Connecting android to mac via usb. Fixing the problem with Android File Transfer not working

We have prepared simple instructions to help you connect wireless devices or Android gadgets to your Mac.

How to Connect Bluetooth Devices to Mac

1. Turn on Bluetooth on MacBook

To turn on Bluetooth on your MacBook, click on the blue tooth symbol in the status menu, which is located at the top right side of the screen. In the drop-down list, select “Enable Bluetooth”. The symbol will now become darker, indicating that the wireless data module is activated.

Your will start searching for Bluetooth devices in a new window. Select what you need from the list provided. If it is not displayed, make sure that the gadget is turned on and is within range of the Bluetooth module.

2. Set up Bluetooth devices

To configure the connection, click on the Bluetooth symbol again. In the drop-down menu you will see all recognized wireless devices. If you connect any gadget to your MacBook for the first time, you need to set it up. To do this, click on the “Set up Bluetooth device” menu bar.

The MacBook will ask you to confirm. To do this, you need to enter on the connected device the combination of numbers that the Mac will show.

3. Connect wireless devices to MacBook

Click on the Bluetooth symbol in the status menu again and select the configured device. In the drop-down menu, activate the “Connect” or “Connect to Network” option so that your wireless gadget can connect to your MacBook.

How to connect an Android smartphone to a Mac

In order for your Android gadgets to share music and photos with Mac computers (MacBook and iMac), they must be properly connected. There are three convenient ways to do this: via USB cable, via Bluetooth and via cloud service.

1. Connecting an Android gadget via USB

Android devices usually come with a USB cable that can be connected to a Mac. In this case, your smartphone must have a version of Android no lower than 3.0 installed.

Insert the plugs of your cable into the corresponding connectors on your smartphone and Apple computer. A small USB symbol will appear in the menu bar. Unlike connecting to Windows, to transfer data between Android and Mac, you will need to install additional software on your computer. The free Android File Transfer utility can be downloaded from the developer’s official website.

While moving data from the gadget, your smartphone will be charged. To ensure that the connection is not interrupted, the Mac must have sufficient energy reserves (relevant for MacBooks).

2. Connecting an Android smartphone via Bluetooth

If you don't want to use additional software, connect your smartphone and Mac using Bluetooth. Please note that with this connection, the Android gadget will not be charged from the Mac. To ensure that the connection is not interrupted, the smartphone must have a sufficient battery level.

3. Connect Android device and Mac via cloud

If you want to transfer data between Android and Mac without having to keep the devices in close proximity to each other, you can organize synchronization of gadgets using a cloud service: for example, or Yandex.Disk.

Select a cloud and install the necessary program on your Android gadget and Apple computer. You can then move data through the cloud interface.

Mac also has native iCloud cloud storage. For Android smartphones it is only available through the web interface in the browser.

1. Transfer files between phone and computer

One of the biggest problems facing Mac + Android users is copying files between their phone and computer. The fact is that Android, starting with version 4.0, does not actually support the Universal Mass Storage protocol, which was replaced by MTP (Media Transfer Protocol). It's worth noting that MTP, unlike UMS, is not a standard protocol (it's a Microsoft invention), so it's not surprising that Mac OS X doesn't support it. Be that as it may, you won’t be able to simply connect an Android smartphone to a computer with Mac OS X using a cord - the phone is simply not recognized as a removable disk.

To solve this problem, Google (the vast majority of whose employees, by the way, use Macs themselves) released the Android File Transfer application. Once installed, this application will automatically launch when you connect your smartphone to your Mac and open a window with a list of files and folders that you can copy from your smartphone and back with a simple drag-and-drop to/from the Finder. It's worth noting that this app (like most Google apps for the Mac) is terrible. In particular, it requires that the smartphone screen be unlocked, and if, while copying files, your smartphone suddenly “falls asleep” due to a timeout, then the process will have to start again.

Personally, I eventually gave up and solved the problem by installing an FTP server on my smartphone, which I connect to from a Mac using the excellent CyberDuck FTP client.

As a result, the process of transferring files occurs quickly and, moreover, wirelessly (via Wi-Fi), and the FTP server itself ensures that the smartphone does not fall asleep during file transfer. Although from the outside it looks, of course, a little wild.

To transfer a small number of files, it is easier and more convenient to use the cloud file storage service Dropbox, which for me personally is an indispensable working tool. If you're not using Dropbox yet, it's time to fix that.

