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. Install Android File Transfer The software - can we just call it AFT from now on? - is made by Google itself and is available from Android.com. It requires Mac OS X 10.7 or later. Android File Transfer app is one of the most effective and hassle-free solutions to transfer files between Android and macOS. However, you will need a USB cable and an older Mac in order to make.
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
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.
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 AnyDroid. Using it is simple:
- Download the AnyDroid 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 AnyDroid 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, AnyDroid 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.
Is alexa comaptable with windows and mac. 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 AnyDroid is hard to beat when it comes to making moving files from Android to Mac intuitive and organizable.
How to use android file transfer on a mac. Best of all, AnyDroid is available to you on a free trial through Setapp, a platform of more than 200 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.
Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.
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If you use an Android Phone as a mobile device and MacBook for computing, you might be interested in knowing about different ways to Transfer Photos From Android Phone to Mac.
Transfer Photos From Android Phone to Mac
Apple's MacBook is equipped with a number of utilities that can help you transfer photos from Android Phone to Mac.
We are providing below three different ways to transfer Photos from Android Phone to Mac. You can use any method that appears easy and suits your Android device.
1. Transfer Photos From Android Phone to Mac Using Photos App
Perhaps the easiest way to transfer Photos From Android Phone or Tablet to Mac is to use the Native Photos App as available on your Mac.
1. Connect Android Phone to Mac using its lightning to USB cable.
Note: This should automatically open the Photos App on your Mac.
2. Unlock your Android Phone and open Notifications by swiping on the screen of your Phone.
3. On the Notifications screen, tap on USB charging this device.
4. On the next screen, select Transfer Photos (PTP) option.
File Transfer Harvard
Note: On some devices this may be labelled as Camera Transfer (PTP) Protocol.
5. Now, open the Photos App on your Mac (in case it is not already open).
6. In the Photos App, select your Android Phone in the left-pane under 'Devices' section. In the right-pane, select the destination for Imported Photos and click on Import All New Photos button.
Note: To transfer selected Photos, tap on the Photos that you want to transfer and then tap on Import Selected option.
Android Phone File Transfer To Pc
7. Patiently wait for the Photos to be transferred from Android Phone to Mac.
2. Transfer Photos From Android Phone to Mac Using Image Capture
Another utility on Mac that can help you transfer Photos from Android Phone to Mac is Image Capture.
1. Connect your Android Phone to Mac.
2. Click on the Finder Icon located in the Dock on your Mac.
3. On the next screen, click on Applications in the side menu. In the right-pane, scroll down and click on Image Capture.
4. After Image capture is launched, select your Android phone in the 'Devices' section. In the right-pane, select Desktop or other place as destination for imported photos and click on Import all.
5. Wait for all the Photos to be transferred to your Mac.
Just like Photos App, image Capture allows you to select individual photos (by clicking on them) and transfer them to Mac by clicking on the Import option (Not Import All).
Android Phone File Transfer To Mac High Sierra
3. Transfer Photos From Android Phone to Mac using Preview App
The next tool that you can use to Import Photos from Android Phone to Mac is the Preview App on your Mac.
1. Connect your Android Phone to Mac.
2. Click on the Finder Icon located in the Dock on your Mac.
File Transfer Free
3. On the next screen, click on Applications in side menu. In the right-pane, scroll down and click on Preview App.
4. After Preview App is launched, select the File tab in the top-menu bar of your Mac and then click on your Android device in the drop-down menu.
In case you want to transfer selected Photos, select the Photos that you want to transfer by clicking on them and click on the Import option.