Vocal Voices

my laptop recognises my galaxy a40 mobile and vice versa but when I try to Bluetooth my pictures from phone to laptop -nothing goes

Hi Vic, are you getting an error message when trying to send files? If not here is a simple and easy to follow guide. It's pretty generic so should get you going.

You might already have done all that, but pay attention to the last few seconds - the option to change the destination folder for your file. I suspect that this could be part of the problem.

You are uploading a photo, an image, so it could be a .jpg .jpeg ,png or similar and you might be expecting to find it in your Pictures folder system on your PC - something like C:\Users\Vic\OneDrive\Pictures or This PC > Pictures in Windows Explorer or File Explorer. You should make a note of the format a file is being saved as to make them easier to find - more later. However, Bluetooth might have just seen it as a document and could have sent it anywhere - Desktop, Documents, Downloads. Another case is that it could be directed by Samsung to one of its folders, something like This PC> Documents>Samsung>Bluetooth etc. etc. etc. It is what my Canon camera used to do before I took control.

Try sending another photo and when you get to that last screen have a look at where it is being sent to as that could be where all your other things are. I would change that folder so it always defaults to a folder of MY choice. I have created a series of sub-folders in my main Download folder to do just that Downloads>Bluetooth. Downloads>Pen drive A. Downloads>Pen Drive 128. Downloads>Internet, and so on.

Another trick as mentioned above. Open Windows File Explorer / This PC. Highlight one of the default folders such as Documents or any sub folders. Now, in the address bar at the top right you will see a Search box. Type in the box *.jpg and it will find any of those files in the folder you selected. You can do the same for *.jpeg or *.png. In fact you can do it for any file type and in any folder. The * is a wildcard and what follows is the file type .doc .txt .xls .pdf and so on.

Nothing to add to WM's excellent instructions for Bluetooth.

Personally I have not used it in years. I either use a USB cable or I upload the file to either Onedrive or Dropbox then access it on the PC. My preference is the cable for speed although A/C WiFi can get pretty quick these days.

phone just gives me the message --- sending failed

OK I just tested this on windows 10.

I paired my phone with Bluetooth to my mobile. I checked all the settings and it said it was connected as a media device.

I then popped up the Bluetooth icon on the system tray right clicked on it and selected send a file. My phone prompted to accept and it was sent.

I then selected the Receive a file from the same icon by right clicking on it. Windows said it was waiting for a file.

I then went into the file manager on the mobile, selected a file, clicked on the share button and selected to share via Bluetooth. Windows then said it was receiving the file and it was placed in the default folder (downloads).

I then tried to send the file again, via Bluetooth, without first telling windows it should receive a file. I got a file not sent message and windows did not prompt me to accept it. Did you ask windows to accept a file via Bluetooth before trying to send?

Thanks anyway guys but I will just stay with the USB cable