If you have files on your Android device, you might want to keep a second copy of them on your computer. That way, in case it ever happens to get deleted from your Android, you'll have another copy saved elsewhere. However, it can be a little confusing trying to move files from your Android to your computer. That's why we're here to help you out!
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Even though the Mac computer and Android mobile devices are tough to work together, there are a couple of good solutions to pair and transfer files between Android and Mac over Wi-Fi. Most of the time you may need to transfer photos and videos from Android to Mac or may need to copy your favorite music from your Mac to Android phone. 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. So, if you are stuck with an Android smartphone and Mac device and looking for a way to transfer data from your phone to computer. Follow our step-by-step guide: First things first: The reason behind Mac devices not able to detect Android smartphones as a storage device might be due to the lack of drivers.
Both methods we'll show you will work with both PC and Mac computers. First up, we're going to show you the first method, using your Google account. This will allow you to transfer files easily and wirelessly.
How to transfer files from Android to your computer with your Google account
1. Launch the Google Drive app on your Android.
Google Drive comes built-in on most Android devices. Tap the Google Drive icon on your home screen to start up the app. If for some reason you don't have the app on your device already, you can download it for free from the Google Play Store. This will require you to have a Google account. If you don't have one yet, sign up for one.
Download Google Drive here.
2. Tap Add.
To add a file to Google Drive, tap the blue Add button in the bottom right corner.
3. Tap Upload.
In the menu that pops up at the bottom of your screen, select Upload.
4. Tap a file to add it to Google Drive.
You'll now be able to see all your device's data in various folders. Scroll through and tap a file to add it to your Google Drive storage. Repeat steps 1-4 for each file you want to add to your drive.
5. Access Google Drive on your PC.
On your computer, open your web browser and go to Drive.Google.com. If you aren't automatically signed in to your Google account, enter your email address and password to sign in.
6. Right click on a file you want on your computer, then click Download.
Look through your drive to find the files you'd like to save to your computer. The ones you just added should be easy to locate near the top. When you find a file you want to save, hover your cursor over it, then right click. A menu will appear beside your cursor. In this menu, click Download. Your computer will do a quick scan of the file, then the download will start.
7. Move the file from your Downloads folder to wherever you'd like to store it.
Microsoft outlook mac os sierra. At the bottom of your web browser window, click the upwards arrow icon beside the file(s) you've downloaded. In the menu that pops up, click Show in Folder.
Then you'll be able to see the files you downloaded in your Downloads folder. If you want to store them in a particular place on your computer, you can click and drag them to another folder in the menu on the left side of the File Explorer window.
That's all you need to do to transfer files from Android to a computer with Google Drive.
How to transfer files from Android to your computer with a USB cable
1. Plug your Android into your computer.
Using the USB cable that came with your device, connect your device to one of your computer's USB ports.
2. A window will open on your computer allowing you to view your files. Select the files you want to transfer.
You should see a File Explorer window (or Finder if you're using a Mac) appear on your computer screen. You'll be able to see all the information stored on your device. Look through the folders to locate the one(s) you want to transfer. If you'd like to select multiple files, hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard then click on each file you want to select. If you'd like to select all of them, hit Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select them all at once.
3. Copy the files from your Android and paste them in a folder on your PC.
Once you've selected all the files you want to save to your computer, right click on them and select Copy from the menu that appears.
Then choose another folder from the menu on the left side of the window and double click on it to open it.
With the folder open, right click in the blank space to open a pop-up menu. Then click Paste to add a duplicate of all the data you copied into that folder on your computer.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 until you've transferred all the files you want saved.
May mac wiki. If you didn't copy all your files at once and have more data on your Android you'd like to move over to your computer, you can repeat the previous 2 steps to copy more information to your computer.
Those 4 steps are all you need to do to copy data from Android to your computer using a USB connection. Curious what kind of files you can move from Android your computer? We'll give you a list in the next section.
Types of files you can export from Android
- Documents
- Contact lists
- Notifications
- Photos
- Videos
- Music
- Movies
- Podcasts
- Ringtones
- Device Data
- App Data (depending on the app)
Now you have all the information you need to transfer your contacts, photos, documents, and other data from your Android device to your PC or Mac. We'd recommend transferring information to your computer regularly so that you always have an updated copy of the files on your Android. If you'd like to find out about other things you can do with your Android device, check out our Android page for more tutorials and informational articles.
More Great Related Articles
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.
Transfer Files From Android To Mac
6] Wi-Fi File Transfer
Android File Transfer Mac Free
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.
Transfer Android Files To Mac
- 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.
7] Send Anywhere
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.
