Moving something from an Android phone to a Mac used to mean installing Google’s Android File Transfer. Google first removed the link to it from android.com in 2024[1], and its old download address now shows Quick Share for Windows instead[2]. Google doesn’t offer Quick Share for Mac.
The right replacement depends on two things: which phone you have, and what you are moving. A whole camera roll, one photo and the link you were reading are three different jobs.
The short answer
| If you want to | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Send a file or photo from a recent Pixel or Galaxy to a Mac next to you | Quick Share to AirDrop | Built in, nothing to install |
| Copy a whole photo library or large videos | A USB cable with OpenMTP | Handles large files, no network needed |
| Move files from most Android phones on the same Wi-Fi | LocalSend | Free, works on older phones (Android 7.0 and later) |
| Send large files when the phone and Mac are on different networks | Blip | No size limit, resumes interrupted transfers |
| Send links, text and everyday files across networks, with history | fwd | Works on cellular, keeps a searchable record |
Newer phones: Quick Share now talks to AirDrop
Since November 2025, Google’s Quick Share can send to Apple devices over AirDrop. It started on the Pixel 10 series and has been expanding through 2026.[3] As of June 2026, reported support covers the Pixel 9 and 10 series plus the Pixel 8a and 9a, the Galaxy S24, S25 and S26 families and recent foldables on One UI 8.5, and phones such as the OnePlus 15, OPPO Find X9 and vivo X300 series.[4] Lists differ between sources and change as support rolls out, so check whether your phone shows Apple devices in its Quick Share menu.
On the Mac, open Control Center, click the control next to AirDrop and choose Everyone.[5] Contacts Only doesn’t work across platforms yet; on iPhone and iPad the setting is called Everyone for 10 Minutes.[3] Then share from the phone, choose Quick Share and pick the Mac.
If your phone supports this, use it for one-off files. You don’t need another app for that. It still needs both devices nearby, it doesn’t keep a history, and it doesn’t help with older or budget phones.
Lots of files: a cable and OpenMTP
For a full photo library, long videos or a folder you want to browse, a USB cable is still the most dependable route. OpenMTP is a free, open-source Android file transfer app for macOS that connects over USB using MTP, and it needs macOS 10.14 or later.[6] Plug the phone in, tap the “Charging this device via USB” notification on the phone and choose File Transfer[7], then drag files across in OpenMTP.
Any phone on the same Wi-Fi: LocalSend
LocalSend is free and open source, runs on Android, macOS, Windows, Linux and iOS, and moves files over your local Wi-Fi without the internet. Its documentation says transfers are encrypted using HTTPS.[8] It is a good fit for older Android phones that don’t have AirDrop support; current versions need Android 7.0 or later.[9] Both devices need to be on the same network; it doesn’t work over the internet.
Big files on different networks: Blip
Blip is a free app for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone and iPad that sends files and folders of any size over the internet, to your other devices or to other Blip users. It resumes after a network interruption, connects directly when both devices are on the same network, and its site says transfers are end-to-end encrypted. It’s free for non-commercial use; work use needs a paid plan.[10] You sign in with your email and a one-time code.[11] Choose it when the file is large and the phone isn’t on the same Wi-Fi as your Mac, for example sending a long video from your phone while you’re away from home.
Links, text and everyday files: fwd
I’m building fwd (pronounced “forward”), so take this section as the maker’s view. It isn’t the tool for moving a camera roll. It’s for the steady stream of small things: the article you were reading on the train, a booking reference, a screenshot, a PDF. That stream is what the built-in options handle least well.
Your Mac and phone don’t need to be near each other or on the same network, so you can send from a phone on cellular data. Everything you send lands in a history you can search later, on every device. And it runs on Android 8.0 and later, including phones that will never get AirDrop support.
- Where it runs: a Chrome extension that also loads in other Chromium browsers (so Windows, Mac and Linux desktops through Chrome), an app for Android 8.0 and later, and a menu bar app for macOS 14 and later that receives while the browser is closed, as long as it is running and the Mac is awake and online. There is no iPhone or iPad app.
- What it sends: links, text and files up to 25 MB, to one device or to all your other devices, whether or not they are on the same network. A device that is offline gets the push when it reconnects.
- History: sent and received pushes sync across your devices and are searchable on each one.
- Privacy: content, file names and device names are encrypted end to end. The service stores and relays only ciphertext, and sees operational metadata such as your email, which device sent to which and when, and item sizes. How the encryption works.
- Availability: a free private beta with up to 5 devices and 1 GB of account storage. Invitations haven’t started yet; there’s a waitlist.
If most of what you move is large media, use a cable, AirDrop or Blip. If it is links, text and small files you want to find again, join the waitlist.
Which one should you use?
- Recent Pixel or Galaxy, Mac nearby, one file: Quick Share to AirDrop.
- Hundreds of photos or big videos: a USB cable with OpenMTP.
- Older phone, same Wi-Fi, free: LocalSend.
- Large files from anywhere: Blip.
- Links, text and small files across networks, with a history: fwd.
Related guides
- AirDrop for Android and Windows: what actually works in 2026
- LocalSend alternatives for sharing beyond your Wi-Fi
- Snapdrop and PairDrop alternatives
- Intel Unison alternatives after the shutdown
- Pushbullet alternatives: a practical guide
Sources
Checked on October 11, 2026.
- Google hides the Android File Transfer app for macOS. 9to5Google, February 16, 2024.
- Quick Share app: Android to Windows PC file transfer. Google.
- AirDrop-Quick Share Interoperability Expanding to More Android Phones. MacRumors, February 11, 2026.
- These Android phones can use AirDrop with iPhone, Mac. 9to5Google, June 3, 2026.
- Use AirDrop to send items to nearby Apple devices (Mac User Guide). Apple Support.
- OpenMTP: Android File Transfer for macOS. OpenMTP.
- Transfer files between your computer & Android device. Android Help.
- LocalSend: Share files to nearby devices. LocalSend.
- localsend/localsend. GitHub.
- Blip: The fastest way to send files. Blip Studio.
- After trying this free app, I’m never using AirDrop or Quick Share again. Pocket-lint, May 28, 2025.