How to transfer files from Android to Mac
Macs cannot open an Android phone's storage on their own, so you need an app. With PhoneDesq, connect the phone by cable or Wi-Fi, open Files or Gallery, and drag what you want into the Finder; it works the other way too. Google's Android File Transfer, the old answer, has been discontinued.
Updated 4 November 2026
Transfer files with PhoneDesq
Download PhoneDesq
Get PhoneDesq for your Mac from phonedesq.com/download, open the download and drag PhoneDesq into Applications. It is free during launch.
Plug in your phone
Connect your Android phone with a USB cable that carries data (some cables only charge), unlock the phone, and tap Allow when it asks.
Follow the setup
PhoneDesq shows each step for your phone's brand the first time. After that it reconnects by itself, over the cable or your Wi-Fi.
Open Files or Gallery
Files shows the phone's folders — Downloads, Documents, DCIM and the rest. Gallery shows every photo and video, newest first.
Drag to the Finder
Drag files, folders or a selection of photos onto your desktop or any Finder window. To send files to the phone, drop them onto the open folder in PhoneDesq.
Why a Mac doesn't see your Android phone
Windows opens an Android phone like a USB drive. macOS does not: Android shares its storage over a protocol (MTP) that the Finder has never supported. Plugging in only charges the phone, which is why "my Mac doesn't recognise my Android phone" is one of the most searched Mac problems.
For years Google's free Android File Transfer filled the gap. It was slow, limited to 4 GB per file and often failed to connect, and Google has since discontinued it. Today you need a third-party app, a cloud service, or Wi-Fi sharing.
Photos and videos
Photos are what most people want to move. In PhoneDesq's Gallery, select photos with a click, Shift-click a run or press Select All, then drag them out or choose Save to Downloads, which keeps the originals byte for byte.
Choose Save As to convert while you copy: photos to JPEG, HEIC or PNG at a size you pick, videos to MP4 (H.264 or HEVC) at full size, 1080p, 720p or 480p. The date, camera and location stay with each photo.
Large files and interrupted copies
Files of several gigabytes copy at cable speed. If the copy is interrupted — the cable comes out or the Wi-Fi drops — PhoneDesq carries on from where it stopped when the phone is back, then checks the file arrived intact. Nothing has to start again from zero.
Without a cable
After the first cable connection, PhoneDesq reconnects over your home Wi-Fi by itself, and Files and Gallery work the same way. You can also connect with no cable at all by scanning one code with your phone's camera.
Every way to do it, compared
PhoneDesq
Good: Files and a photo gallery in one Mac window, drag and drop both ways, cable or Wi-Fi, resumes interrupted copies, converts photos and videos. Free during launch.
Limits: Needs macOS 14 or later and a one-time setup on the phone.
OpenMTP
Good: Free and open source; a two-pane file browser over USB.
Limits: Cable only, files only — no photo gallery or conversion.
Android File Transfer
Good: Was Google's free official tool.
Limits: Discontinued; 4 GB per-file limit and frequent connection failures.
Google Photos or Google Drive
Good: Works anywhere, no cable, nothing to install on the Mac.
Limits: Uploads everything to the cloud and back, uses mobile data and storage, and can compress photos.
Email or a messaging app
Good: Fine for one or two small files.
Limits: Size limits and compression; impractical for albums or folders.
Questions
Why doesn't my Mac recognise my Android phone?
macOS has no built-in support for the way Android shares files (MTP), so a plugged-in phone only charges. You need an app such as PhoneDesq or OpenMTP. Also check the cable carries data, unlock the phone and tap Allow when asked.
Can I AirDrop from Android to a Mac?
No. AirDrop works only between Apple devices, and Android's Quick Share has no Mac app. Use an app that connects the two, such as PhoneDesq over a cable or your Wi-Fi.
Can I transfer files from Android to Mac without a USB cable?
Yes. PhoneDesq works over your home Wi-Fi after a one-time cable setup, or with no cable at all by scanning a code. Cloud services like Google Drive also work but upload your files to the internet first.
Will my photos lose quality?
Not with Save to Downloads or dragging from PhoneDesq's Gallery: the originals arrive byte for byte. Only Save As changes a photo, and only in the ways you choose.
Does this work with Samsung Galaxy phones?
Yes. PhoneDesq works with Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Motorola and other phones running Android 5 or later, and shows setup steps for your phone's brand.