Can I use USB C ports on Asus Chromebook Flip for data

[Android Central Question]

I have an Asus Chromebook Flip C101. Sometimes I tether it to my phone for mobile data. I'd like to connect it to one of the two USB-C ports on the Flip. But whenever I connect the phone to the Flip via USB-C, it reverts to power-only, either to charge the phone from the Flip, or the Flip from the phone. The only way I can exchange data is using the USB-A port on the Flip.

Can I get the USB-C ports on the Flip to do data?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! When you connect, swipe down the notification panel on the phone. If you see a USB icon, tap it, and see if you can change it to MTP/File Transfer.

 

[Paul Nancarrow]

Thanks for the tip. The problem I'm having is that the phone doesn't give me a USB notification when I plug it into the Chromebook with a USB-C to USB-C cable. If I use A-to-C, then I get a notification, and I can set it up to tether its mobile broadband. With a C-to-C cable, it just starts charging and doesn't give me any options.

The phone in question is an LG V20. The Chromebook is an Asus C101 Flip. Is there some setting hidden away somewhere that I need to change in order to allow USB tethering using a C-to-C cable?

 

[Paul Nancarrow]

FYI, I checked with Asus customer support and they say the USB-C ports on the Flip are configured to transfer power or video, but not data. So it's not the answer I was hoping for, but it's an answer. Guess I'll have to tether with a more conventional cable!

 

[B. Diddy]

FYI, I checked with Asus customer support and they say the USB-C ports on the Flip are configured to transfer power or video, but not data. So it's not the answer I was hoping for, but it's an answer. Guess I'll have to tether with a more conventional cable!

That still seems odd to me -- why would both USB-C ports be only for power? If that were the case, then you presumably wouldn't be able to use them for USB-C headphones either. I could understand if one of the ports was exclusively for charging, but both? In fact, this is what the product page says: "ASUS Chromebook Flip C101 features one traditional USB Type A port and two brilliantly simple USB-C™ ports which supports charging, video output, and lightning-fast data transfer of up to 5Gbps, with complete backward USB compatibility." https://www.asus.com/us/2-in-1-PCs/ASUS-Chromebook-Flip-C101PA/

I'll see if I can dig a little deeper. Have you already tried a different USB-C cable, in case there's a problem with the one you have?

 

[Paul Nancarrow]

Good point. But the chat agent said they were just for power or video. Not the first time I've run into contradictions between posted specs and actual performance. Practically speaking, the bottom line for me is that I can't get the Flip and the V20 to recognize each other as anything other than batteries when I connect C-to-C. And I don't have the technical expertise to try to dig into the OS any farther to see what I can tweak.

 

[B. Diddy]

Are you able to try another C-to-C cable?

 

[newcomlr]

I can't speak to the Flip C101, but I just connected my LG V20 to my Acer Chromebook. Initially it just charged, but the phone shows an Android system notification. I clicked on that and it then showed my I could change to Media Sync. It says only for Windows/Mac, but it worked for Chromebook too.