Android to Mac file transfer via USB: the wired method, step by step

To transfer files between an Android phone and a Mac with a cable, you need three things: a USB cable that carries data, a file browser app on the Mac, and the phone's USB setting switched from charging to File transfer. The free app to use is OpenMTP. Install it, plug in, unlock the phone, choose File transfer in the USB notification, and drag files between the two panes. It works in both directions and needs no Wi-Fi.

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.

Why does a wired transfer need an app on a Mac?

Because neither company provides the Mac half. Google's help article on moving files by USB gives steps for a Windows computer and a Chromebook and none for a Mac, and Google no longer offers its old Android File Transfer app. On the Mac side, the phone does not appear in Finder when you plug it in. Why that is, and how to get a Finder icon if you want one, is in mounting an Android phone as a drive.

OpenMTP fills the gap. Its site describes it as free and open source under the MIT licence, with no ads, and says it connects over a USB cable using MTP, the file transfer mode built into Android.

What do I need before I start?

• A cable that carries data. Google's help page says "Not all USB cables can transfer files." OpenMTP's connection guide says to use a USB data cable, because "some cables only charge". Neither page tells you how to recognise one by looking. The practical rule: start with the cable that came in the phone's box, and if the phone charges but never shows up, swap the cable before you change anything else.
• A Mac on macOS 10.14 Mojave or later. That is OpenMTP's stated requirement.
• The phone, unlocked. Both Google's steps and OpenMTP's begin with an unlocked phone.

How do I transfer files with a USB cable?

1. Install OpenMTP. Download it from openmtp.ganeshrvel.com and drag it into the Applications folder. The site offers one download for Apple silicon and one for Intel. If you use Homebrew, the project's GitHub page gives the command brew install openmtp --cask. The project warns about copycat websites, so use only its own site, its GitHub page, or Homebrew.
2. Quit apps that might grab the phone. OpenMTP's guide says only one app can use an MTP device at a time. It names Preview, Image Capture, Photos, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Android File Transfer, Garmin Express, iMovie, and Lightroom.
3. Connect the phone to the Mac with the cable.
4. Unlock the phone.
5. Choose File transfer. Swipe down from the top of the phone's screen and tap the Charging this device via USB notification. Under Use USB for, select File Transfer. That is Google's wording, and Google notes that some of its steps only work on Android 14 and up.
6. Open OpenMTP on the Mac. Its guide describes two panes: the files on your Mac are on the left and the phone is on the right.
7. Drag files across. Phone to Mac, or Mac to phone. The site says it handles files larger than 4 GB and many files in one go.
8. Wait for the copy to finish before you unplug.

If your phone has an SD card, OpenMTP's site says you switch between internal storage and the card from the toolbar.

What does the USB step look like on my phone?

Menu wording is where people get stuck, because phone makers rename it.

Pick the mode after the cable is in, because the notification starts out as charging. If you have a Galaxy and Samsung Smart Switch is installed on the Mac, quit it. OpenMTP's guide says to quit Smart Switch if the app becomes unresponsive and that uninstalling it has fixed the problem for some users.

Where are my files on the phone?

Android's developer documentation defines standard folder names that you will see in the right-hand pane.

Camera photos are in DCIM. To put songs on the phone, drag them into Music; see Mac to Android music transfer. Files you downloaded are in Download.

The phone does not show up. What should I check?

Work through these in order. Each comes from Google's troubleshooting section or OpenMTP's guide.

More detail is in Android phone not showing up on Mac and OpenMTP not working. If the connection drops halfway through big copies, see Android file transfer keeps disconnecting.

Is there another wired option?

MacDroid is the commercial one. Its site says it mounts the phone so you can open it in the Finder app, and that it connects by USB or Wi-Fi. Its file transfer page says the PRO version is required to transfer files from the Mac, so the free version copies from the phone only. If you only pull files off the phone and you want them in Finder, the free version may be all you need. The two are compared in MacDroid vs OpenMTP.

When is a cable the wrong tool?

A cable is right for a whole camera roll, a long video, or any time there is no Wi-Fi. It is the wrong tool for the file you need in the next ten seconds, because every wired transfer starts with finding the cable and choosing the USB mode again.

For those, go wireless. The free routes are in Android to Mac Wi-Fi file transfer. The Relay is the paid one, and it has no USB mode at all. You browse the phone's storage from a window on the Mac and drag files either way over your local network, with no file-size limit set by the app. It costs $19.99, paid once.

The Relay cannot help when there is no shared network and the devices are out of Bluetooth range, and it is not free. If a wired transfer is what you came for, OpenMTP is the right answer. The two approaches are weighed in USB or wireless for Android to Mac transfers.

Questions people ask

Does the transfer work from the Mac to the phone too?

Yes with OpenMTP: drag from the left pane to the right. With MacDroid, its pages say the PRO version is required to transfer files from the Mac.

Which USB mode should I choose on the phone?

File transfer. Google's page calls it File Transfer, Samsung phones may say Transferring files, and some makers label it MTP. A charging-only mode shows nothing on the Mac.

Do I need to turn on USB debugging?

Not for OpenMTP. Its steps use only the phone's File transfer mode. MacDroid's site says USB debugging is needed for its ADB mode and its Wi-Fi setup, not for its MTP mode.