Android File Transfer | Download for Mac


Android File Transfer for Mac is a files manager and explorer app to browse and transfer files between an Android device and a Mac computer. This is a free utility by Google and it works with every Android phone or tablet out there, no matter what OEM is the phone from. There are some minimum requirements to run Android File Transfer, but we will look into that later. If you need to transfer media files like music, videos or other content to and from your Android phone, this is one handy tool that is a must-have on your Mac. The latest Android File Transfer 1.0.12 is the best files manager working on Mac for Android smartphones.

Moving files around between Android devices and a computer should not be very difficult, or involve any cloud services. The process should be very simple so you can easily access and use your phone storage directly with the computer, whenever and wherever you need it. Android File Transfer does this well, and unfortunately, that is the only thing this app does. This free app requires your computer to be running Mac OS X / macOS 10.7 and above. Your Android device must be running Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) or anything above it. It is fully compatible with Android 13, as of writing this.

Android File Transfer for Mac
Android File Transfer on Mac

Like we mentioned earlier, Android File Transfer is a completely free utility developed by Google. Anyone with a Mac computer can download and use it. No Android USB drivers needed for Mac to connect your Android device if you use this app.

Download Android File Transfer

This is where you can download and install the latest Android File Transfer for Mac app. AFT have had a total of 3 releases so far in all these years and is the best tool for transferring files between your Mac and Android.

We have all these versions available here for download below in the table. You can download the latest one from here:

For previous releases, here is the list you can see:

VersionDownload
Android File Transfer 1.0.12Download
Android File Transfer 1.0.11Download
Android File Transfer 1.0Download

Are you new to Mac and don’t know how to install? Then you have come to the right place. We have a step by step tutorial below.

How to Install Android File Transfer on macOS

To install and run AFT on macOS, it is really easy. If you have installed apps on Mac computers before, then this is no different. Follow these quick and easy steps:

Step 1 – Download Android File Transfer anywhere in your computer.

Step 2 – Open AndroidFileTransfer.dmg file by double-clicking on it.

Android File Transfer - Installation

Step 3 – A new installation window will pop open.

Android File Transfer - Installation

Step 4 – Drag Android File Transfer icon to Applications folder.

Android File Transfer - Installation

Step 5 – Now go to your Applications folder and double-click (open) the Android File Transfer app.

Step 6 – If all goes well, you should see a similar screen like the one shown below.

Android File Transfer - Installation

This is it. Android File Transfer is now successfully installed on your Mac computer.

Now the next time you connect an Android phone to your computer, the AFT will automatically open on your screen. You may have to tap ‘Allow’ on your phone screen to allow the app browse through your Android device folders.

Android File Transfer – Our Review

I have been using Android File Transfer (AFT) for years now, five years to be exact. 2012 is when I moved on to using a MacBook as my primary computer for work. I have connected and transferred hundreds and thousands of files between the number of phones I have and my MacBook. AFT has worked like a charm without any issues or crashes. However, this is not the case in recent times. I have discussed that below in the next section where I talk about all the problems that occur with this app and some awesome new alternatives you should try out.

Android File Transfer for Mac is a simple app — very simple actually.  All this app allows you to do is basic copy and paste functions between your Android device and the computer. You can transfer media content or any type of files between your phone storage (internal or SD card) and the computer. This transfer is basically copy/paste as you cannot even double-click and try to open a file inside AFT. You need to first copy over the file from your phone storage to the computer and then open it.

Android File Transfer for Mac - Features

Other functions of this app include: creating a folder/directory or deleting a file or folder. That is pretty much it. Just to mention, AFT can also tell how much free space is available on your Android phone’s phone storage or in your SD card if you have inserted one.

Overall, Android File Transfer is a great tool if you just want to browse the files and folders on your Android phones or transfer them. However, it needs an update ASAP by Google with more features, better support and stability.

Problems with AFT on Mac

UPDATE 3 (February 2023): There seems to be something broken with Android File Transfer 1.0.12 when trying to access files on the Google Pixel 7 Pro, while it is running Android 13 and my computer is powered by Apple Silicon (M1) with macOS Ventura 13.2. I have tried accessing the files again and again, but the phone just doesn’t connect properly with the Mac. Just to add here, third-party tools seems to be working fine.

Android File Transfer - Could not connect to device

UPDATE 2: Google seems to have fixed all the problems with Android File Transfer for Mac app and Pixel phones with the new Android 10 update and the Google Pixel 4. Android File Transfer 1.0.12 is fully compatible with macOS Catalina.

UPDATE: The latest release seems to have fixed the compatibility problems with the Google Pixel phones. We just tested the AFT 1.0.12 on our Mac (macOS Mojave 10.14.5) and connected our Pixel 3 XL (Android 9.0 Pie) – it worked perfect!

AFT is a very useful and a powerful utility, but it doesn’t come without any problems or issues. The truth is, AFT is an old app now. Google has not updated it since years. Like we said earlier, there are no versions / releases of this app. Apps need to be updated regularly with support for new APIs, add new features or atleast support and work great with existing devices. Android Oreo has just been launched to Google Pixel and Nexus devices, however, it looks like Android File Transfer is broken and doesn’t work for the Nexus 6P on a MacBook with macOS High Sierra.

This is not the only problem. There have been many other reports from Google Pixel users where the phone just won’t connect with the computer and this app, no matter what you do. AFT is badly in need of an update, Google can at least release a bug fix update to fix the problems with this app.

Alternatives to Android File Transfer

There are not many alternatives on Mac that offer support for Android devices. Yet we have found some hidden gems that work great with Android phones and you can easily transfer content between your phone and computer.

HandShaker for Android and Mac

Some of these utilities are:

If not an app, you can also transfer files via ADB if you fancy command line tools.

Is there another app that you prefer other than Android File Transfer? If yes, please do let us know what you use and we would love to try it out and add it here in the list above. You can also visit the official site for more information about Android File Transfer and its features.

Haris Nadeem
Haris Nadeem

Haris lives on everything Android; has countless devices, apps and games to play with everyday. Currently serving as the Chief Editor at Team Android. Connect on Twitter: @harisn

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