Android file transfer: How to move information between your phone and reckoner

Moving files betwixt your Android device and a Windows PC, Mac, or Chromebook doesn't have to exist hard — or dependent on any deject services.

Contributing Editor, Computerworld |

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

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Your smartphone is a powerful calculator in your pocket — and with Android, part of that PC-like muscle means being able to plug your telephone into any Windows, Mac, or Chrome Os arrangement and then elevate and drop files either way.

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

All yous need is your telephone, 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 reckoner side, depending on the specifics of your devices. (Most current Android phones use USB-C, whereas near 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 models now also offer USB-C.) There'southward a decent adventure that the aforementioned cablevision that connects your telephone to its wall charger volition work.

Got it? Good. Here's what you need to do next, depending on whether yous have a Windows, macOS, or Chrome Os organization:

Android file transfers for Windows computers

With Windows, things are as simple equally can exist. But plug your telephone into any open up USB port on the computer, then plow on your phone'south screen and unlock the device.

Swipe your finger down from the top of the screen, and you should see a notification about the current USB connexion. At this indicate, information technology'll probably tell you your telephone is connected merely for charging.

android file transfer usb notification JR Raphael/IDG

After y'all connect your phone to your computer, a notification will let you set it for transferring files.

Tap the notification and select "Transfer files" or "File transfer" in the carte that appears. If media files are all you're planning to movement, you could too use the "Transfer photos" (sometimes listed as "PTP") option, which'll treat your phone like a digital camera. Once you've made your selection, become 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 Start card and click This PC or Computer
  • Click the This PC, Figurer, or My Computer icon on your desktop

Then look for an icon representing your phone aslope other portable devices and drives. Click or double-click that icon, and ta-da! You're staring at your Android telephone's internal storage. You lot can now click effectually and browse folders, drag and drib files between your telephone and PC, or manipulate the data in whatsoever way you lot want.

android file transfer windows JR Raphael/IDG

Your Android phone's storage looks like any 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 complicated for you — but fear not, for it's still pretty darn piece of cake.

The chief difference is that before things will work, you'll need to download and install an official Google program called Android File Transfer. To use the plan, your Mac must be running macOS 10.7 or later, and your Android device must have Android 3.0 or later — something that should pretty much be a given with any reasonably recent Android product.

Once the program's in place on your Mac, only plug your phone into your computer, turn on your phone's screen and unlock the device, and then look for the aforementioned USB status notification described above.

Tap the notification and select "Transfer files" or "File transfer." The Android File Transfer plan should so automatically open on your Mac, and yous should be able to browse your phone'south storage and transfer files to your heart's content.

If the official Android File Transfer program doesn't piece of work well for you — a vexingly common complaint among Mac users these days — consider the favorably reviewed tertiary-party Commander One Pro as an alternative. It costs $30 for a single license, $100 for a five-user team license, or $150 for a fifty-user company license.

Or — well, skip downwards to the terminal section of this story for 1 other option.

Android file transfers for Chrome Bone computers

You'd expect file transfers between Android phones and Chromebooks to be as uncomplicated as tin be, considering that Google'south the driving force behind both of those operating systems — and by golly, you lot'd be absolutely right.

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

Once you exercise that, the Chrome OS Files app should automatically announced on your Chromebook with your telephone present equally one of the storage options. The system will probably fifty-fifty prompt you lot to back up all of your telephone'south media files to Google Bulldoze; you can allow that, if you'd similar, or dismiss it and only drag and drib files in either direction equally needed.

android file transfer chrome os JR Raphael/IDG

Pulling up your Android phone'due south storage on a Chromebook is easy as can be — and typically includes a one-click pick to copy all your device's media files as well.

In that location's really not much to it — nor should there exist.

And if you want an even simpler way to take intendance of business...

Don't like cables?

Hey, wait a minute — aren't at that place apps and cloud services for this sort of thing? Sure there are, and we've got you covered at that place, likewise. Bank check out "Transferring files wirelessly between 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 up tasty morsels about the homo side of technology. Hungry for more? Join him on Twitter or sign upwards for his weekly newsletter to get fresh tips and insight in your inbox every Friday.

Copyright © 2019 IDG Communications, Inc.