It’s becoming commonplace for people to have a Mac computer and an Android phone. Whether it’s because an employer requires using one or the other, or the mixed technology is just personal preference, more and more folks using macOS find themselves needing to know how to connect Android to Mac. Without a solution, transferring files between Android devices and Macbook is difficult at best.
Unfortunately, Google doesn’t make this as seamless as connecting an Android phone to a PC running Windows. For several years, Google has neglected its software for Mac, so another solution is required: MacDroid.
On a Windows PC, you don’t even have to think about how to connect an Android phone to a computer. It’s quite simple, and you don’t even need any special apps or software. Just plug a USB cable from your Android phone to your computer. On your phone, you’ll see a notification that says “Charging this device via USB.” Tap the notification, then choose File Transfer under the Use USB for option. You’ll see a file transfer window open on your PC, and you’ll be in business.
Furthermore, Microsoft’s Your Phone app in Windows 10 will recognize the phone straight away. As long as your Windows 10 PC is up-to-date, the Your Phone app should already be installed. If not, it’s easy to get from the Microsoft Store.
All you need to do in this case is open the Your Phone app, sign in to your Microsoft Account, and enter your mobile number. The app sends a message to your phone with a link to the Your Phone companion app for Windows. Once you install the companion app and go through the setup, you can drag and drop photos between Android and Windows, send web pages from your phone to your PC, and more.
To connect Android to Mac, you need MacDroid. This solution allows you to easily connect your Android phone to Mac with a USB cable. Then, transfer photos, videos, music, and folders between your Mac computer and Android device with ease. First things first, though: you’ll need to download and install MacDroid on your Mac.
Once you’ve installed MacDroid and opened the app, click Devices in MacDroid’s main menu and connect your Android to Mac via USB.
Your Android phone will ask how you want to connect to your computer, using either ADB (Android Debug Bridge) or MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) mode. Don’t let the word “debug” scare you: ADB mode is what you want. It’s faster, because it allows several files to transfer at once instead of just one at a time.
Once you’ve given your Mac access to your Android device, you’re in business. You should be able to locate your Android phone in Finder and transfer data back and forth with ease.
Of course, you may want the convenience of connecting your Android phone to your Mac using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Maybe you don’t have your USB cable handy. Or, perhaps you just want to quickly transfer some photos back and forth without hassling with plugging everything in. Even though there still isn’t any way to use AirDrop with an Android device, there are other ways.
If you want to connect Android to Mac using Bluetooth, it’s easy. Just follow these steps.
Make sure Bluetooth is enabled on both your Mac and your Android device. On your Mac, go to System Preferences > Bluetooth, and make sure the feature is turned on. On your Android device, you’ll go to Settings > Bluetooth.
Still in the Bluetooth settings page on your Android device, you should see your Mac listed. Tap or click Pair on each device, and make sure the pairing codes are the same.
That’s it. You can now send files to your Android device by clicking the Bluetooth icon in your Mac’s menu bar, clicking your Android device’s name, then clicking Send file to device.
If you’d like to send files from Android to your Mac over Bluetooth, you’ll need to enable Bluetooth Sharing on your Mac. From System Preferences > Sharing, make sure Bluetooth Sharing is enabled. Once that’s done, using the share icon from your Android device will allow you to transfer photos and other files to your Mac over Bluetooth.
To enable this same functionality over your Wi-Fi connection, you’ll need another app on your Mac. This is where AirDroid Personal comes in. The software allows you to transfer files, mirror your Android screen to your Mac, control your Android device remotely, and receive text message notifications right on your computer.
There are also a number of ways you can connect your Android device to your Mac using the cloud. These don’t link your Mac and your Android device directly like the USB, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi solutions do, but still offer plenty of functionality.
Windows 10 users can use Microsoft Your Phone, discussed earlier. This cloud-based service lets you link your Android device to your PC to view and reply to text messages, make and receive calls, transfer photos and other files, and more. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help you if you’re on a Mac.
Other options will let you back up your photos and files to the cloud, then access them from your PC or Mac. Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, Google Photos, and others are good options. Amazon Prime users could also use the Amazon Photos app.
Cloud-based services are useful, but often limited to only one type of file. For example, Google Photos and Amazon Photos will work wonderfully for your pictures and videos. Those options won’t help a bit with backing up your text messages or too many other files, though.
The good thing about most cloud-based services is you usually don’t have to think about them. Once installed and set up, for example, Google Drive will quietly and automatically put all of your word processing and spreadsheet files in the cloud for you. The same goes for Dropbox, Google Photos, Microsoft OneDrive, and others.
When it comes to having almost total control over your Android device from your Mac, MacDroid is truly your best option. It’s fast, efficient, and powerful. The USB connection makes sure slow Internet won’t get in your way, and the app makes your Android device look just like another folder or hard drive to your Mac.
Whether you want to back up all your photos or transfer movies to your Android device for an airplane trip, MacDroid has you covered. You can move your files back and forth, just like you would with a flash drive. You won’t be reliant on a cloud service, Internet slowdowns won’t get in your way, and you’ll be able to quickly get what you need on or off your Android device.
