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MacDroid short-guide series

Samsung file transfer for Mac: complete tutorial


Keeping files on your Samsung phone is all well and good, but what if you need to backup important photos on your Mac or send important files to your Mac for work? Doing this manually could result in lost data, so if you’re looking for a Samsung Smart Switch alternative, keep reading to find out more about the best ways to perform a Samsung file transfer for Mac.

Users situation:

My parents are with Apple & I am with Android. I have taken many pictures while traveling & would like to download them onto the Mac. My phone uses a USB Type C & there is nowhere to plug it into the Apple computer. Is there anything I can do to plug this phone into that computer? — Reddit

1. MacDroid: The best Samsung file transfer to Mac software

MacDroid

4.5 Rank based on 56 + users Reviews (56)
Requirements: macOS 10.13 , 18.22MB free space. Version 1.8.160 ( 25 Aug, 2023 )
Category: DeveloperApplication

MacDroid is a great alternative to Samsung Smart Switch and makes it quick and easy to transfer files between Samsung phones and your Mac (and vice versa). As well as Samsung phones, MacDroid also supports a wide range of other manufacturers too. With MacDroid you can perform a Samsung file transfer for Mac and transfer photos, videos, music, and even folders between your devices via a wired USB connection.

The software mounts your Android phone as a disk, so you can view everything that’s stored on your phone and choose what to transfer to your Mac – you can even edit files on your Mac without transferring them.

There are two operation modes to choose from. Single-Operation Mode is an easy way to transfer files, great for beginners. For more advanced users, Multi-Operation Mode makes file transfers much faster and more efficient. Whichever mode you choose, MacDroid is simple to set up and use to transfer all your important files between your Samsung phone and Mac.

MacDroid will work flawlessly with any Samsung Galaxy device that supports the basic methods of connections. This means that as long as your device has support for ADB or MTP, you will only need a USB cable, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth. Here are some of the most popular devices supported by MacDroid:

  • Samsung Galaxy S24
  • Samsung Galaxy S23
  • Samsung Galaxy S22
  • Samsung Galaxy S21
  • Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
  • Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
  • Samsung Galaxy A05
  • Samsung Galaxy A15
  • Samsung Galaxy A25
  • Samsung Galaxy A35
  • Samsung Galaxy A55
  • Samsung Galaxy A14
  • Samsung Galaxy A24
  • Samsung Galaxy A34
  • Samsung Galaxy A54
  • Samsung Galaxy M15
  • Samsung Galaxy M14
  • Samsung Galaxy M34
  • Samsung Galaxy Fold 5
  • Samsung Galaxy Fold 4
  • Samsung Galaxy Flip 5
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

Below you'll find MacDroid's pros&cons.

icon pros Pros:

  • Easy to set up and use
  • Supports a wide range of file types
  • Doubles as a sync tool
  • Edit Android files on Mac without transferring them.

icon cons Cons:

  • Some features only available with expert version
  • Only for macOS, no Windows version.

Supported OS: macOS

Price: $19.99 per year


Quick and easy Samsung file transfer with MacDroid

Wondering how to connect Android to Mac to transfer files from your Samsung phone to your computer? Just follow our simple step-by-step guide:

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Download and install MacDroid on your Mac, then launch the software.

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Connect your Samsung phone to your Mac using a USB cable.

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In MacDroid, select MTP Mode.

You may need to confirm Samsung file transfer on your phone.

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You should see your Samsung phone under Device List.

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Click Next and a pop-up window will open on your phone.

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In the pop-up window, select File Transfer.

This may be needed to properly transfer files from Samsung to PC with macOS.

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Select your phone in the Device List in MacDroid, then click Mount.

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Your phone is now connected to your Mac!

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To transfer files, open Finder, or the file manager of your choice, on your Mac.

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Locate the folders or files you wish to transfer.

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Copy and paste the files or folders from your Samsung phone to your Mac. You can also drag and drop the files if you’ve already created a new destination folder on your Mac.

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It’s that simple to perform a Samsung file transfer for Mac!


