The Android File Transfer program should then automatically open on your Mac, and you should be able to browse your phone's storage and transfer files to your heart's content.
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- Android Assistant for Mac is a cool app to manage Android device on a computer. It makes file transfer pretty easily between Android and Mac computer. You can backup contacts, text messages, photos, music as well as other content with this app in a few clicks.
- Android File Transfer is an official app developed by Google with which you can easily transfer files from your Android device to any computer running Mac OS X. To transfer any file, you just have to install the app on your computer and connect the Android device using a USB cable, selecting the MTP option.
It may come as a shock to many but, yes, there are actually Mac users out there who sport Android phones. In fact, since you’re reading the article, you might be one of them! And it could be a smart move.
Some good reasons for why people might use a Mac laptop or desktop with an Android smartphone instead of an iPhone include:
- Needing to use Android for access to work-related apps or files
- Saving money by buying less expensive Android handsets
- Preferring certain features that Android offers (e.g. direct USB access, always-on display, or multiple users)
Of course, iPhone owners are spoilt for choice in that they can use AirDrop, Image Capture, iCloud, or the Photos app to transfer files between smartphone and Mac. Sadly, it isn’t quite so easy to transfer files from Android to Mac. Here, you need to get a bit more creative.
The “official” solution to this problem is using Android File Transfer, which will be covered in more detail below, but there are also various other workarounds and apps that can be used to connect Android to Mac, both wired and not. This article features some of the ins and outs of these methods of Android file transfer for Mac.
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How To Use Android File Transfer
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The most well-known way of transferring files between Android and your Mac, not to mention one of the easiest, is to download Google’s official Android File Transfer app (AFT).
Although it’s designed for use (at least partially) with an operating system other than iOS (e.g. Google’s Android OS), downloading and installing the app is pretty straightforward and feels like any other app on Mac:
- Download and install the software from the Android website
- Double-click the AndroidFileTransfer.dmg file from your Downloads
- Drag the icon to your Applications folder and double-click it
- Open the software and, if required, authorize it to run
Once you’ve done that, it’s time to plug your smartphone into your Mac using a USB cable. Open AFT, if it doesn’t open automatically, and you can transfer files using the familiar Finder interface.
From there, using the app is pretty intuitive. The issue of how to transfer pictures from Android to Mac is the only thing that’s a little counterintuitive, as any images taken using your Android’s camera appear not in the Pictures folder but in DCIM ➙ Camera.
Now that we’ve covered how to transfer files from Android to Mac using AFT, we can address a big problem with the above: if you have a newer MacBook (i.e. one that uses USB-C), you won’t necessarily be able to connect your smartphone using your usual USB cable.
That means you’ll need to purchase either a new cable or adaptors to successfully test out how to move files on Mac from Android. That’s far from ideal, particularly if time and money are of the essence.
Fortunately, there are a few wireless solutions for how to connect Android to Mac without using Android File Transfer at all.
Best File Transfer App For Android To Mac
Sync with Dropbox and Google Drive
Dropbox certainly isn’t a solution that was designed specifically with transferring files between your Mac and Android in mind, but it’s one that quite a few people rely on every day, as it requires no extra tools to be downloaded.
If you already have a Dropbox account, you’ll probably already know how this process works. If not, here’s how to do it:
- Sign up for an account on the Dropbox website
- Download the app on your Android (and your Mac, unless you’re happy to use the browser version)
- Place files in the Dropbox folder on your Mac to make them visible on your Android Dropbox app
- For how to connect Android to Mac, you’ll need to select Upload in your Dropbox app, and choose a file type and the relevant item
You’ll notice that, while this process is fairly simple, it’s not particularly well-suited if you’re trying to figure out how to move files on Mac in large batches from your Android.
That’s even more true if you want to transfer files from Android to Mac of many different types at once (e.g. a Word doc, several images, and a video that all need to move over to your Mac for a use in a single project).
If you’re not a fan of Dropbox, or have simply never signed up for it, Google Drive is another alternative for Android to Mac file transfer. Steps on using it for the likes of how to transfer pictures from Android to Mac are pretty similar to those listed for Dropbox, except there’s no longer a dedicated Google Drive app for Mac. That means you would need to check out their Backup and Sync app for macOS instead.
Some people find Dropbox or Google Drive a bit clunky and end up joining everyone who googles “Android File Transfer not working on Mac” (the app is sadly known to be a bit temperamental). Luckily, there’s another option available. In fact, there are quite a few dedicated wireless apps for Mac to Android file transfer in existence.
Connect via wireless transfer apps
Similar to the way AirDrop allows connections between iPhones and Macs on the same network, there are apps that allow for wireless Android file transfer to Mac using WiFi or USB.
One such app is AnyTrans for Android. Using it is simple:
- Download the AnyTrans app on your Mac and Android device
- Open up the apps and scan the QR code using your Android handset
- Your device will be added to the Device Manager for file transfer
That’s pretty much all there is to it!
You can use AnyTrans for Android to back up important files, move all of your data to a new Android handset (or iPhone) with a single click, and download content from more than 900 sites using a built-in media downloader before transferring it to your Android.
With options to manage files by category or connect via USB if you’re unable to get all of the relevant pieces of hardware on the same WiFi network, AnyTrans for Android offers a thorough and organized approach to Android file transfer to Mac as well as some useful file management options.
The oddity of Windows and Mac rivalry
One of the biggest reasons why so many iPhone users have a Mac and so many Android users have a PC is that, in so many ways, Microsoft and Apple are still refusing to place nicely with each other in the way that many other hardware providers now do.