2. Sync contacts, calendar and Hangouts

This one is simple: Mac OS X supports synchronizing contacts and calendar with Gmail and Google Calendar, respectively. Just go to System Preferences -> Internet Accounts, add your Google account and check the boxes for the services you want to use. As a nice bonus, the built-in OS X Messages app works great with Hangouts (formerly Google Talk), and message history is synced between your desktop and phone.

3. Media Sync

If you, like most Mac OS X users, use iTunes to listen to music, you may encounter several problems.

First, iTunes supports a fairly limited number of music formats by default: MP3, AAC and ALAC (Apple Lossless). You can install plugins for QuickTime that allow this combiner to play FLAC, but this option is associated with some inconveniences, the discussion of which is beyond the scope of this material. Personally, I went the other way: I transcoded all my music from FLAC to ALAC using the excellent XLD application (on a laptop with a 2.5 GHz 2-core Core i5 processor, the process of converting a library of several thousand files took about 3 hours), which at the same time can automatically download metadata from the Internet and fill in tags in ALAC files, including album covers. On my smartphone, I use the PowerAMP player to listen to music, which understands ALAC perfectly.

Even if you don't store your music in lossless formats, you may have trouble copying files between iTunes and your smartphone. The first option for solving this problem is manual copying: iTunes stores all the music in a clear file structure, from where it can be easily copied to the phone (see point 1).

If you want automation, you have two options. The first is to sync music to your phone via the cloud using Google Music. The second is to use applications like DoubleTwist AirSync, which can synchronize your iTunes library according to the criteria you specify with a client application on Android. My experience using DoubleTwist, unfortunately, was purely negative: as a music player, this application is no match for the already mentioned PowerAMP, and the synchronization function works through the roof, often creating duplicate files.

It is worth noting that users of Sony Xperia Android smartphones are very lucky - they have the excellent Sony Bridge for Mac application, which solves the problem of copying files and synchronizing media between a smartphone and a computer.

4. Sync photos

Everything is simple here. Apple's proprietary Photo Stream, unfortunately, does not work on Android devices. Synchronizing photos through Google services is also not an optimal solution, since I personally cannot describe the Picasa application for Mac using censored words. Accordingly, the optimal solution is to use the above-mentioned Dropbox, which has an ultra-convenient function for automatically uploading photos taken on your phone.

5. Instant messages

I mentioned above that the Messages app on Mac works great with Hangouts, and message history syncs between your computer and phone. As an additional option, I personally use Viber - an excellent cross-platform messenger that also has a convenient "desktop" application with support for full functionality, including voice and video calls.

Bottom line

I hope I was able to show that Android and Mac get along well in the hands of one user. With the exception of copying files, all synchronization problems are perfectly solved using Google services (Gmail, calendar, contacts) or third-party solutions (Dropbox). So Mac owners can safely buy an Android smartphone, just as owners of Android smartphones and tablets can buy a Mac without fear of interaction problems between these devices.

Lately, many users have reported problems with Android File Transfer. Most of the complaints sound like "file transfer doesn't work." You may reasonably ask, what are the reasons for the problem and how to solve it? It is worth noting that the problem with Android File Transfer not working is not always related to the software. Difficulties with the operation of the program may also arise due to hardware. Let's take a closer look at these points.

Let's start with the USB connection.

• First, try replacing the USB cable.
• If this doesn't help, test your phone's micro USB port by connecting it to another computer or laptop.
• Now it's time to test your computer's USB port. See what happens if you connect another Android device to it.
• Try switching your device to MTP (Media device) mode. You will need to enable USB debugging on your device in advance.

Now it's your Mac's turn to be scanned.

• Make sure you have Mac OS X 10.5 or later installed on your computer.
• Restart your computer - sometimes this simple action helps fix the problem.
• This may be too obvious, but it's a good idea to ask – is your Android File Transfer for Mac OS actually up and running?

Bad luck? Could there be a problem with your Android device?

• The minimum version of the smartphone operating system is Android 3.0.
• Reboot your device.

Using Android File Transfer Utility

So, if you've tried all the above methods and still can't transfer files from Android to Mac, you may simply need to switch to another software.

Eltima Software offers a great app for transferring files from Android to Mac called Commander One. This application is capable of mounting Android devices on Mac in such a way that they appear as additional hard drives. With it, you can easily access their content and transfer files from Android to OS X. Commander One also supports popular cloud storage services, including Google Drive and Dropbox.

