Do you still have an Android smartphone with photos that you would like to keep? You can transfer these snapshots with Android File Transfer. In this article we explain how it works.
Everything about Android File Transfer for Mac
Both Apple and Google are building their ecosystem as closely as possible. Once you are an iOS or Android user, switching can be quite difficult. Thankfully, Android File Transfer makes it relatively easy to transfer files from Android to macOS. It works like this:
- Download Android File Transfer on your Mac (Book);
- Open the androidfiletransfer.dmg file and drag the application to your Applications folder;
- Grab your Android smartphone and connect the device to your Mac via a USB cable;
- Double click on the program to start transferring files;
- Select which documents, photos, music and videos you want to transfer and drag and drop them where you want on your Mac.
The above method is especially useful for when you have an old one Android smartphone in the drawer where precious photos are on it. While Android File Transfer is the official way to exchange files, it has a few drawbacks. The most striking is that you can only transfer 4GB of files at a time. This is not spacious, especially considering the current file sizes.
Also read: Switching from Android to iPhone: Everything You Need to Know
Android File Transfer Not Working? Try this
It may therefore be wiser to ignore this method and connect your Android phone directly to your Mac. The smartphone screen will now show a menu of USB options. Here you can, for example, select ‘Transfer files’, where you can directly drag pictures and videos to your Mac (without maximum sizes).
Can’t see the USB options? Then just swipe down the notification screen of your Android phone. Then tap ‘This device is being charged via USB’. You should now be able to specify what kind of files you want to transfer to your Apple computer. Is your Android smartphone not recognized at all? Check whether the USB cable is defective by using a different cable.
Alternatives
Android File Transfer is anything but perfect, and hasn’t been updated for a few years. Do you regularly transfer files for family members or clients? Then it might be worth downloading a special app for this, such as Commander One.
This program is self-explanatory and lets you quickly and easily drag and drop files to and from Android phones. Commander One has a free trial, but you’ll have to pull the wallet to unlock all the features.