Android file transfer: How to motility data between your phone and computer

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

Contributing Editor, Computerworld |

Tabular array 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?

Bear witness More than

Your smartphone is a powerful calculator in your pocket — and with Android, office of that PC-like muscle ways being able to plug your phone into whatever Windows, Mac, or Chrome OS system and then drag and drop files either way.

Dissimilar iPhones, Android devices let you to access their file systems directly 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 dissimilar than plugging an external hard bulldoze into your computer and moving data to or from it.

All you need is your phone, your computer, and a cablevision to connect 'em — with micro-USB or USB-C on the phone side and USB-A or USB-C on the estimator side, depending on the specifics of your devices. (Well-nigh electric current Android phones utilise USB-C, whereas most pre-2016 devices have 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 models at present also offer USB-C.) In that location's a decent run a risk that the same cable that connects your phone to its wall charger will work.

Got it? Good. Here'due south what you need to practice next, depending on whether you have a Windows, macOS, or Chrome OS system:

Android file transfers for Windows computers

With Windows, things are as uncomplicated equally can be. Just plug your phone into any open USB port on the computer, then turn on your telephone's screen and unlock the device.

Swipe your finger down from the top of the screen, and y'all should see a notification nearly the current USB connection. At this point, it'll probably tell you your phone is connected but for charging.

android file transfer usb notification JR Raphael/IDG

After yous connect your phone to your computer, a notification will let you fix 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 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, 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 Outset menu and click This PC or Computer
  • Click the This PC, Computer, or My Computer icon on your desktop

So wait for an icon representing your telephone aslope other portable devices and drives. Click or double-click that icon, and ta-da! Yous're staring at your Android phone's internal storage. You can now click around and browse folders, drag and driblet files between your phone and PC, or manipulate the data in any fashion yous want.

android file transfer windows JR Raphael/IDG

Your Android phone's storage looks like whatever regular hard drive when viewed from a calculator.

Android file transfers for Mac computers

Got a Mac? The Android file transfer procedure is a bit more than complicated for y'all — but fear not, for it's still pretty darn easy.

The main deviation is that before things will work, you'll need to download and install an official Google program called Android File Transfer. To utilise the program, your Mac must be running macOS x.7 or afterwards, and your Android device must have Android 3.0 or afterward — something that should pretty much be a given with any reasonably recent Android production.

One time the program's in place on your Mac, only plug your phone into your computer, turn on your phone'south screen and unlock the device, and then look for the same USB status notification described to a higher place.

Tap the notification and select "Transfer files" or "File transfer." The Android File Transfer program should then automatically open on your Mac, and yous should be able to scan your telephone'southward storage and transfer files to your heart'due south content.

If the official Android File Transfer program doesn't work well for you — a vexingly mutual complaint among Mac users these days — consider the favorably reviewed tertiary-political party Commander 1 Pro as an alternative. It costs $30 for a single license, $100 for a five-user squad license, or $150 for a 50-user visitor license.

Or — well, skip down to the final section of this story for 1 other pick.

Android file transfers for Chrome Bone computers

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

Simply like on a Windows system, all you lot've gotta practise to connect your Android telephone 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 y'all want your telephone to be treated similar a camera, with a focus exclusively on multimedia files.

In one case you do that, the Chrome OS Files app should automatically announced on your Chromebook with your phone present every bit one of the storage options. The organisation volition probably even prompt you to dorsum up all of your telephone's media files to Google Drive; you can let that, if y'all'd like, or dismiss it and merely elevate and drop files in either management as needed.

android file transfer chrome os JR Raphael/IDG

Pulling upwardly your Android phone'south storage on a Chromebook is easy every bit can be — and typically includes a one-click option to copy all your device'southward media files besides.

At that place'south really not much to information technology — nor should in that location be.

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

Don't like cables?

Hey, await a infinitesimal — aren't there apps and cloud services for this sort of affair? Sure in that location are, and nosotros've got yous covered there, also. Bank check out "Transferring files wirelessly between devices" in our in-depth Android file direction guide for everything in that location is to know.

This commodity was initially published in August 2017 and updated in October 2019.

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

Copyright © 2019 IDG Communications, Inc.