Android file transfer: How to motion information between your phone and computer

Moving files betwixt your Android device and a Windows PC, Mac, or Chromebook doesn't take to be difficult — 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 computer in your pocket — and with Android, part of that PC-like muscle ways being able to plug your phone into any Windows, Mac, or Chrome OS system and so drag and drop files either fashion.

Dissimilar iPhones, Android devices permit you to access their file systems directly 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 unlike than plugging an external difficult drive into your computer and moving data to or from information technology.

All y'all 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 employ USB-C, whereas well-nigh pre-2016 devices accept the older micro-USB standard. USB-A, meanwhile, is the traditional connector port yous're used to seeing on computers, though more than and more than models now also offer USB-C.) There'south a decent chance that the same cable that connects your phone to its wall charger will piece of work.

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

Android file transfers for Windows computers

With Windows, things are as simple as tin be. Just plug your phone into whatsoever open up USB port on the calculator, then plow on your phone's 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 connection. At this indicate, it'll probably tell you your phone is connected only for charging.

android file transfer usb notification JR Raphael/IDG

After you connect your phone to your reckoner, a notification volition let you lot prepare it for transferring files.

Tap the notification and select "Transfer files" or "File transfer" in the menu that appears. If media files are all yous're planning to movement, yous could too apply the "Transfer photos" (sometimes listed as "PTP") option, which'll treat your telephone like a digital photographic camera. One time you've fabricated your selection, go to your desktop and open 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 up the Start carte du jour and click This PC or Computer
  • Click the This PC, Computer, or My Computer icon on your desktop

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

android file transfer windows JR Raphael/IDG

Your Android phone's storage looks similar any regular hard bulldoze when viewed from a computer.

Android file transfers for Mac computers

Got a Mac? The Android file transfer process is a chip more complicated for you — but fear not, for it's still pretty darn easy.

The primary departure is that before things will piece of work, you'll need to download and install an official Google program chosen Android File Transfer. To utilize the program, your Mac must be running macOS 10.7 or later, and your Android device must accept Android 3.0 or subsequently — something that should pretty much be a given with whatsoever reasonably contempo Android product.

In one case the program's in place on your Mac, just plug your phone into your computer, turn on your phone's screen and unlock the device, and so 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 then automatically open up on your Mac, and y'all should be able to browse your telephone'south storage and transfer files to your heart's content.

If the official Android File Transfer programme doesn't work well for y'all — a vexingly common complaint amongst Mac users these days — consider the favorably reviewed third-political party Commander One Pro as an culling. Information technology costs $xxx for a single license, $100 for a five-user team license, or $150 for a fifty-user company license.

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

Android file transfers for Chrome Bone computers

Y'all'd look file transfers between Android phones and Chromebooks to be as uncomplicated as can be, considering that Google's the driving force behind both of those operating systems — and past golly, y'all'd exist admittedly right.

Simply like on a Windows system, all you've gotta exercise to connect your Android phone to a Chromebook is plug information technology into any open USB port, and so 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 photographic camera, with a focus exclusively on multimedia files.

Once you practice 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 y'all to dorsum upwards all of your phone's media files to Google Bulldoze; y'all tin allow that, if y'all'd like, or dismiss it and only elevate and drop files in either direction as needed.

android file transfer chrome os JR Raphael/IDG

Pulling upward your Android telephone's storage on a Chromebook is easy every bit tin exist — and typically includes a one-click choice to copy all your device'due south media files as well.

At that place's really non much to it — nor should at that place be.

And if you want an fifty-fifty simpler way to have care of business...

Don't similar cables?

Hey, look a infinitesimal — aren't in that location apps and cloud services for this sort of affair? Sure there are, and nosotros've got you covered there, also. 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 up tasty morsels nearly the homo side of technology. Hungry for more? Join him on Twitter or sign up for his weekly newsletter to get fresh tips and insight in your inbox every Friday.

Copyright © 2019 IDG Communications, Inc.