Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. Guides

How to send files from Android to Mac OS X

By

how to transfer files android mac header copy
It may seem impossible to marry an Android phone with a Mac, but the two devices can actually coexist in harmony despite what Apple or Windows aficionados might tell you. Though the exact process for pairing your Android smartphone or tablet with your desktop Mac depends on the model of Android device and your operating system, the entire process rarely takes more than a valid Internet connection, an app, and the standard USB cable that first came with your device. The transfer software will allow you to move everything from movies and music to pictures and podcasts between your two devices, along with other various media and slew of contact data. So, try not to let the social pressures get you down — Android and Apple can play nice together. Here’s how.

Update: This article has been updated since it was originally published in Feb. 21, 2013 to include new methods for transferring files. DT Editorial Assistant Emily Schiola contributed to this guide.

Transfer files using:

Recommended Videos

Transfer files using Wondershare Mobile

Premium features often come at a premium price. Wondershare ($35) is the perfect case in point, a paid offering that allows you to conveniently back up all facets of your Android device — apps, contact, text messages, etc. — and quickly transfer files between your device and Mac with a few simple clicks. The streamlined software also allows you to send text messages from computer and organize your apps with ease.

Related

Step 1: Head over to the Wondershare website and click the download button corresponding to either the free trial or premium version of the software. Afterward, follow the on-screen wizard to install the program.

Wondershare download

Step 2: Launch the software and plug the Android device you wanted to transfer files from into your computer using a standard USB cable.

WonderShare MobileGo for Android

Step 3: Next, click the green Backup button within the main interface to back up your Android device. Check the boxes pertaining to the content you want to back up from the resulting menu, whether it be files, SMS messages, contacts, calendars, or something else. Click the Backup button once you’re satisfied with your selection.

Backing up Files

Step 4: Click the Restore button housed directly underneath the backup button within the main interface. Once done, a pop-up window will prompt you to choose which files and folders you’d like transferred between your Android device and your Mac. Choose which files you’d like to transfer using the category pane on the left-hand side of the application window and drag the files you’d like transfer.

Wondershare Mobile Go

Related: How to play iTunes music on an Android

Transfer files using Android File Transfer

Wondershare isn’t the only option for transferring files between your Android device and your Mac. Google File Transfer is a native application specifically designed to move files between Android devices running Android 3.0 or later and Macintosh computers running Mac OS X 10.5 or later. The freemium software lacks the bells and whistles of more robust applications, but it’s simple and comes devoid of ads, rendering it a top contender for file-transfer software with a 4GB storage limit.

Step 1: Navigate to the main Android File Transfer website and click the green Download Now button near the top of the page. Afterward, launch the installer and drag the Android File Transfer icon into the Applications folder before launching the software.

Android File Transfer

Step 2: Plug the Android device you wanted to transfer files from into your computer using a standard USB cable, ensuring the screen is unlocked in the process. The software will automatically open when you plug your device in after the first time doing so. Afterward, browse and move the assorted files and folders on your device as you would any other content. You can even delete files and folders or create new ones by clicking the folder icon with the addition sign in the upper-right corner of the application window.

Nexus 7

Related: How to transfer contacts between iPhone and Android

Transfer files using Dropbox

Cloud services are a big deal as of late, providing a convenient means of digitally storing files and precious information for those worried about the possibility of technology failing. Although there are many cloud services out there, we recommend Dropbox given the basic package includes 2GB of free storage and the service’s robust compatibility on mobile and Web-based platforms (i.e. Android, Kindle Fire, iOS). Plus, you can earn even more free space when you refer friends to the software.

Step 1: Head over to the main Dropbox website and click the blue Sign up button if you haven’t created an account already. Next, navigate to the Google Play Store and download the accompanying Android app before entering your respective login credentials.

Dropbox for Android

Step 2: Tap the three dots in the upper-right corner of the mobile app, select Upload here, and choose the files or folders you wish to upload to Dropbox before clicking the green Upload button in the bottom-right corner. Afterward, access Dropbox on your Mac and locate the file(s) you wish to transfer before clicking the blue Download link at the top of the page and selecting the appropriate save location for the resulting file.

Dropbox Upload 2

Related: How to root your Android phone or tablet

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Simon Hill
Simon Hill
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Simon Hill is an experienced technology journalist and editor who loves all things tech. He is currently the Associate Mobile…
Ranking the best (and worst) versions of macOS from the last 20 years
An Apple iMac from 2019 placed on a desk. The macOS Mojave operating system is on its display.

Apple’s macOS operating system is known for its stability and features, but it wasn’t always this way. Throughout the history of macOS (and OS X before it), there have been some real stinkers that Apple would probably rather we all forgot about. Yet there have also been some classic versions that still live fondly in the memories of Mac users new and old.

In this article, we’ve picked five of the best versions of Apple’s Mac operating system, as well as five of its worst, presented in chronological order. We’ve started with the launch of OS X 10.0 in 2001 and continued right up to the present, past the operating system’s rebranding as macOS in 2016. If Windows is your speed, we've also ranked the best Windows versions of all time. Let’s explore Apple’s greatest hits -- and some of its worst howlers.
Worst: OS X 10.0 Cheetah (2001)

Read more
How to change your Mac’s screen resolution in macOS Ventura
The MacBook Pro open on a wooden table.

Changing your Mac’s screen resolution in macOS Ventura should be a straightforward process, but it’s not actually as obvious as we would like it to be. That’s because not only will your options vary depending on whether you have an external monitor connected to your Mac, but in some situations, the resolution choices are secreted behind a well-hidden menu.

Read more
How to use Split View on a Mac
A person working at a 2018 Macbook Air at a wooden table.

When you want to see multiple tabs on one screen without everything getting jumbled, turn to a split screen. Split screens allow you to have two or more sections, each with its own set of information. These sections allow you to work more efficiently and see more information without having a second screen.

Now for the good news: In newer versions of macOS, there’s a very easy split-screen mode called Split View that anyone with an updated Mac can use. In this guide, we’ll teach you how to use Split View on a Mac to make the most of your system.

Read more