When it comes to accessing files or music from your Android smartphone or tablet on a Mac, many users don’t realize how easy it is to use Android with any Mac PC or laptop. There’s a common misconception that the two don’t work well together and that Macs only love iOS devices, but that’s not the case.
These days, users have tons of options to transfer files, folders, pictures, music and more from an Android device to their Mac and even from their Macbook to a smartphone. There are lots of 3rd party options available, but for those who want simple beginner’s information, read on to learn how to use Android with Mac.
There are many different services or how-to articles for those who want to use an Android device with a Mac, but the truth is, all you need is a simple program directly from Google and a micro-USB cable that comes in the box. your new Android smartphone and tablet. Below we’ll go over a few tips as well as the easiest method to transfer your iPhone to Android.
Unlike iPhone and iTunes, Android users don’t have a single app to take over all the tasks when it comes to navigating files or doing certain things. This is both a pro and a con. iTunes is great for many (but it’s a program I hate to use) and it’s also much easier to do with Android and Windows or Mac by simply dropping and dragging (or copying and pasting). Everyone’s to himself.
There are fancy programs like AirDroid, which has recently been updated to AirDroid 3, which offers tons of advanced features not only for transferring data and information to your Mac, but also for controlling your Android phone from a computer. Most of these are for advanced users, and below we’ll go over the basics of using Android with a Mac.
Instructions
To use Android with a Mac, all you really need to do is have internet on your preferred Mac and download a simple program created by Google. It is not fancy like iTunes and is an easier program that lets you drag and drop files to Android and Mac devices. it’s called Android File Transfer.
Install the app on your Mac desktop or laptop and connect it to your phone using the USB cable of the included charger. When ready, your phone will appear as a drive on your computer. A flat popup like the one you see below will appear and you can control everything on your device from a Mac. From transferring pictures for backup, saving music or videos and much more. Whatever you need to do, this is the easiest way.
Using Android File Transfer
A file opens with a complete list of applications and files. To open or view them, simply drag them to your desktop and then move them to a directory of your choice. Export videos to iMovie or pictures to iPhoto. You can transfer files larger than 4GB to or from your Mac, but individual files must be no larger than 4GB at a time.
Users may see an option and a USB notification asking what type of connection you want the computer to use. By default this should be “MTP” and should recognize your smartphone or tablet as a “Media Device” which will allow Android File Transfer to access all files. There’s also a camera option that opens the default image viewer on your Mac, which you can use to view only photos and videos. The former is a more powerful tool, but if photos are all you’re after, try choosing Camera (PTP) as the USB computer connection type.
Once you get used to Android File Transfer, you can use this tool to transfer all your pictures, videos, downloads, documents and more from an old iPhone to your Android device, or even use Google Music Manager to transfer iTunes music to your device. Google Play Music account. It’s all pretty easy, and using an Android device with a Mac isn’t as difficult as many might sound.