Android file transfer: How to movement data betwixt your phone and computer

Moving files between your Android device and a Windows PC, Mac, or Chromebook doesn't take to be difficult — or dependent on any cloud services.

Contributing Editor, Computerworld |

Table of Contents
  • Android file transfers for Windows computers
  • Android file transfers for Mac computers
  • Android file transfers for Chrome Bone computers
  • Don't like cables?

Show More

Your smartphone is a powerful calculator in your pocket — and with Android, office of that PC-similar muscle means being able to plug your telephone into whatsoever Windows, Mac, or Chrome OS system and and so drag and drib files either way.

Dissimilar iPhones, Android devices allow you to access their file systems direct from a desktop, without the demand for any cumbersome interfaces or complicated procedures. In fact, transferring files to or from an Android device is basically no dissimilar than plugging an external hard drive into your computer and moving information to or from information technology.

All you demand is your phone, your computer, and a cable to connect 'em — with micro-USB or USB-C on the phone side and USB-A or USB-C on the computer side, depending on the specifics of your devices. (Most current Android phones utilize USB-C, whereas most pre-2016 devices have the older micro-USB standard. USB-A, meanwhile, is the traditional connector port you lot're used to seeing on computers, though more than and more than models now also offering USB-C.) In that location's a decent chance that the same cablevision that connects your telephone to its wall charger volition piece of work.

Got it? Skilful. Hither's what you demand to do next, depending on whether you have a Windows, macOS, or Chrome Os system:

Android file transfers for Windows computers

With Windows, things are as simple as can exist. Simply plug your phone into any open USB port on the computer, and then plough on your telephone's screen and unlock the device.

Swipe your finger down from the top of the screen, and you should encounter a notification most the current USB connexion. At this signal, it'll probably tell you your phone is connected only for charging.

android file transfer usb notification JR Raphael/IDG

After yous connect your telephone to your computer, a notification will let you ready it for transferring files.

Tap the notification and select "Transfer files" or "File transfer" in the menu that appears. If media files are all you're planning to motion, you lot could likewise use the "Transfer photos" (sometimes listed as "PTP") pick, which'll treat your phone similar a digital photographic camera. One time you've made your pick, go to your desktop and open up up a File Explorer window using the method that makes the most sense for your Windows configuration:

  • Click the File Explorer icon in your taskbar
  • Open the Offset carte du jour and click This PC or Calculator
  • Click the This PC, Computer, or My Computer icon on your desktop

Then wait for an icon representing your phone alongside other portable devices and drives. Click or double-click that icon, and ta-da! You lot're staring at your Android telephone's internal storage. You can now click around and scan folders, elevate and driblet files betwixt your telephone and PC, or dispense the data in any fashion you want.

android file transfer windows JR Raphael/IDG

Your Android telephone's storage looks like whatsoever regular hard drive when viewed from a computer.

Android file transfers for Mac computers

Got a Mac? The Android file transfer procedure is a flake more than complicated for yous — but fear non, for it's nevertheless pretty darn like shooting fish in a barrel.

The master departure is that before things volition work, y'all'll need to download and install an official Google program called Android File Transfer. To use the programme, your Mac must be running macOS 10.7 or later on, and your Android device must have Android 3.0 or afterwards — something that should pretty much be a given with any reasonably recent Android product.

Once the program's in place on your Mac, just plug your phone into your calculator, plough on your phone'southward screen and unlock the device, and then look for the same USB condition notification described higher up.

Tap the notification and select "Transfer files" or "File transfer." The Android File Transfer programme should then automatically open on your Mac, and you should exist able to browse your telephone's storage and transfer files to your heart's content.

If the official Android File Transfer program doesn't work well for you — a vexingly common complaint amid Mac users these days — consider the favorably reviewed third-political party Commander One Pro every bit an alternative. It costs $thirty for a unmarried license, $100 for a five-user team license, or $150 for a 50-user company license.

Or — well, skip down to the final section of this story for one other option.

Android file transfers for Chrome OS computers

You'd look file transfers between Android phones and Chromebooks to exist as elementary every bit can exist, considering that Google's the driving force behind both of those operating systems — and by golly, you lot'd be admittedly right.

Just like on a Windows organisation, all you lot've gotta do to connect your Android phone to a Chromebook is plug it into whatsoever open USB port, then tap the USB charging notification on the telephone and select either "Transfer files" or "File transfer" from the prompt that appears — or select "Transfer photos" or "PTP" if you want your telephone to exist treated like a photographic camera, with a focus exclusively on multimedia files.

Once you lot do that, the Chrome Os Files app should automatically appear on your Chromebook with your phone present every bit one of the storage options. The system will probably even prompt you to support all of your phone's media files to Google Drive; yous can allow that, if y'all'd like, or dismiss it and simply drag and drib files in either direction as needed.

android file transfer chrome os JR Raphael/IDG

Pulling upwardly your Android phone's storage on a Chromebook is easy as can be — and typically includes a i-click option to copy all your device's media files as well.

There'south really non much to it — nor should in that location be.

And if y'all want an even simpler way to accept care of business organisation...

Don't like cables?

Hey, wait a minute — aren't there apps and cloud services for this sort of thing? Sure there are, and we've got y'all covered there, likewise. Check out "Transferring files wirelessly betwixt devices" in our in-depth Android file management guide for everything there is to know.

This article was initially published in August 2017 and updated in Oct 2019.

Contributing Editor JR Raphael serves upwardly tasty morsels virtually the homo side of technology. Hungry for more? Bring together him on Twitter or sign up for his weekly newsletter to get fresh tips and insight in your inbox every Fri.

Copyright © 2019 IDG Communications, Inc.