A free, native macOS app to transfer files between your Mac and Android phone — over USB or WiFi.
No cloud. No Google account needed. Plug in via USB or connect wirelessly over WiFi.
🌐 Project Website • 📥 Download Latest Version • 🖼️ View Previews • ⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts • ❓ Troubleshooting • ⚖️ License & Legal
File Browser — Browse internal storage and external SD cards in a sidebar-equipped view.
App Manager — Install APKs, uninstall user apps, or disable bloatware in bulk.
Wireless Connection — Pair wirelessly in seconds using local network auto-discovery.
Multi-Device Connectivity — Connect and manage multiple Android devices simultaneously.
Trash View — Move files to trash and restore them later, just like macOS.
- Finder-like Navigation — Browse internal storage and external SD cards in a clean sidebar view.
- Drag & Drop — Drag files/folders from Finder straight into the app window to upload them.
- Parallel Transfers — High-speed simultaneous uploads and downloads using Swift Concurrency.
- Spacebar Preview (Quick Look) — Highlight any file and press spacebar to instantly preview images, videos, and PDFs.
- Trash & Restore — Move files/folders to a temporary Trash and restore them later if needed.
- Collision Prevention — Warns you about duplicate files during uploads, and automatically generates unique names when renaming or pasting to prevent overwrites.
- Batch Operations — Rename, change extensions, or delete files in bulk.
- Clipboard Actions — Familiar copy, cut, and paste shortcuts to move files across device directories.
- Smart Sidebar — Quick access to Camera, Downloads, Pictures, Music, and SD Card (hides folders that don't exist on your device).
- App Browser — Search and view all installed apps categorised under User, System, and Disabled tabs with real app icons.
- Easy Sideloading — Drag
.apk,.xapk,.apks, or split.zipfiles onto the App Manager to install them (with automatic/obbfolder mapping). - Uninstall & Backup — Uninstall user-installed apps with confirmation, or backup any APK directly to your Mac.
- Bloatware Disabler — Safely disable/re-enable built-in system apps without needing root access.
- Force Stop & Clear Data — Manage app execution by force-stopping or wiping app data/cache.
- USB Plug & Play — Plug in your USB cable and start transferring instantly.
- Wireless ADB — Connect wirelessly over your home network (requires Android 11+).
- Auto-Discovery — Automatically discovers and lists your Android device on the local network using mDNS.
- Multi-Device Support — Seamlessly switch between multiple connected Android devices via a dropdown menu.
- A Mac running macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later.
- An Android phone with a USB cable (for wired transfer).
- Android 11 or later (for wireless transfer).
The easiest way to install AndroidFileSync is using Homebrew:
# 1. Tap the repository
brew tap santosh7017/androidfilesync
# 2. Trust the tap (Required for Homebrew 6.0+)
brew trust santosh7017/androidfilesync
# 3. Install the app cask
brew install --cask androidfilesyncTo update/upgrade to the latest version via Homebrew later, run:
brew update
brew upgrade --cask androidfilesyncNote: You don't need to run any
xattrcommands when installing with Homebrew. Just install and open!
-
Go to Releases and download the latest
.dmgfile. -
Open the DMG and drag AndroidFileSync into your Applications folder.
-
Open Terminal (search for it in Spotlight) and paste this command:
xattr -cr /Applications/AndroidFileSync.app
-
Launch the app — you're ready to go!
Why step 3? macOS blocks apps that aren't from the App Store by default. This command tells your Mac it's safe to open. The app is fully open source — you can inspect every line of code yourself.
git clone https://github.com/Santosh7017/AndroidFileSync.git
cd AndroidFileSync
open AndroidFileSync/AndroidFileSync.xcodeprojPress ⌘R in Xcode to build and run. To create a distributable DMG, run the script:
./AndroidFileSync/build-dmg.shBefore the app can talk to your phone, you need to enable a developer setting. This only takes a minute and you only have to do it once.
These first two steps are required for both USB and WiFi connections.
- Open Settings on your Android phone.
- Scroll down and tap About Phone.
- Find Build Number and tap it 7 times quickly.
- You'll see a message: "You are now a developer!"
Samsung phones: Go to Settings → About Phone → Software Information → Build Number
- Go back to Settings.
- Search and tap Developer Options.
- Find USB Debugging and turn it ON.
- Tap OK when it asks you to confirm.
The simplest way to connect. Just plug in a cable.
- Connect your phone to your Mac with a USB cable.
- On your phone, you'll see a prompt: "Allow USB debugging?"
- Check "Always allow from this computer"
- Tap Allow.
- Launch AndroidFileSync on your Mac — your phone will appear automatically.
Tip: If you don't see the "Allow USB debugging?" prompt, try unplugging and replugging the cable, or use a different USB port on your Mac.