The relative difficulty of connecting Android to a Mac is one such example of this, although you may be surprised (or perhaps frustrated) to learn that connecting an iPhone to Windows is a significantly easier process thanks to iCloud, iTunes, and the Windows Photos app.
It’s very easy to become a victim of the war between Apple and Microsoft but there’s no reason to do so if you don’t want to choose one allegiance or are obliged to use an Android phone for some other reason.
Consumers are getting more used to mixing and matching products from different companies — Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime coexist on a single smart TV — and it’s likely that combinations such as Android and Mac will become more common as time passes.
In the meantime, Android File Transfer for Mac is a great option if you’re able to use USB. Dropbox or Google Drive offer a decent workaround if not, but a dedicated Android file transfer app like AnyTrans is hard to beat when it comes to making moving files from Android to Mac intuitive and organizable.
Best File Transfer For Android To Mac
Best of all, AnyTrans for Android is available to you on a free trial through Setapp, a platform of more than 150 best-in-class Mac apps that let you significantly expand the capabilities of your Mac and fill any functionality missing by default. Finally, having an Android device stops feeling like a burden.
Setapp lives on Mac and iOS. Please come back from another device.
Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.
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Let’s assume that you have a MacBook or any other Mac computer and an Android mobile and you want to transfer some files from MacBook to Android device. If you utilize the USB cable, you may not be able to transfer files from Mac to Android because of some restrictions or barriers. However, here are some methods you can use to move files from Mac to Android device without any problem. These are free methods, and you do not have to waste a lot of time on this. On the other hand, you can transfer any number of files and files with any size using these simple tips and tricks.
How to Transfer Files from Mac to Android
These following methods will let you transfer files from Mac to Android and vice versa. That means some of the methods will let you transfer files from Android to Mac as well. Let’s check which one works better for you.
1] Cloud Storage
Cloud storage option is a pretty old but still working method to transfer files from Mac to Android and vice versa. It doesn’t matter how big your files are; you can certainly send between MacBook and Android mobile. There are some good cloud storage options such as Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box and more others. To get started with cloud storage, you need to download the app on both of the devices, i.e. Android and Mac. Most of the cloud storage services have cross-platform apps, and hence, you should get any problem related to compatibility. Also, you can utilize the web version of cloud storage. For example, you can upload the file from the Mac using the Web version of Dropbox or Google Drive or anything. Later, you can download the file using the app on Android. As we are talking about Android, this is good choice to have Google Drive since you may not have to download it.
2] Email
Although this is an old-school method, it works smoothly. However, it works perfectly when you need to send a small file like document, text file, PowerPoint presentation or spreadsheet. This method is not wise for sending large files and for them, there are other ways. You can use the “attachment” option in your email to send a file from Mac or Android, and you will receive that file on another device by opening the same email. This is easy, and you can transfer files faster.
3] Android File Transfer
If you attach your Android mobile with Mac computer using USB cable, you won’t be able to transfer files because of different file systems and other protocols. As this is quite frustrating, here are some other methods to make the transfer. However, if you still want to use the USB cable to transfer files between Mac and Android device, here is an app that will make that happen without any problem. However, you must have macOS 10.7 or later version. There is an app called Android File Transfer that you can need to install on Mac computer. Without this app, this is not possible to transfer files from Mac to Android and vice versa. Therefore, download Android File Transfer from the official Android website and install it accordingly. Following that, connect your Android device with your Mac computer using a USB cable. Following that, you need to follow the screen options to get it done.
4] OTG
USB OTG or On-The-Go is yet another very useful method when you need to transfer large files within moments. An OTG cable and pen drive can do your job within seconds. In you do not know, OTG cable helps you connect your pen drive with your mobile and hence, you can transfer from pen drive to Android device and vice versa. Let’s assume that you want to transfer files from Mac to Android. For that, insert the pen drive in MacBook and transfer all the files from Mac to pen drive. Following that, connect the OTG cable with your mobile and attach the pen drive with your OTG cable. After that, you would be able to transfer files from pen drive to Android device. This method and fast and very useful when you need to transfer very large files between those two devices.
5] Use Websites
There are countless websites those may help you send large files from any device to any device. You can utilize such websites to send large files from Mac to Android device. That is easy and not much time-consuming. Check out this article to know more.
6] Wi-Fi File Transfer
The best thing you can get is Wi-Fi file transfer. There are tons of free apps those will allow you to transfer files from one device to another over Wi-Fi. The only requirement is you need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Some of the apps are mentioned below.
- AirDroid: AirDroid is the best solution when you need to send files from Android to Mac or Mac to Android. It doesn’t matter what you want to send and what the file size is, you can certainly send that file from one device to another without any problem. AirDroid for Android is a free application available for Android 4.1 or later version. From getting phone call notification to SMS notification to file sending, everything is possible with the help of AirDroid for Android. To set it up, you need to open the app and find out AirDroid Web. There you will get an IP address that you need to enter in the browser’s address bar on your MacBook. Following that, you can find all the options on your screen to send or receive a file from Android.
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7] Send Anywhere
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Send Anywhere is yet another awesome website and method to send large files online. Send Anywhere also has an Android app that will let you send files from Android device to Mac or vice versa. This is very easy to use, and the Free edition allows you to send files up to 10GB at a time. To send, you need to head over to the website and attach the file. You will get an Input Key that you need to enter on another device in the Receive section. Following that, your files will be downloaded automatically.