Android File Transfer

Android File Transfer is Google's Mac utility for transferring files to and from an Android device over a USB connection. This catalog entry distributes the official Android File Transfer disk image, build 5071136, rather than a cloud synchronization service.

Workflow

• Connect the Android device with a USB cable that supports data transfer.
• Unlock the device and select File Transfer in its USB connection options.
• Open the transfer utility to work with accessible device files.
• Copy needed files and confirm that the transfer completed before disconnecting.

Compatibility and limitations

A compatible Android device, a data-capable USB cable and a Mac that can run this legacy distribution are required. Device vendors may implement storage access differently. The current Google Android help page documents USB file-transfer workflows for Windows and Chromebook, but no longer provides a current Mac-specific requirements or version-history section for this utility. Confirm compatibility before relying on it for a particular Mac or phone.

USB file transfer concerns the files exposed by the device; it should not be treated as a complete phone backup or an application-data migration tool. Keep an additional copy of important files, check copied documents and use the device's own controls to authorize file access. Do not assume that every cable used for charging can transfer data.

The distributed Google software is subject to its included license terms. This direct USB workflow is separate from optional Google Account, Drive or photo-backup services, whose storage, account and privacy terms are independent. Choose only the device folders and files you intend to copy.

Sources: Publisher's catalog homepage, Official Android file-transfer help.