As much as file transfer is a good enough solution, SyncMate can actually sync data between Mac OS X and Android. Sync is different from just transfer, data gets updated on both devices and it can be done automatically without you having to move a finger.
SyncMate supports contacts and calendar sync; photos, music, playlists and folders can also be synced. The main advantage of SyncMate is that it syncs data directly between apps on your Mac and Android.
So as you can see, SyncMate is not just a tool to transfer files from Android to Mac and vice versa, but a perfect synchronization app for these devices as well, which makes it much more versatile and handy and lists first in our rank of best Android file transfer for Mac apps.
Click and drag the pictures, videos, or music to the desired folder on your PC. Google™ offers a free Android™ File Transfer application for Mac, available.
How to use SyncMate as Android File Transfer Mac?
- Download SyncMate and install it on your Mac.
- Files transfer between Mac and Android is available within “Mount disk” option.
- This feature is offered in Expert edition so you will need to upgrade your Free version. You can upgrade here (our advice is to test SyncMate Free Edition prior upgrading to Expert).
- To connect your Android to Mac click “Add New” in the left panel and choose Android device.
- Connect your Android to your Mac using USB cable (in this case SyncMate Android module will be automatically installed on your device).
- After Android device is connected, go to “Summary” tab and choose “Mount disk” option.
- That’s all. Go to Finder and you’ll see Android in the list of macOS disks. Choose folder you need to transfer data to or from and move it as needed.
2. Commander One
This is a different type of app than SyncMate, but still worth the attention. Commander One allows you connecting Android device to Mac OS X via USB and immediately seeing it in this file manager as a Mac disk. Now you can work with your device just as with any other local drive. Because this app is dual-panel Android file transfer for Mac OS X is a real no-brainer there.
In Commander One you can also connect to the most popular cloud storage service, browse files on iOS devices, work with archives and hidden system files, use Terminal Emulator and manage current system processes.
3. Android File Transfer for Mac by Google
Android File Transfer Mac by Google is the only native utility that could be rather helpful in file transfer, but unfortunately it has not been updated for several years and the interface is not easy to understand. Also it doesn't let you transfer more than one file at a time, so it may just take forever to get the job done.
How to fix Android File Transfer Mac if it is not working?
The first step in making sure you can perform an Android File Transfer is installing the Android File Transfer for Mac app on your computer. Once you’re done with this, simply connect your phone to the Mac through the standard USB cable. By default, the two devices should immediately recognize one another and sync.
However, in some unfortunate cases, you may get the “ Could not connect to device. Try reconnecting or restarting your device” message that we all want to avoid.
If you do get to see this message, it is a clear indication that the app is faulty and you need to fix it.
What can you do when your Android File Transfer isn’t working?
In order to fix Android File Transfer Mac you will need to follow these simple three steps:
- Android USB Debugging or USB Replacement
- • Connect your Mac and the Android device through the USB cable you just got.
- • On your Android device, swipe down to access the quick setting menu and then tap on the “Settings” tab.
- • Tap again on USB Debugging and from the list of options, choose Media device (MTP).
- • Try to resume the file transfer.
- Update your Mac
- • First check to see which macOS version you currently have installed on your computer. Note that if it’s below 10.7, you will need to update.
- • Start the Update process.
- • Connect the Android device and make sure that Android File Transfer is added to your Mac.
- • Restart the computer to finish the update.
- Android phone update
- • Swipe down on the screen to access the Android “Settings” menu.
- • Select “System Update” and check if your system is up to date. If not, update it on the spot.
- • Restart the device and retry the connection with the Mac by using the file transfer app.
- Functionality. The app worth your attention must be able to transfer all data types - media, folders, personal (like contacts or calendar events). Who wants to install several apps to keep ALL data between Mac and Android updated if all of that can be done within one app?
- Flexibility. Data sync and transfer are complicated processes so Android file transfer Mac apps should provide you with wide range of data transfer settings.
- OS support. Android OS as well as macOS are constantly updated and the app you will buy should support the latest versions.
- App lifecycle. App should be constantly updated so you are sure you are getting the most current features and you can see that the developers are actually there, working on the product and not just letting it sit while everything else is moving forward.
Most of the times, the reason for the app failing is an improperly functioning USB cable. To go around this, you will need to remove the USB cable and replace it with a new one. Once you get the new USB cable, repeat the file transfer process. If on your first go, it still won’t connect, try the following procedures:
Updating your Mac is another workaround for the situation in which you can’t fix the Android File Transfer Mac by replacing the USB cable. To update your macOS, follow these steps:
If the macOS update still didn’t do the trick, your last chance to troubleshoot Android File Transfer Mac is updating the software on your Android device. To do so, follow these simple steps:
4. Dukto R6
This little app allows data transfer over LAN and is available for Windows, Mac OS X, Android and Symbian systems. It is rather compact and only offers one feature, that is file transfer.
Not bad, in fact does the same that Android File Transfer for Mac from Google, but supports more platforms.
5. Droid NAS
With Droid NAS you can transmit files back and forth between your Mac and an Android device. This app works via Wi-Fi and the built-in Bonjour protocol inside macOS. To transfer files with this app you'll need to get both your computer and mobile device connected to the same wireless network.
UPD: currently Droid NAS is not available for download, not sure if this is a permanent problem, but we’ll still leave it on our list of best Android file transfer Mac apps for now.
