Not all Mac users use iPhone. Or, if they do, chances are they also have at least one Android device. Be it tablet or smartphone. Unlike iPhone, macOS (the operating system of Mac devices), has no native feature to handle Android file transfer. Does it mean you can’t transfer files from your Android device to Mac or vice versa? You still be able to do so, but you need a third-party app. One of the file transfer apps that you can use to transfer files between an Android device and Mac is MacDroid. What is that? Read on to learn more.
What is MacDroid?
As you might can guess from its name, MacDroid is an app for Mac that is designed to handle file transfer between an Android device and Mac, and vice versa. The app is pretty easy to use. It takes no advanced technical knowledge to use it. You just need to install the MacDroid app on your Mac and then connect your Android device with your Mac (using a cable). The rest is something you have been doing on your daily basis when working with files with Finder. From copying files, deleting files, and so on. In fact, the process of file transfer itself is made via Finder instead of the the MacDroid window. The role of the MacDroid app is merely to connect your Android device and Mac. MacDroid allows you to connect multiple Android devices with your Mac for a massive file transfer.
What kind of file types are allowed?
Once your Android device is connected with your Mac — via the MacDroid Android file transfer for Mac app –, you can explore all folders on it. You can also access the content on each folder and make the operation just like you usually do on Finder. If the folder contains image files, you can even preview them. Technically, you can transfer any file type with MacDroid, including:
- Videos
- Documents (PDF files, DOC files, and so on)
- Music
- Images
How to use MacDroid
As said earlier above, there is no advanced technical knowledge needed to use MacDroid. You just need to connect your Android device with Mac via a cable. MacDroid itself supports two modes you can from to allow your Android device to make a communication with your Mac: ADB (Android Debugging Bridge) and MTP (Media Transfer Protocol). Here is how to use MacDroid on Mac.
Step 1: Install the MacDroid app
First and foremost, you need to install the MacDroid app on your Mac to be able to use it. You can download the binary file of the app (the DMG file) on its official website. Once downloaded, you can double-click the DNG file to run the MacDroid app. Double-click the MacDroid icon to run it.
Step 2: Connect your Android device with your Mac
Once the MacDroid app opens, connect your Android device with your Mac using a cable. Select the communication mode (ADB or MTP) and click the Next button on the bottom-right corner a couple times until your devices are connected each other.
Step 3: Start transferring files
Once your Android device is connected with your Mac, it will be available on the list on the MacDroid app. Simply select it and click the Show in Finder button. This will open the Finder app where you can start transferring your files.
As you can see, your Android device is now available on the Finder app. Meaning that you can transfer files from your Mac to it and vice versa. To copy a file from your Mac, you can simply select the file you want and copy it. Then, get in to a folder on your Android device where you want to copy the file to and paste the file. As simple as that!
To streamline your workflow, you can open two or more tabs on Finder. Once you are done transferring your files, you can switch back to the MacDroid app window and click the Unmount button to unmount your Android device. Or, you can also click the tiny icon next to your Android device name on the Finder app.
Is MacDroid free to use?
MacDroid is a freemium app, meaning that you can use it for free. But, we suggest you use the pro version — which costs only $1.67 per month — since the free version can only be used to transfer files from Android to Mac. The free version doesn’t allow you to transfer files from Mac to Android. There is a 7-day trial offered by MacDroid to allow you to use the full-featured version for free.
The verdict
Unlike Windows and Linux, macOS has no native feature to allow you to transfer files from your Android device to your Mac device and vice versa. If you really need to transfer files from your Android device to your Mac — and vice versa — you can use MacDroid. It’s extremely easy to use and affordable. It allows you to transfer any type of file. From document, audio, image, to video. The MacDroid app is compatible with any Android device and can run on macOS 10.10 and the newer versions. The only downside about this app is that doesn’t support wireless connection.