If you plugin your phone to your computer and enable USB File Transfer/Allow on the phone side but the contents of your phone on the computer side are empty in the file manager, you probably don't have mtp-tools.  MTP or media transfer protocol is the standard protocol that most phones use to communicate over USB to the computer.

Even in 2026 this is still highly relevant and valid, mtp-tools are generally not installed by default on a lot of distros.

Just do this to fix it and get access to your files:

apt install mtp-tools

After that you should be able to access the internal storage of your Apple/Android phone, but you may need to reconnect the phone first.

Here is an error you may see in your logs or file manager about being unable to access MTP:

Product: KALAMA-MTP_CID

mtp-probe: bus: 3, device: 122 was not an MTP device


ubuntu, linux, mint, debian, redhat, android, iphone, usb, solutionif, plugin, enable, contents, mtp, protocol, communicate, apt, install, reconnect,

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