How to transfer files to Android using Commander One:

• Download, install and run the application
• Connect your Android device using a USB cable. Commander One should immediately recognize the device and display its contents.
• With a dual-pane interface, you can use drag-and-drop to move files from one location to another.

Simple, isn't it? Mac users will certainly appreciate how easily Commander One handles Android file transfers.

Some people believe that Android devices and Mac OS computers cannot communicate. Perhaps this misconception was partly true in the distant past, but nowadays there are many methods, applications and services that allow you to use your Android OS device with Mac OS. In one article it is impossible to describe all the means available to us for this, but we will try to tell you about the best of them. Many of the services discussed below are cloud-based and make the process of exchanging information between devices simple and painless, although we will also touch on methods associated with using a USB connection.

Synchronizing documents

Unlike iPhone, transferring files to Android devices is quite simple. The method for downloading files may differ slightly depending on the version of Google Android you are using, but in general it works on the same principle. Android OS allows you not only to synchronize certain types of documents, but to download any information at all, using your smartphone as a regular flash drive. Many Android devices use USB Storage Mode, which becomes active when the device is connected to a computer or laptop running Mac OS. At the same time, you will see a USB connection notification on the device display. This notification just needs to be opened and the connection allowed. After this, you will have a connected USB flash drive on your computer, which you can easily open and load the information you need onto it. After you finish downloading the files, safely remove your device using the special icon located next to the device in the Explorer window. Disconnecting your Android device from your computer without first removing it may damage the drive and the information stored on it.
Some newer Android devices require the use of a special program to sync with your computer. Google recommends using Android File Transfer (AFT), which is very easy to manage and allows you to easily manipulate files and folders stored on devices. And although the capabilities of AFT are quite sufficient for most users, other programs, such as Droid NAS , also allow for wireless exchange of information between devices. Droid NAS makes your device visible in Finder as a shared computer, allowing you to transfer files over Wi-Fi. Another way to wirelessly synchronize is using the free AirDroid service, which allows you to access files stored on the device through a regular web browser. Instructions for using AirDroid can be found here.

Music

There are several ways on how you can sync music between your PC and Android device. First of all, you can simply download music to your device using simple copying, which we talked about in the previous point. However, some may find it inconvenient to connect a device every time to download a new song, not to mention the amount of storage on your device may not allow you to download all your music. Numerous cloud services will help you cope with these problems. Unfortunately, the Google Music service (which is perfect for us in this situation) is not yet available in all countries, so many will have to look for other solutions (Dropbox, etc.). On the other hand, using cloud services requires not only configuration, but also a constant connection of devices to the Internet, so for us personally, the good old manual method of downloading files is the most preferable.

Photos

There are several ways to sync your photos between two devices, allowing you to save your photos to your Mac OS PC right after you take them on your Android device. The main advantage of these methods is that you only need to do the initial setup, and then all operations will be carried out automatically without your intervention. An added benefit is that you will never lose your photos since they will be backed up on your computer and in the cloud. The already mentioned Dropbox service is ideal for such photo synchronization, so we recommend using it. After installing and setting up Dropbox, all photos taken using your Android device will be automatically saved on your Mac OS computer in the Camera Uploads folder.
As in the case of music, there is also nothing stopping you from using more traditional methods to synchronize pictures, as well as the already mentioned applications such as AFT and Droid NAS. And if you like to experiment, we recommend that you pay attention to two more interesting solutions that are implemented using the SyncMate Expert application and the AirSync addon from DoubleTwist. However, keep in mind that using all these methods is unlikely to achieve the same simplicity and automation as with Dropbox.

Movies

The large display found on many Android devices is great for watching movies. However, not everyone uses services such as Netflix, Hulu Plus or HBO Go to watch. Many people find it more convenient (and it’s hard to disagree with this) to download a movie from your computer directly to your phone in order to be able to watch it offline. Movies are typically larger in size than other files, so they may take time to download. Those. if you are late for the train, then starting to download a movie is not the best idea.
To download a movie from Mac OS to an Android device, you can use any of the methods listed above (AirDroid, SyncMate, DoubleTwist, Droid NAS, AFT), but keep in mind that wireless methods are usually slower than wired methods, so downloading For large files, we recommend using a USB cable and applications like Android File Transfer. But in general, as you might have guessed, there are no particular problems with downloading videos to Android. If you have any difficulties, they will most likely relate to the inability to play some video formats. However, this problem is easily solved by installing an additional video player (for example VLC or MX Player ), which includes a large set of codecs and is capable of playing almost any multimedia format. Another problem may be the lack of sufficient user memory in the device and, as a result, the inability to download a large number of videos. One possible way out of this situation is to use the Dropbox service we have already mentioned, but you should keep in mind that to work with it you will need a good Internet connection and a large amount of available traffic.

