the client (on the phone) or it'll keep failing to connect.

 

[Soporose]

And, in violation of one of your requests, it starts running when you plug in the phone.

Only if you have the Service in Windows' Startup, so its running in the background right from the get go.
Run --> msconfig --> Startup and remove the WonderShare service – forget what it's called now but it should be easy to spot.

MPE works, the keyboard works, texting works (I don't do groups), file transfer works - you just have to remember to turn on the client (on the phone) or it'll keep failing to connect.

Yes, I do agree – most things work, and work quite well. But one thing I can't figure out is how to edit a Draft message, and that's important for my usage. In 5 days none of their 7 moderators have been able to give me an answer to that. After all, the definition of a draft is something you are still working on, so it's unacceptable not to be able to edit a draft.

Also MPE can't handle dual SIM phones, which are becoming more and more common. I don't think WonderShare MobileGo does either, and while not a big deal at the moment, that's something they both will have to work on if they want to stay competitive. But more importantly a lot of people are asking about dual SIM setups in the MPE forums and not getting straight, sensible answers. Waffling on about what an API will or won't allow isn't a coherent explanation for people who have no idea what an API is.

But don't get me wrong – MPE is a fine application and, for the most part, will do what I want.

 

[Rukbat]

Also MPE can't handle dual SIM phones, which are becoming more and more common. I don't think WonderShare MobileGo does either, and while not a big deal at the moment, that's something they both will have to work on if they want to stay competitive. But more importantly a lot of people are asking about dual SIM setups in the MPE forums and not getting straight, sensible answers. Waffling on about what an API will or won't allow isn't a coherent explanation for people who have no idea what an API is.

I'll say this as someone who's been developing software for 40 years for a living. Telling your user "We don't have a dual SIM phone, so we can't release a version of our product claiming that it will work on one" may be understandable to some of the more intelligent customers (especially considering the price of the product), but I'm willing to bet that most people seeing that will tell them (or is it "him"?) to go out and get some dual SIM phones and make it work on them. Most people seem to think that developing an app - any app - is just sitting at a computer for a few hours.

Yes, there may be some API learning involved, but until you test the app on actual hardware (at least one dual SIM phone in this case), you can't be sure that you haven't introduced a bug that'll wipe out your user's data. Good developers don't release untested software.

 

[Soporose]

Telling your user "We don't have a dual SIM phone, so we can't release a version of our product claiming that it will work on one" may be understandable to some of the more intelligent customers (especially considering the price of the product), but I'm willing to bet that most people seeing that will tell them (or is it "him"?) to go out and get some dual SIM phones and make it work on them.

I didn't see any statement from them that it was because they didn't have the hardware to test on. But it wouldn't be much of an excuse anyway, considering you can pick up a dual SIM phone for 100 bucks or less. My Medion E4002 cost about A$149 new six months or so ago, and i'm sure you can get cheaper than that. I for one am not a buyer of $700-$800 phones!

But my point was not that they should develop for or support dual SIM, but rather that they should make it clear at the outset that dual Sim is not supported. And it would also save a lot of forum questions (most of which have gone unanswered) and user frustration if they made it clear that their software only addressed the SIM in slot #1. That may seem obvious to some people, but it's certainly not obvious to a great many.

Most people seem to think that developing an app - any app - is just sitting at a computer for a few hours.

Well, it often is <g>, if you don't include the time taken to learn and become proficient with the language.

Yes, there may be some API learning involved, but until you test the app on actual hardware (at least one dual SIM phone in this case), you can't be sure that you haven't introduced a bug that'll wipe out your user's data. Good developers don't release untested software.

No argument there – agree 100%.