Is Android File Transfer free on a Mac, and what free options are there?

No Google page sells or offers Android File Transfer for Mac any more, so the question of its price has no official answer today. As of 26 October 2026, Google's old address, android.com/filetransfer, opens a page about Quick Share for Windows, and Google's USB transfer help page lists steps for a Windows computer and a Chromebook but none for a Mac. What you can get free on a Mac now is a short list: OpenMTP for a cable, LocalSend for Wi-Fi, and Quick Share to AirDrop if your phone supports it. MacDroid has a free tier with a catch.

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 26 October 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm before you buy.

Why do so many sites say "free download"?

Because "free" is a search word, and sites that host copies use it to catch searches. We cannot cite a Google price page for it, since none exists now, so treat any "official free download" claim as unverified. The reasons that a copy from a mirror site is a poor bargain are in where the Android File Transfer download went, and a practical checklist is in is Android File Transfer safe.

Free here means two different things, and it helps to keep them apart.

• Free to install. No payment is asked at any point.
• Free to use fully. Every feature works without paying, or without a time limit.

Which Mac tools are fully free?

OpenMTP is the nearest match for what people remember. You plug the phone in, set it to file transfer, and drag files between the phone and the Mac. Its page lists macOS 10.14 Mojave or higher as the requirement and offers separate builds for Apple silicon and Intel Macs. The walkthrough is in how to use OpenMTP.

LocalSend needs no cable. Install it on both devices, keep them on the same network, and send. It suits a few files at a time, and the Wi-Fi guide covers the options side by side.

NearDrop lets a Mac receive from the phone's Quick Share menu. Its page says it is "Wi-Fi LAN only" and that the Mac is not visible to the phone in the usual way when sending, so you scan a QR code it generates. NearDrop or LocalSend explains which suits which phone.

Which tools are free with a catch?

MacDroid is the one to read carefully. Its Android File Transfer page says the free version has limited features and that "to be able to transfer files from the Mac, the PRO version is required." So the free tier is a way to copy off the phone, not to put files onto it. The same page says its yearly subscription comes with a 7-day free trial and lists no price on that page, so check its pricing page before deciding. It requires macOS 11.5 or newer, by its own page, and mounts the phone in Finder, which is what some people mean when they ask for the old app.

That is a fair trade for some people. If you only pull photos off the phone and you want them in Finder, the free tier may be enough. If you also send files to the phone, either pay for PRO or use OpenMTP, which does both directions without charge.

Are there free options with no cable and no extra app?

Two.

1. Quick Share to AirDrop. Google says Quick Share can send to an iPhone through AirDrop. Which Android models support it is on Google's list. Whether your Mac can be reached this way depends on your phone model, so check the list for your phone, not a general promise.
2. Cloud storage. Google's USB help page names your Google Account as one route: upload to Google Drive or Google Photos on the phone, then download on the Mac. It is free within Google's storage limits, and it uses your internet connection in both directions.

What does free not give you?

Free file tools move files. They do not carry your clipboard, show a text's login code on the Mac, or put the phone's notifications on the screen. For those, you either combine more free tools or use a single app.

Where does The Relay fit?

The Relay is not a free replacement for Android File Transfer, and it does not claim to be. After a 7-day trial it is a subscription. What it adds is the rest of the day: it browses the phone's storage from a window on the Mac and moves files either way over your own Wi-Fi network, with no file-size limit set by the app, and it syncs the clipboard, shows notifications, calls, and texts with login codes. It has no USB mode and only works while both devices share a network or are within Bluetooth range. If files are all you need, OpenMTP or LocalSend will do it without paying. The Relay is one subscription through Google Play that covers your phone and your Mac, with a 7-day free trial; the download page has the details.

Questions people ask

Was Android File Transfer ever free?

We cannot show it from a Google page, because the product page no longer exists. Do not rely on a mirror site's wording for price or for history.

What is the best free Android File Transfer for Mac?

That depends on how you connect. For a cable, OpenMTP is free and open source. For Wi-Fi, LocalSend is free. We have not ranked them, because they solve different problems.

Is MacDroid free?

It has a free version with limited features, and on its own page, sending files from the Mac needs the PRO version. A trial of the yearly plan is described on the same page.

Do I need to pay to see my Android phone in Finder?

MacDroid is the app on this list that mounts the phone in Finder, and its free version has limits. OpenMTP gives you its own window instead of Finder, and costs nothing.