Android file transfer: How to move data between your telephone and computer

Moving files betwixt your Android device and a Windows PC, Mac, or Chromebook doesn't have to be hard — or dependent on any deject services.

Contributing Editor, Computerworld |

Table of Contents
  • Android file transfers for Windows computers
  • Android file transfers for Mac computers
  • Android file transfers for Chrome OS computers
  • Don't like cables?

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Your smartphone is a powerful computer in your pocket — and with Android, role of that PC-like muscle ways being able to plug your phone into any Windows, Mac, or Chrome Os system and then elevate and drop files either mode.

Dissimilar iPhones, Android devices allow you to access their file systems straight from a desktop, without the need for any cumbersome interfaces or complicated procedures. In fact, transferring files to or from an Android device is basically no different than plugging an external hard drive into your estimator and moving data to or from information technology.

All you need is your phone, your computer, and a cable to connect 'em — with micro-USB or USB-C on the phone side and USB-A or USB-C on the figurer side, depending on the specifics of your devices. (Most current Android phones use USB-C, whereas nearly pre-2016 devices have the older micro-USB standard. USB-A, meanwhile, is the traditional connector port you're used to seeing on computers, though more and more models now besides offer USB-C.) In that location's a decent risk that the aforementioned cablevision that connects your phone to its wall charger will work.

Got it? Good. Here'due south what you need to do next, depending on whether you have a Windows, macOS, or Chrome Bone system:

Android file transfers for Windows computers

With Windows, things are as simple as can exist. Just plug your phone into any open USB port on the computer, then turn on your phone's screen and unlock the device.

Swipe your finger down from the top of the screen, and you lot should see a notification about the current USB connection. At this betoken, it'll probably tell yous your phone is connected merely for charging.

android file transfer usb notification JR Raphael/IDG

Subsequently you lot connect your phone to your computer, a notification will permit you prepare it for transferring files.

Tap the notification and select "Transfer files" or "File transfer" in the bill of fare that appears. If media files are all yous're planning to move, you could also use the "Transfer photos" (sometimes listed as "PTP") option, which'll treat your phone like a digital camera. Once you lot've made your selection, go to your desktop and open up a File Explorer window using the method that makes the nigh sense for your Windows configuration:

  • Click the File Explorer icon in your taskbar
  • Open the Start menu and click This PC or Computer
  • Click the This PC, Estimator, or My Computer icon on your desktop

Then look for an icon representing your phone alongside other portable devices and drives. Click or double-click that icon, and ta-da! You're staring at your Android phone's internal storage. Yous can now click around and browse folders, elevate and drop files between your telephone and PC, or manipulate the data in any way you want.

android file transfer windows JR Raphael/IDG

Your Android phone'due south storage looks like any regular hard bulldoze when viewed from a calculator.

Android file transfers for Mac computers

Got a Mac? The Android file transfer process is a scrap more than complicated for yous — but fear not, for it's still pretty darn easy.

The main difference is that before things will piece of work, you'll demand to download and install an official Google program chosen Android File Transfer. To utilize the plan, your Mac must be running macOS 10.7 or later, and your Android device must have Android three.0 or afterwards — something that should pretty much be a given with any reasonably recent Android product.

Once the program'south in place on your Mac, just plug your phone into your computer, plough on your phone's screen and unlock the device, and then look for the aforementioned USB status notification described higher up.

Tap the notification and select "Transfer files" or "File transfer." The Android File Transfer programme should then automatically open on your Mac, and y'all should be able to browse your phone'due south storage and transfer files to your middle'southward content.

If the official Android File Transfer program doesn't work well for yous — a vexingly common complaint amidst Mac users these days — consider the favorably reviewed third-political party Commander 1 Pro as an alternative. It costs $30 for a single license, $100 for a five-user team license, or $150 for a fifty-user company license.

Or — well, skip downwardly to the final section of this story for one other selection.

Android file transfers for Chrome OS computers

You'd expect file transfers between Android phones and Chromebooks to be every bit unproblematic as can be, considering that Google's the driving strength backside both of those operating systems — and by golly, you'd be absolutely right.

Merely like on a Windows arrangement, all you've gotta practise to connect your Android telephone to a Chromebook is plug information technology into any open up USB port, then tap the USB charging notification on the phone and select either "Transfer files" or "File transfer" from the prompt that appears — or select "Transfer photos" or "PTP" if you want your phone to be treated like a photographic camera, with a focus exclusively on multimedia files.

In one case you do that, the Chrome Os Files app should automatically announced on your Chromebook with your telephone present as one of the storage options. The arrangement will probably even prompt y'all to back up all of your phone'south media files to Google Drive; you tin can permit that, if yous'd like, or dismiss it and simply drag and drop files in either direction as needed.

android file transfer chrome os JR Raphael/IDG

Pulling up your Android phone'due south storage on a Chromebook is easy as can exist — and typically includes a one-click selection to copy all your device's media files also.

At that place's really not much to it — nor should there be.

And if you lot desire an even simpler fashion to take intendance of business...

Don't like cables?

Hey, wait a minute — aren't there apps and cloud services for this sort of matter? Sure in that location are, and nosotros've got you covered there, too. Check out "Transferring files wirelessly between devices" in our in-depth Android file management guide for everything at that place is to know.

This article was initially published in August 2017 and updated in Oct 2019.

Contributing Editor JR Raphael serves up tasty morsels nigh the human side of engineering science. Hungry for more? Join him on Twitter or sign up for his weekly newsletter to get fresh tips and insight in your inbox every Friday.

Copyright © 2019 IDG Communications, Inc.