Android file transfer: How to movement data between your phone and calculator

Moving files between 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, office of that PC-similar muscle means existence able to plug your phone into any Windows, Mac, or Chrome OS system and and then drag and drop files either way.

Different iPhones, Android devices allow 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 dissimilar than plugging an external hard drive into your computer and moving data to or from it.

All y'all need is your phone, your estimator, 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. (Nigh 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 and more models now as well offer USB-C.) There'south a decent run a risk that the same cable that connects your phone to its wall charger will piece of work.

Got it? Good. Hither's what y'all need to do next, depending on whether you accept a Windows, macOS, or Chrome Os system:

Android file transfers for Windows computers

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

Swipe your finger down from the top of the screen, and you should meet a notification virtually the current USB connection. At this point, information technology'll probably tell you your phone is connected only for charging.

android file transfer usb notification JR Raphael/IDG

Later on yous connect your phone to your computer, a notification will let you prepare it for transferring files.

Tap the notification and select "Transfer files" or "File transfer" in the card that appears. If media files are all you're planning to move, y'all could too use the "Transfer photos" (sometimes listed as "PTP") selection, which'll treat your phone like a digital camera. In one case you've made your selection, get 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 Kickoff menu and click This PC or Computer
  • Click the This PC, Reckoner, or My Calculator icon on your desktop

And then look for an icon representing your phone 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 effectually and scan folders, elevate and drop files betwixt your phone and PC, or manipulate the information in any mode you want.

android file transfer windows JR Raphael/IDG

Your Android telephone's storage looks like any regular difficult drive when viewed from a calculator.

Android file transfers for Mac computers

Got a Mac? The Android file transfer process is a bit more complicated for you lot — but fear not, for information technology'southward all the same pretty darn easy.

The principal deviation is that before things volition work, y'all'll need to download and install an official Google program called Android File Transfer. To use the programme, your Mac must exist running macOS 10.seven or later, and your Android device must have Android iii.0 or later — something that should pretty much be a given with any reasonably contempo Android product.

In one case the program's in place on your Mac, but plug your phone into your calculator, turn on your telephone's screen and unlock the device, and then await for the aforementioned USB condition notification described in a higher place.

Tap the notification and select "Transfer files" or "File transfer." The Android File Transfer plan should then automatically open on your Mac, and you should be able to browse your phone's storage and transfer files to your heart's content.

If the official Android File Transfer program doesn't piece of work well for you lot — a vexingly common complaint amidst Mac users these days — consider the favorably reviewed third-party Commander One Pro as an culling. It costs $30 for a single license, $100 for a v-user team license, or $150 for a 50-user company license.

Or — well, skip down to the last department of this story for one other pick.

Android file transfers for Chrome OS computers

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

Just similar on a Windows system, all y'all've gotta practice to connect your Android phone to a Chromebook is plug it into whatever open up 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 telephone to be treated similar a camera, with a focus exclusively on multimedia files.

In one case y'all do that, the Chrome Os Files app should automatically appear on your Chromebook with your telephone nowadays as i of the storage options. The system will probably even prompt you to back up all of your phone's media files to Google Drive; you lot can allow that, if you'd like, or dismiss it and simply elevate and drib files in either direction as needed.

android file transfer chrome os JR Raphael/IDG

Pulling up your Android telephone'south storage on a Chromebook is easy as tin can be — and typically includes a one-click option to copy all your device's media files as well.

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

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

Don't like cables?

Hey, wait a minute — aren't at that place apps and deject services for this sort of affair? Certain there are, and we've got yous covered there, likewise. Check out "Transferring files wirelessly between devices" in our in-depth Android file management guide for everything at that place is to know.

This article was initially published in Baronial 2017 and updated in October 2019.

Contributing Editor JR Raphael serves upwards tasty morsels about the human 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.