6. Cloud services
Using cloud storages is also an option even if not the most convenient one. It adds an extra step to the process but is helpful when you don't have other options. You may already have a Dropbox or SugarSync account and can make use of those.
Dropbox is one of the oldest and most popular not a platform specific cloud storage. It became so popular because it offers free cloud storage space. Moreover, the fact that Dropbox allows sharing stored data with others even if they don't have a Dropbox account adds scores to its flexibility. And even though this service is not an Android file transfer one per se, you can use Dropbox for your Android files - just install it on Mac and Android and upload or download data from or to your Dropbox account (personal data like contacts and calendar events are not supported, just file transfer).
SugarSync is similar to Dropbox, but is less popular. Cloud storage space it provides can be used for data and folders transfer. Your stored data can be shared with others; you can also remove the data from all devices in case of loss or theft. Like Dropbox, SugarSync supports all major platforms and can be used as Android file transfer Mac.
How did we rate Android file transfer Mac apps?
Let’s start with the fact that there are just a few apps that can transfer files between Android and Mac OS X. After Apple removed their built-in Sync Service several years ago, all apps that used it to sync data between macOS and Android, stopped working. And since transferring files between Mac and Android is not a common task like video playback or image editing, you won’t find hundreds of apps offering sync and transfer services.
Key factors we considered while choosing the best Android file transfer for Mac.
Thanks for reading through the list of Android file transfer Mac apps - choose what suits you best and keep data updated between your Mac and Android!
You can also use the Move to iOS app to automatically transfer your Android content to your new iOS device. If you can't use the app, you can move your content manually instead.
Mail, contacts, and calendars
iOS works with email providers like Google, Microsoft Exchange, Yahoo, and more, so you can probably keep the email, contacts, and calendars that you have now. To get started, add each of your email accounts to your iPhone. Then go to Settings > Passwords & Accounts.
For help moving your email, contacts, and calendars, contact Apple Support.
Photos and videos
To move photos and videos from your Android device to your iOS device, use a computer with iTunes:
- Connect your Android to your computer and find your photos and videos. On most devices, you can find these files in DCIM > Camera. On a Mac, install Android File Transfer, open it, then go to DCIM > Camera.
- Choose the photos and videos that you want to move and drag them to a folder on your computer.
- Disconnect your Android and connect your iPhone to your computer.
- Open iTunes on your computer and sync your Photos to your iPhone. You can find your photos and videos on your iPhone in Photos > Albums.
You can also use iCloud Photos to keep your photos and videos in iCloud, so you can access your library from any device, anytime you want.
For help moving your photos and videos, contact Apple Support.
Music
When you switch to iPhone, you can bring your music with you. Just use a computer with iTunes to transfer the music. If you use a streaming music app, go to the App Store, get the app, then sign in with your user name and password. If you use Apple Music, just sign in on your iOS device.
To move music from your Android device to your iOS device, use a computer with iTunes:
- Connect your Android device to your computer and find your music. On most devices, you can find these files in Music. On a Mac, install Android File Transfer, open it, then go to Music.
- Select the songs that you want to move and drag them to a folder on your computer.
- Disconnect your Android device and connect your iPhone to your computer.
- Open iTunes on your computer, go to your Library, and click Music.
- Open the folder where you put your songs and drag them to the Music view in iTunes.
- Select your iOS device and click Music. You can choose to sync your entire library or select only the songs or artists that you just added
- Click Sync. You can find your music on your iPhone in the Music app.
For help moving music, contact Apple Support.
Books and PDFs
To move eBooks from your Android device, you can either import them to your iOS device or access them through apps like Kindle, Nook, Google Play Books, and others. To access books from an app, go to the App Store, get the app, then sign in with your user name and password.
To move ePub books and PDFs from your Android to your iOS device, use a computer with iTunes:
- Connect your Android device to your computer and find your books and PDFs. On most devices, you can find these files in Documents. On a Mac, install Android File Transfer, open it, then go to Documents.
- Select the books and PDFs that you want to move and drag them to a folder on your computer.
- Disconnect your Android device and connect your iPhone to your computer.
- Drag the books and PDFs into your library. On a Mac, go to Books > List, and drag your books there. On a PC, go to iTunes > Books.
- Open iTunes on your computer and sync your ePub books and PDFs. You can find your ePub books and PDFs on your iPhone inBooks > All Books.
For help moving books and PDFs, contact Apple Support.
Documents
If you store documents in the cloud or another service like Dropbox, Google Drive, or Miscrosoft OneDrive, you can download the app from the App Store, then sign in. You can also bring all your files together with the Files app.
Whether your files are on your iOS device, in iCloud Drive, or on another service like Dropbox or Box, you can easily browse, search, and organize your files all in one place.
The iOS apps for Pages, Numbers, and Keynote work with several file types, including Microsoft Office documents. If you don't use the cloud to transfer your documents, get the apps:
- Go to the App Store on your iPhone and install Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.
- Connect your Android to your computer and find your documents. On most devices, you can find these files in Documents. On a Mac, install Android File Transfer, open it, then go to Documents.
- Select the documents that you want to move and drag them to a folder on your computer.
- Open iTunes on your computer and sync your documents to your iOS device.
If you need help moving documents, contact Apple Support.
Apps
Most apps that you use on your Android device are available in the App Store. Go to the App Store, search for the apps that you have now, and install them.
If you need help with third-party apps and data, contact the app developer.