Android File Transfer alternatives for Mac: what to use now

The closest Android File Transfer alternative for Mac is OpenMTP: it is free, open source, works over the same USB cable, and has no 4 GB file limit. If you would rather not use a cable, NearDrop and LocalSend are free wireless options, and recent Pixel and Galaxy phones can send straight to the Mac's AirDrop through Quick Share. MacDroid is the paid choice if you want the phone to appear in Finder, and The Relay is the paid choice if files are only one of the things you want the phone and the MacBook to share.

Publisher note: The Relay publishes this guide and is one of the products discussed. Details about other products come from each maker's own pages, checked on 1 October 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm before you buy.

What happened to Android File Transfer?

Google no longer offers or documents it. The old address, android.com/filetransfer, now lands on Google's Quick Share for Windows page, which offers a Windows installer and does not mention macOS. Google's help article on moving files by USB gives steps for a Windows computer and a Chromebook, and nothing for a Mac.

We did not find a notice from Google announcing the end of the app. OpenMTP's site describes it as discontinued and Intel only. Either way the practical position is the same: there is no current download from Google, so a Mac needs a third-party tool. If you still have the old app installed and it is failing, see Android File Transfer not working on Mac.

Which alternative should I pick?

What is the closest replacement for the old app?

OpenMTP. It does the same job the same way: plug the phone in with a USB cable, pick File transfer on the phone, and a window on the Mac shows the phone's storage.

The project's page lists what it adds over Google's app: files larger than 4 GB, drag and drop, a split view with the Mac on one side and the phone on the other, and a choice between internal storage and the SD card. It needs macOS 10.14 Mojave or later and comes in separate builds for Apple silicon and Intel Macs. The OpenMTP site says releases are signed and notarized by Apple, that the app collects no personally identifiable information, and that it is free with no ads.

Two limits, both stated by the project. It is USB only: the site's own answer to "Can OpenMTP transfer files wirelessly?" is no. And other apps can get in its way. The site tells you to quit anything that might be reading USB devices, such as Preview, Google Drive, Dropbox, or the old Android File Transfer, and to uninstall Samsung Smart Switch if the window goes blank with a Samsung phone.

Download it only from the official site, the GitHub page, or Homebrew. The README warns about copycat websites using the OpenMTP name.

When is MacDroid worth paying for?

When you want the phone inside Finder instead of inside a separate app. MacDroid says it mounts an Android device as a disk on the Mac, so you can open it in Finder, and that you can edit files on the phone from the Mac without copying them first. It connects by USB in MTP or ADB mode, or over Wi-Fi, and requires macOS 11.5 or newer.

Know two things before you install it. The free version only moves files from the phone to the Mac; MacDroid's pages say the PRO version is required to transfer files from the Mac. And its Wi-Fi setup steps begin with turning on Developer options and USB debugging on the phone, which is more than most wireless tools ask.

As of 1 October 2026 its pricing page lists PRO at $19 per year with a 7-day trial, or a lifetime licence at $34. We set the two side by side in MacDroid vs OpenMTP.

What if I do not want to use a cable?

Three free routes, in order of how little setup they need.

Quick Share to AirDrop. Google's Quick Share help page says a Pixel 8a or later, and certain Samsung, Oppo, OnePlus, Vivo, Xiaomi, Honor, Transsion, and Motorola devices, can send to an iPhone, iPad, or macOS device. The Mac needs AirDrop set to the Everyone option. Nothing is installed on either side. Whether your phone qualifies is covered in AirDrop from Android to a Mac.

NearDrop. A free menu bar app that makes the Mac show up in Quick Share on any Android phone on the same Wi-Fi network. Files land in Downloads. Its README says it is Wi-Fi only and that the Mac is visible to everyone on the network while it runs.

LocalSend. A free app you install on both the phone and the Mac. Its README says it shares files over the local network without an internet connection, encrypted with HTTPS, and lists Android 7.0 and macOS 11 Big Sur as minimums.

These are send-and-receive tools. None of them shows you the phone's folders from the Mac the way Android File Transfer did. For the difference between the two apps, see NearDrop or LocalSend.

What about Samsung Smart Switch?

Smart Switch is Samsung's own desktop software for Galaxy phones. We could not confirm its current Mac features and requirements on a Samsung page, so we do not list them here. Check Samsung's support site for what the current Mac version does. The one sourced fact we can give you is a warning from OpenMTP's site: Smart Switch "blocks other apps from reaching the phone over MTP", so the two do not sit well together on one Mac. More in Smart Switch for Mac.

Where does The Relay fit?

The Relay is not a like-for-like replacement, because it has no USB mode. What it gives you is the part of Android File Transfer people liked, a window on the Mac that browses the phone's storage, without the cable. You drag files either way over your local network, and the app sets no file-size limit. Your files travel directly between the phone and the Mac and are not uploaded to The Relay's servers. The privacy policy has the detail.

It also does things a file tool does not: clipboard sync both ways, incoming texts and login codes on the Mac, notifications, incoming calls, link handoff, and the phone as a webcam. It costs $19.99, paid once, and needs Android 8.0 or later and macOS 13 Ventura or later.

When it is the wrong choice:

• You want a cable. Use OpenMTP. For a whole camera roll, a wired copy is the sensible tool and it is free.
• You only move files a few times a year. OpenMTP, NearDrop, or LocalSend cost nothing. Do not pay for this alone.
• The phone and the Mac are not in the same place. The Relay works on the same network or within Bluetooth range. Use Google Drive.

How do I choose in two minutes?

1. Do you have a data cable to hand and a lot to move? Install OpenMTP.
2. Is your phone on Google's AirDrop list? Use Quick Share and install nothing.
3. Otherwise, do you want to avoid installing an app on the phone? Use NearDrop. If you do not mind, use LocalSend.
4. Do you want the phone in Finder? Try MacDroid's free version first, then decide on PRO.
5. Do you want files along with the clipboard, texts, and notifications in one Mac app? That is The Relay.

We have not benchmarked any of these. To compare two on your own devices, send the same large video with each, time it, and check that it plays to the end on the Mac.

Questions people ask

Is Android File Transfer still available for Mac?

Not from Google. Its old download address now leads to Quick Share for Windows, and Google's USB help page covers Windows and Chromebook only. Copies on other websites are not Google's current release, so treat them with care. See Android File Transfer download for Mac.

What is the best free Android File Transfer alternative for Mac?

OpenMTP for a cable, because it works the same way and its page says it handles files over 4 GB. For wireless, LocalSend or NearDrop. All three are free and open source.

Does OpenMTP work on Apple silicon Macs?

Yes, according to the project. It offers a separate download for Apple silicon and for Intel, and requires macOS 10.14 Mojave or higher.

Can I see my Android phone in Finder?

Not with the free tools above. MacDroid's site says it mounts the phone as a disk you open in Finder. OpenMTP and The Relay each show the phone in their own window instead. More in mounting an Android phone as a drive.

Do I need to turn on USB debugging?

Not for OpenMTP, which uses the ordinary File transfer mode. MacDroid's FAQ says USB debugging is required by its ADB mode, and its Wi-Fi setup steps include it as well. NearDrop, LocalSend, Quick Share, and The Relay do not ask for it.