Contacts and calendar

For many, losing contacts from your address book can be a serious problem. The days when people stored numbers, addresses and dates of birth in their heads are far behind us. Today, almost everyone relies on their information to be stored in the device's memory. Gone are the days when the only means of synchronizing such information was a USB connection. Google, Apple and some other companies provide wireless synchronization between all devices that are connected to a single account.
The good news is that Google and Apple work well together when it comes to syncing your contacts and calendar. On a Mac OS computer, all you need to do is connect to your Google account in the Contacts and Calendar apps. To do this, you need to launch the application and open its settings (this can be done not only in the application itself, but also by clicking on the application name in the menu and selecting “Settings”). On the settings page, you will need to click on the Accounts icon, which is located at the top. In the Contacts application, you will need to select the “On My Mac” option and then check the special box in the window that opens to start synchronizing with Google. Please note that the Google account you added to the application must be the same as the one used on your Android device. The calendar synchronization process is similar, but instead of the “On My Mac” option, you will need to click on the “+” icon, which is located at the bottom of the window, and select Google from the list of available services. Again, we remind you that the same Google account must be used everywhere.
On your Android device, you should open the settings, go to the accounts section and make sure that the “Calendar” and “Contacts” items are checked in the account you are using. If everything is set up correctly, any changes will now be synced across both your devices. In general, synchronization will be quite fast, but sometimes there may be slight delays that you shouldn't worry too much about. If you are a user of the iCloud cloud service and are in no hurry to completely switch to services from Google, we recommend that you pay attention to the SmoothSync for Cloud Calendar applications and SmoothSync for Cloud Contacts . With their help, you can easily synchronize information from iCloud with your Android device.

Browser bookmarks

Bookmark synchronization is one of those features that, once you start using it, you'll wonder how you ever managed without it. Thanks to it, you can easily switch between your devices and calmly continue the work you started. The easiest way to ensure synchronization of bookmarks, open pages and browser settings between different devices is to use the Google Chrome browser. In the latest versions of the Google Android platform, the Chrome browser is already installed by default, and if it is not there, then you can try downloading Chrome in the Google Play app store. The version of Google Chrome for Mac OS can be downloaded. In both browsers (on a computer and an Android device), you need to connect your Google account. In Google Chrome settings, you can also select the services you plan to synchronize. We would like to draw your attention to the fact that if you are using Android OS version lower than 4.0, then installing Chrome may not be available. In this case, we recommend using the SyncMate application , the free version of which will allow you to synchronize your bookmarks.
The list of applications described above is far from exhaustive. You may know other useful applications for synchronizing Android and Mac OS, as well as additional areas of interaction between these systems. It would be very kind of you if you share the information you know in the comments to this article.

When it comes to sharing the Internet, we usually mean connecting gadgets to a computer or laptop that has access to the World Wide Web. But there are often the opposite situations, when you need to connect to the Internet on a computer, but there are no Wi-Fi access points nearby. Then you have to do exactly the opposite: surf the Internet from a smartphone or tablet to a computer. You can connect to the Network in a similar way via Wi-Fi, but it is better to use a USB interface - this will provide a more stable, reliable and high-quality connection.

This procedure is standard and does not cause any problems in the case of iPhone, iPad and Mac. But if the user has an Android device, standard means are not enough. To solve the problem, you will need to install a special HoRNDIS driver. This is a free package, the advantage of which over other tethering solutions is its high speed and reliability.

How to share the Internet from an Android smartphone to a Mac via USB

Step 1: Download the latest build of the HoRNDIS driver for Mac from this link.

Step 2: Install the driver as usual.

Step 3: Connect your Android device to your computer.

Step 4: Go to the settings of your Android smartphone and enable the “Hotspot” function.

If the device setup window appears on your Mac, simply follow the on-screen instructions. You can check the availability of an Internet connection by going to the Settings -> Network menu. Here you need to find the device in the list of gadgets. If there is a green indicator next to it, everything is in order.

The HoRNDIS driver can be used with all Apple operating systems from OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard to OS X 10.10 Yosemite.