Android file transfer: How to move information 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 |

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-like muscle ways being able to plug your telephone into any Windows, Mac, or Chrome OS system and then drag and drop files either way.

Unlike iPhones, Android devices allow 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 different than plugging an external difficult bulldoze into your computer and moving information to or from information technology.

All y'all demand 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. (Virtually electric current Android phones apply USB-C, whereas most pre-2016 devices have the older micro-USB standard. USB-A, meanwhile, is the traditional connector port you're used to seeing on computers, though more and more models now likewise offer USB-C.) In that location's a decent adventure that the aforementioned cable that connects your phone to its wall charger will work.

Got it? Good. Here'due south what you demand to do side by side, depending on whether you have a Windows, macOS, or Chrome OS system:

Android file transfers for Windows computers

With Windows, things are as unproblematic every bit can exist. Just plug your phone into any open up 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 see a notification about the current USB connectedness. At this point, it'll probably tell you your phone is continued just for charging.

android file transfer usb notification JR Raphael/IDG

After you 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 lot could also use the "Transfer photos" (sometimes listed every bit "PTP") option, which'll treat your phone like a digital camera. Once you lot've made your selection, become to your desktop and open a File Explorer window using the method that makes the well-nigh sense for your Windows configuration:

  • Click the File Explorer icon in your taskbar
  • Open up the Starting time card and click This PC or Computer
  • Click the This PC, Computer, or My Computer icon on your desktop

Then look for an icon representing your phone alongside other portable devices and drives. Click or double-click that icon, and ta-da! Yous're staring at your Android phone's internal storage. Yous can now click around and scan folders, drag and drop files between your phone and PC, or manipulate the information in any manner y'all want.

android file transfer windows JR Raphael/IDG

Your Android phone's storage looks similar any regular hard drive when viewed from a computer.

Android file transfers for Mac computers

Got a Mac? The Android file transfer procedure is a scrap more than complicated for you — but fear not, for information technology'south still pretty darn easy.

The main difference is that before things volition work, you'll need to download and install an official Google program called Android File Transfer. To use the programme, your Mac must be running macOS 10.vii or afterward, and your Android device must have Android iii.0 or later — something that should pretty much be a given with whatever reasonably recent Android product.

Once the plan'south in place on your Mac, just plug your phone into your computer, turn on your phone's screen and unlock the device, and and so look for the same USB condition notification described above.

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

If the official Android File Transfer program doesn't work well for yous — a vexingly common complaint among Mac users these days — consider the favorably reviewed third-political party Commander One Pro as an alternative. It costs $30 for a single license, $100 for a v-user squad license, or $150 for a l-user company license.

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

Android file transfers for Chrome OS computers

You'd look file transfers betwixt Android phones and Chromebooks to exist as simple every bit tin can be, because that Google's the driving force behind both of those operating systems — and by golly, you'd be absolutely right.

Just like on a Windows system, all you've gotta practise to connect your Android telephone to a Chromebook is plug it into any open up 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 telephone to be treated like a camera, with a focus exclusively on multimedia files.

Once y'all do that, the Chrome OS Files app should automatically appear on your Chromebook with your phone nowadays as one of the storage options. The system will probably even prompt yous to back up all of your phone'due south media files to Google Bulldoze; you can allow that, if you'd like, or dismiss it and simply elevate and drop files in either direction as needed.

android file transfer chrome os JR Raphael/IDG

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

In that location's really non much to it — nor should there be.

And if y'all want an fifty-fifty simpler way to take care of business...

Don't like cables?

Hey, wait a minute — aren't at that place apps and cloud services for this sort of thing? Certain there are, and we've got you covered there, too. 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 up tasty morsels about the human side of engineering. 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 Fri.

Copyright © 2019 IDG Communications, Inc.