No cable needed. Your phone and Mac must be on the same WiFi network. Requires Android 11 or later.
- On your phone: go to Settings → Developer Options.
- Find Wireless Debugging and turn it ON.
- Tap on Wireless Debugging to open its settings.
- Inside the Wireless Debugging settings, tap Pair device with pairing code.
- In the Mac app: click the WiFi button — the Auto-Discovery tab will automatically detect your phone and pre-fill the connection details.
- Type the 6-digit code shown on your phone and click Pair & Connect.
Got multiple phones? Devices will appear in the list let you pick which device to connect to.
If Auto-Discovery doesn't find your phone (for example, on a corporate network or VPN):
- Inside the Wireless Debugging settings, tap Pair device with pairing code — note the IP address, port, and code shown.
- In the Mac app: click the WiFi button → Advanced tab → type in the IP, port, and code manually.
- Connect your phone via USB or WiFi (using the steps above).
- Launch AndroidFileSync — it will automatically detect your device.
- Browse your phone's files just like you would in Finder.
- Drag & drop files from your Mac into the app window to upload them.
- Double-click or press spacebar to preview any file (images, videos, PDFs, documents).
- Right-click any file for more options (Download, Rename, Delete, Copy, Cut).
A connection badge appears at the top: blue for USB, green for WiFi.
AndroidFileSync supports familiar Finder-like keyboard shortcuts for fast, mouse-free file management:
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Quick Look Preview | Spacebar |
| Copy File(s) | ⌘ C |
| Cut File(s) | ⌘ X |
| Paste File(s) | ⌘ V |
| Move to Trash | ⌘ ⌫ (Command + Delete) |
| Delete Permanently | ⌘ ⌥ ⌫ (Command + Option + Delete) |
| Rename File/Folder | ⌘ ⇧ R (Command + Shift + R) |
| New Folder | ⌘ ⇧ N (Command + Shift + N) |
| Refresh File List | ⌘ R (Command + R) |
| Navigate to Parent Folder | ⌘ ↑ (Command + Up Arrow) |
| Go Back in History | ⌘ [ |
| Go Forward in History | ⌘ ] |
| Get File/Folder Info | ⌘ I |
| Deselect All | ⌘ ⇧ A (Command + Shift + A) |
| Feature | AndroidFileSync (v2.3.1) | OpenMTP | MacDroid | Blip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost & License | 🆓 100% Free & Open Source | Free & Open Source | Paid Subscription ($19.99/yr for write access) | Free (Closed Source) |
| macOS Integration | 🍎 Native SwiftUI (Lightweight) | Electron (Heavy, non-native) | Native drive mount (Uses system extensions) | Electron |
| USB Transfers | ✅ Yes (ADB) | Yes (MTP - prone to connection drops) | Yes (ADB/MTP) | ❌ No (Wireless only) |
| Wi-Fi Transfers | ✅ Yes (Native Android Wi-Fi) | ❌ No | Yes (Pro version only) | Yes |
| Phone App Required | ❌ No phone app needed | ❌ No | ❌ No | |
| App Sideload / Manager | 🚀 Yes (Uninstall/Backup/Sideload) | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Spacebar Previews | 👁️ Yes (Instant Quick Look) | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Problem | What to Do |
|---|---|
| "Scanning for Device..." won't stop | Make sure USB Debugging is enabled and you tapped "Allow" on your phone. |
| Phone not showing up | Try a different USB cable — some cables only charge and can't transfer data. |
| WiFi pairing fails | Make sure both your Mac and phone are on the same WiFi network. |
| Pairing code not working | Go back to Wireless Debugging on your phone and tap "Pair device" again to get a fresh code. |
| Transfers are slow | Use a USB 3.0 cable and plug into a USB 3.0 port on your Mac. |
| Trash won't empty | Disconnect and reconnect your device, then try again. |
| App won't launch | Make sure you're on macOS 13.0 or newer, and that you ran the xattr command from step 3. |
- SwiftUI — Native macOS interface
- ADB — Android Debug Bridge (bundled with the app)
- Swift Concurrency — Async/await for parallel transfers
- Network.framework — mDNS service discovery for wireless pairing
- CoreImage — Image processing and thumbnail generation
- Quick Look — Native file preview via macOS default apps
- License: Released under the GPL-3.0 License. See the LICENSE file for more information.
- Security Policy: For reporting security vulnerabilities, please refer to the Security Policy.
- Privacy Policy: Read the Privacy Policy to learn how data is handled.
- Terms of Service: Read the Terms of Service.
- Support & Contact: If you have questions, feedback, or need help, please open an issue on GitHub or reach out via email to santoshmorya400@gmail.com.