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When I plug my Sony Z1 Compact Android phone into my Mac or PC, the phone prompts me to install a program on the PC/Mac.

Can I not just have the phone behave as a standard, common USB Mass Storage class (i.e. like a USB pen drive, hard drive, or SD card), without having to install a program on the host PC?

This is an inconvenience as if wanting to transfer to a PC that's not my own, I may not be in the position to install such a program.

Update This was so easy on Android 2.3 on a HTC Desire Z - plug it into a Mac, PC or Linux desktop (i.e. the host), phone asks which mode it should be in, select the USB storage / harddrive option and then the phone appears as an ordinary external disk on the host machine.

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The program that your phone ask to install is PC COMPANION. You can skip the PC Companion installation.

If you need to connect in MSC mode

In Settings-> Xperia Connectivity->USB connectivity->USB Connection Mode-> MSC

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  • Still unlucky so far: If I select cancel when it asks to install the PC COMPANION nothing happens on the PC - no drive appears. But the phone says it's charging. (but thanks for offering advice)
    – therobyouknow
    May 15, 2014 at 9:19
  • Check your device manager. Right click on your device and select update driver. Windows should automatically install Xperia mtp driver
    – samnaction
    May 15, 2014 at 9:22
  • I am always able to connect my Xperia Z1 without pc companion
    – samnaction
    May 15, 2014 at 9:28
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    In Settings-> Xperia Connectivity->USB connectivity->USB Connection Mode-> MSC
    – samnaction
    May 15, 2014 at 10:52
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    @therobyouknow is the setting available for you?
    – samnaction
    May 15, 2014 at 10:53

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