How to transfer files from a Mac to an Android phone wirelessly

You can transfer files from a Mac to Android wirelessly in six ways: AirDrop to a phone that supports it, NearDrop, LocalSend, a cloud drive, Bluetooth, or a continuity app such as The Relay. If your phone is a Pixel 9 or later (the 9a excepted), or one of the supported Samsung Galaxy models, AirDrop from the Mac's Share menu now works and needs nothing installed. For every other phone, LocalSend or NearDrop is the free answer when both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network, and Google Drive is the answer when they are not.

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.

Which method should I pick?

This guide covers the Mac to phone direction only. For the other direction and for USB, see every way to transfer files from Android to a Mac.

Can I AirDrop from a Mac to an Android phone?

On some phones. Google's Quick Share help page says that to receive from an iPhone, iPad, or macOS device you need a Pixel 9 or later, excluding the Pixel 9a, or certain Samsung, Oppo, OnePlus, Vivo, Xiaomi, Honor, Transsion, and Motorola devices. That is a shorter list than the phones that can send to a Mac. The named models are in AirDrop from Android to a Mac.

1. On the phone, open Settings and search for Quick Share.
2. Set your visibility to Everyone for 10 minutes, or open the Quick Share page and leave it in Receive mode. Those are Google's two options.
3. On a Samsung phone, Google's Quick Share with iPhone page adds that Share with Apple devices must be on in the Quick Share settings.
4. On the Mac, open the file, click the Share button in the toolbar, then click AirDrop and select the phone. Apple's AirDrop guide also describes a second way: click AirDrop in the Finder sidebar and drag the file onto the recipient.
5. Accept the transfer on the phone.

Google says received content lands in the Files app, under Downloads, in a Quick Share folder. Apple gives AirDrop's range as 30 feet (10 meters).

If the phone does not appear on the Mac, check that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on at both ends and move the phone next to the Mac. Google's troubleshooting steps suggest bringing the devices within 1 foot (30 cm), then switching Airplane mode on and off.

How do I send with NearDrop?

NearDrop is a free Mac app that its author describes as a partial implementation of Quick Share for macOS. It is not made by Google, which offers its own Quick Share app for Windows only. NearDrop sends as well as receives.

1. Download NearDrop from its GitHub page, unzip it, and move it to the Applications folder.
2. The first time, right-click the app and choose Open. The README says this is needed to get past the Mac's warning about the app.
3. Connect the phone and the Mac to the same Wi-Fi network. The README says NearDrop works over the local network only.
4. Make the phone visible. The README's answer for a phone that does not show up is to scan the QR code NearDrop displays, or to set Quick Share on the phone so that everyone can see it.
5. On the Mac, right-click a file in the Finder, choose Share, then NearDrop, and pick the phone.
6. Accept on the phone.

Two limits from the README: the Mac is visible to everyone on your network while the app is running, and local network communication may not work on some public networks. On a café or office guest network, expect it to fail and use a cloud drive.

How do I send with LocalSend?

LocalSend is free and open source. Its page says it shares files and messages with nearby devices over your local network without needing an internet connection, and that data is sent over HTTPS. Minimum versions are Android 7.0 and macOS 11 Big Sur.

1. Install LocalSend on the Mac and on the phone. The project lists the App Store and Homebrew for macOS, and Google Play and F-Droid for Android.
2. Open it on both devices, on the same Wi-Fi network.
3. On the Mac, choose Send, pick the file, and select the phone.
4. Accept on the phone.

If the devices cannot see each other, the project's troubleshooting notes point at the network: turn off AP isolation on the router, and exempt local traffic if you use a VPN. Which of the two free apps suits you is covered in NearDrop or LocalSend.

When should I use a cloud drive?

When the phone is not in the room, when you are on a network that blocks devices from seeing each other, or when you want the file kept online anyway. Google's Drive upload page gives the steps: on your computer go to drive.google.com, open or create a folder, and drag the files in. Then open the Google Drive app on the phone.

If you do this daily, the same page describes Drive for desktop, which puts a Google Drive folder on the Mac. Anything you drop there uploads on its own.

The costs: the file counts against your Google storage, and it travels up to the internet and back down. On a slow connection a large video will take a while, and both devices need to be online.

Is Bluetooth worth trying?

Only for one small file when there is no Wi-Fi at all. Apple's Mac guide describes Bluetooth File Exchange, an app in the Utilities folder: select a file, click Send, pick the paired device. The steps and the honest verdict are in Bluetooth file transfer between a Mac and Android.

When is a paid app worth it?

If sending a file to your phone is something you do twice a month, it is not. Use AirDrop, NearDrop, or LocalSend.

The Relay earns its place when the phone and the Mac trade things all day. It gives you a window on the Mac that browses the phone's storage, and you drag files into whichever folder on the phone you want them in. That is the difference from the send-and-accept tools, which drop everything in one downloads folder and need a tap on the phone each time. The app sets no file-size limit. The same app syncs the clipboard both ways, so for a link, a paragraph of text, or a screenshot you do not send a file at all: copy on the Mac, paste on the phone.

It costs $19.99, paid once, and needs Android 8.0 or later and macOS 13 Ventura or later. Both devices must be on the same local network or within Bluetooth range. It does not work across the internet, so for a phone that is elsewhere, use a cloud drive. Your files travel directly between your phone and your Mac over your local network. They are not uploaded to The Relay's servers. See the privacy policy.

Questions people ask

Can I AirDrop from a MacBook to a Samsung Galaxy phone?

If the Galaxy model is on Google's supported list and Share with Apple devices is on in its Quick Share settings, yes. Set the phone to receive from everyone for 10 minutes, then use the Share button on the MacBook and choose AirDrop.

Why does my Android phone not appear in AirDrop on my Mac?

Either the phone is not one of the models that can receive from Apple devices, or it is not in receive mode. Google lists Pixel 9 or later, excluding the Pixel 9a, and certain phones from other makers. The phone must be set to Everyone for 10 minutes or have the Quick Share page open in Receive mode.

Is there a file-size limit when sending from a Mac to Android?

The pages we checked for AirDrop, NearDrop, and LocalSend do not state one. The Relay sets no limit of its own. With a cloud drive, the limit is your remaining Google storage. For a very large file, send it once and confirm it opens on the phone before deleting anything.

Do I need the internet to send a file from my Mac to my phone?

Not for the local methods. LocalSend's page says no internet connection is needed, and NearDrop works over the local network. A cloud drive needs internet on both devices.