Try MacDroid for efficient file transfer
Android USB file transfer

2. Easy Samsung Galaxy file transfer with Smart Switch

Samsung Smart Switch is free software that works with phones running Android 4.3/iOS 4.2.1 or later. Smart Switch supports a wide range of file types and allows you to transfer photos, contacts, messages, and other files from your phone to your Mac or PC (and vice versa). The downside? The software backs up all files on your phone, not just selected ones.


Just follow 5 simple steps below.

icon pros Pros:

  • Easy to use
  • Сonnection via both USB and Wi-Fi
  • Quick setup

icon cons Cons:

  • Doesn’t work with older Android devices than 4.3
  • Sometimes cannot detect the device

Supported OS: macOS, Windows, Android

Price: freely available

Follow our step-by-step guide to easily carry out a Samsung file transfer to Mac with Smart Switch:

1

Download and install Smart Switch on your Mac.

2

Connect your phone to your Mac via USB.

3

Tap Allow on your phone.

4

Open Smart Switch on your Mac and click Backup.

5

Smart Switch will automatically backup all data on your phone to your Mac.

3. Transfer files from Samsung to PC with Android File Transfer

Android File Transfer is an Android-only tool from Google that allows you to transfer files from your Android phone to your Mac. The software is free to download and use, and you can transfer anything from photos and videos to contacts, messages, files, and folders.

Android File Transfer mounts your file like an external drive, however, it isn’t the easiest tool to use and its interface can be a bit confusing, not to mention dated. You can only transfer one file at a time, so if you have a lot of files to transfer, it may take some time.


Just follow 8 simple steps below

icon pros Pros:

  • Official Google app
  • Simple to use
  • Supports most Android phone models

icon cons Cons:

  • Weak user interface
  • Sometimes does not recognize the connected device

Supported OS: macOS, Windows, Android

Price: free

If you’re wondering how to use Android File Transfer for Samsung file transfer, just follow our handy step-by-step guide below:
1

Download Android File Transfer on your Mac.

2

Open the program.

3

Make sure your Samsung phone is turned on and unlocked, then connect it to your Mac with a USB cable.

4

You’ll see a popup notification on your phone. Tap Charging this device via USB.

5

Under the option Use USB for, tap File Transfer.

6

Now, an Android File Transfer window should appear on your Mac.

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You can drag and drop files from your phone to your Mac, and vice versa.

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Once you’ve finished transferring files, unplug your USB cable.

Try MacDroid Android file manager Mac
Android files transfer to Mac

We’ve taken you through a few of the most popular ways to transfer files from Samsung to PC, from Android File Transfer to Samsung Smart Switch. By far the best app for transferring files from Samsung to Mac is MacDroid. Not only does it offer a choice of two connection modes, it also mounts your phone like an external drive, so you can browse and even edit files on your phone from your Mac.

Transferring files is fast and easy, and the software is intuitive to use. MacDroid also supports a wide range of file types, and it doubles up as a sync tool to ensure you always have the latest contacts, photos, and other files on both your Samsung phone and your Mac.

Frequently Asked Questions:


There are various ways you can do this, including using Android File Transfer or Samsung Smart Switch for Mac (formerly Samsung Kies for Mac). We’d recommend using MacDroid though, as it’s intuitive and easy to use, and will transfer almost any file you want from your phone to Mac quickly.
The best way to connect Samsung to Mac is via a USB cable. You may have one which came with your phone, but if not you can pick one up cheaply online to perform a Samsung phone transfer files to computer.
If you’re wondering how to transfer photos from Samsung to Mac, you can use MacDroid to do this quickly and easily. Just download and install MacDroid, connect your phone to your Mac via USB cable, then follow our step-by-step instructions in the Quick and easy Samsung file transfer with MacDroid section, above.
When you connect your Samsung phone to your Mac via USB cable, it should be automatically detected. To transfer files, you’ll need to download software like MacDroid, which should show your device in the software’s Device List once your phone is connected to your Mac.
MacDroid

Break transfer barrier between Android and Mac

Requires macOS 10.13 or newer; compatible with all Android and MTP devices
Transfer files between Android and Mac using MacDroid.