Android File Transfer alternative
Android File Transfer is gone. What's left is better
Why Android File Transfer won't open or download anymore: Google discontinued the Mac app and pulled its download — with no official Mac successor. If you need a replacement, use Syncsaurs: drag-and-drop file transfer over your own Wi‑Fi, browse your phone's gallery from the Mac, no cable and no MTP drivers.
What happened?
For years, Android File Transfer (AFT) was the official answer to "Android files on a Mac." In 2024 Google quietly discontinued it — the download page disappeared, and no Mac replacement followed. Old copies still floating around break more with every macOS update. You remember the window: "No Android device found," again and again.
So today, moving Android files on a Mac means third-party tools. You can pick another cable-based MTP utility — but AFT's flakiness was really MTP's flakiness, which is why wireless is the better path.
Graduate from the cable entirely
Syncsaurs connects your phone and Mac directly over Wi‑Fi. Drag and drop files both ways in the Files tab, pick photos out of the Gallery tab, or let auto-import gather new shots into a Mac folder on its own. No MTP mounts to drop, no "device not recognized." Files move only between your devices — never through an outside server.
Switching from AFT in three steps
- 1
Install Syncsaurs
Download it on your Mac; it installs the phone companion wirelessly.
- 2
Pair once
Follow the guide on the same Wi‑Fi. After that it reconnects automatically.
- 3
Use Files & Gallery
Drag and drop files, and save photos straight from the gallery view.
Android File Transfer alternative
Frequently asked questions
Can't I still download Android File Transfer somewhere?
Old installers circulate on unofficial mirrors, but we don't recommend them. Google no longer maintains the app, it breaks increasingly often on current macOS and Android, and installers from unknown sources carry security risk.
Is there an official Google replacement?
Not for the Mac. Google's desktop sharing tool (Quick Share) is Windows-only. Mac users need a third-party tool — Syncsaurs is the wireless, integrated take on it.
Isn't a cable faster?
For a single huge transfer, possibly. For everyday photos and documents, Wi‑Fi speed is plenty — and once you count plugging in, mounting, and re-plugging when it isn't recognized, wireless wins on real time spent. Syncsaurs supports USB too.
Can it back up just my photos automatically?
Yes. Turn on photo auto-import and new shots save to a Mac folder of your choice whenever the phone connects.
Is it free?
Connecting and screen mirroring (standard resolution) are free; the file and gallery integrations are Pro. Better a tool that reliably works than a free one that doesn't.
Free · macOS 15+ · no credit card
