The use of a Mac continues, to this day, wrongly focused on professionals of video, design and photography mainly in addition to developers. With a Mac you can do today the same as with a PC managed by Windows, since the important thing is not the operating system but the software.
However, when it comes to sending files from a smartphone to a computer, the process to do so varies depending on the operating system of both the smartphone and the computer. If it is to transfer files from an iPhone to a Mac, andThe fastest method is to do it through AirPlay or use iCloud.
In the case of sending files from an Android smartphone to a Mac, AirPlay is not available Being a proprietary technology of Apple that does not license to third parties so we must resort to other methods and / or applications. If you want to know how to transfer files from Android to Mac, here are the different methods available.
Via bluetooth
Unlike PCs, Apple has been around for many years adding bluetooth connectivity to all your equipment, so even if the Mac we want to send the files to is a decade or more old, we will be able to send the files to it from an Android smartphone.
How to send files from Android to Mac via bluetooth
The operation for sending content stored on an Android smartphone to a Mac is the same than with any other phone.
- First of all, we must make sure that the bluetooth connection of our Mac is active and visible for any device.
- Next, we go to our smartphone, select the content that we want to send to the Mac and click on the button Share - Bluetooth.
- Then the name of our Mac between nearby bluetooth devices. When you click on it, the Mac will request permission to receive a file. We just have to click on Connect for the transfer to start.
Android File Transfer
Application Android File Transfer is best application to share files between an Android device and a Mac. In fact, it is the application that Apple itself recommends for these tasks since it is under the Google umbrella.
Android File Transfer is a free application It works as a file explorer, so we can access all the content stored on an Android smartphone to transfer it to a Mac.
In addition, it also allows us copy content from Mac to Android smartphone, making it an all-in-one application. If you have to share large files with a Mac, using this application is a much better option than using bluetooth, since this type of wireless connection is slower than a Wi-Fi or cable connection.
If when connecting our device to the Mac, a panel with options is not shown to be able to choose what we want to do: charge the device or access its content, we must access the developer options (Settings> System> Developer options) and in the Debugging section, activate the USB Debugging switch.
This function indicated for development activities and we can use them for exchange data between computer and device, to install applications on the device without receiving notifications, and to read log data. If we do not activate it, we will not be able to give permission to the Android File Transfer application to access our device.
AirDroid
Another solution that we have at our disposal and that allows us transfer files from Android to Mac and vice versa it's AirDroid. The main difference with the previous two methods is its speed, since it uses the Wi-Fi network to which both devices are connected to share the files.
Another of the functionalities that this application offers us, and that may be worthwhile for many users, is that it also allows us to control the smartphone from the computer itself as long as they are connected to the same network in addition to mirroring the screen, making it ideal for streaming games over the internet, recording the screen, using an external keyboard ...
AirDroid too allows us to receive WhatsApp notifications, Telegram, Line, emails, SMS ... which will help us to focus on work without always having to be aware of the notifications we receive on our smartphone.
AirDroid is available for your download completely free and we can use it to perform any of the functions that it offers us with the sole limitation of not being able to transfer entire folders. This feature is only available in the paid version priced at $ 3,99 per month or $ 2,75 per month for a full year.
If we do not want to download the application on our Mac, we can use the versión webAlthough the best option is to install the application if we want the application to work as well as possible. What if it is necessary, yes or yes, is to install the application on the smartphone and run it when we have the need to access the content stored on the device.
Pushbullet
Another interesting application that allows us to share the content of our Android smartphone with our Mac is Pushbullet, an application that allows us share large content in a very fast way since it makes use of the Wi-Fi network to which both terminals must be connected.
The operation is very similar to what we can find in AirDroid, but with fewer functions, so if these functions do not satisfy you or you will not need them, the option that Pushbullet offers us is very interesting. Although there is no application for Mac, we can use the functionality that it offers us through extensions for Chrome, Safari, Opera and Firefox browsers.
Send Anywhere
Another interesting option to consider for share files between an Android smartphone and a Mac We find it in the Send Anywhere application, a free application that offers us the same functions as Pushbullet and whose operation is exactly the same.
Google Drive
Another interesting option that we should take into account if none of the previous options satisfies us is to use the free 15 GB that Google offers us to upload the content we want to share to later, from the Mac, proceed to download it. A system that is not comfortable, but there it is, for those who want to use it.
Payment alternatives
All the apps I have talked about in this article they are completely free and they do not require any additional payment to use them (except AirDroid with the folders but it is not necessary). In the market there are more options, some of them paid as Commander One.
Commander One is a file manager for Mac which also allows us to access the content of our Android smartphone. The price of this application exceeds 30 euros, so unless you are already using it on your computer, it is not worth buying it to transfer content between your Android smartphone and a Mac.
macdroid is another interesting application to consider, as long as we are willing to monthly subscription to be able to send documents from the Mac to an Android smartphone. If we only want to share files from the smartphone to a Mac, we can use the application without making use of the purchase that unlocks all the options.