Android file transfer: How to motion data 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 cloud 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?

Evidence More than

Your smartphone is a powerful computer in your pocket — and with Android, role of that PC-similar muscle means being able to plug your phone into any Windows, Mac, or Chrome OS system and so elevate and drop files either way.

Unlike iPhones, Android devices permit you to access their file systems direct 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 different than plugging an external hard drive into your computer and moving data to or from it.

All you need is your phone, your computer, and a cable to connect 'em — with micro-USB or USB-C on the telephone side and USB-A or USB-C on the computer side, depending on the specifics of your devices. (Well-nigh current Android phones use USB-C, whereas almost pre-2016 devices accept the older micro-USB standard. USB-A, meanwhile, is the traditional connector port you're used to seeing on computers, though more than and more models now as well offer USB-C.) There's a decent gamble that the aforementioned cable that connects your phone to its wall charger will work.

Got information technology? Good. Here's what you need to do next, depending on whether y'all have a Windows, macOS, or Chrome Bone system:

Android file transfers for Windows computers

With Windows, things are every bit elementary equally can exist. Just plug your phone into whatsoever open USB port on the computer, and then turn on your phone'due south screen and unlock the device.

Swipe your finger downward from the tiptop of the screen, and you lot should see a notification about the current USB connection. At this point, it'll probably tell you your phone is connected simply for charging.

android file transfer usb notification JR Raphael/IDG

Later on you connect your phone to your computer, a notification volition permit you lot ready information technology 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 motility, y'all could also utilise the "Transfer photos" (sometimes listed as "PTP") option, which'll care for your phone similar a digital 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 Kickoff carte and click This PC or Calculator
  • Click the This PC, Figurer, or My Calculator icon on your desktop

Then expect 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. You can now click around and scan 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 like whatsoever regular hard drive when viewed from a estimator.

Android file transfers for Mac computers

Got a Mac? The Android file transfer process is a scrap more complicated for yous — but fright not, for it'southward still pretty darn easy.

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

Once the program's in place on your Mac, simply plug your phone into your figurer, turn on your phone's screen and unlock the device, and so await 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 you should exist able to scan your telephone'southward storage and transfer files to your heart's content.

If the official Android File Transfer plan doesn't work well for you — a vexingly common complaint among Mac users these days — consider the favorably reviewed 3rd-political party Commander I Pro as an alternative. It costs $xxx for a unmarried license, $100 for a 5-user team license, or $150 for a 50-user visitor license.

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

Android file transfers for Chrome Bone computers

You lot'd expect file transfers between Android phones and Chromebooks to be as simple equally tin can be, considering that Google's the driving forcefulness backside both of those operating systems — and by golly, y'all'd be admittedly right.

Just similar on a Windows system, all you lot've gotta exercise to connect your Android telephone to a Chromebook is plug it into whatsoever 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 desire your phone to be treated similar a photographic camera, with a focus exclusively on multimedia files.

In one case yous exercise that, the Chrome OS Files app should automatically announced on your Chromebook with your phone present as 1 of the storage options. The system will probably even prompt you to back up all of your telephone's media files to Google Drive; y'all tin allow that, if you'd similar, or dismiss it and only drag and drop files in either direction equally needed.

android file transfer chrome os JR Raphael/IDG

Pulling upwards your Android phone'due south storage on a Chromebook is easy every bit can be — and typically includes a i-click option to re-create all your device's media files as well.

There'southward really not much to it — nor should there be.

And if y'all want an fifty-fifty simpler fashion to accept care of business...

Don't like cables?

Hey, wait a minute — aren't there apps and cloud services for this sort of thing? Sure there are, and we've got you covered there, likewise. 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 October 2019.

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

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