Android to Mac
Send Files From Android to Mac Wirelessly (No App on the Phone)
Android File Transfer for Mac is unreliable and now wound down, and Apple offers nothing cross-ecosystem. Flitdrop sends files from any Android or Samsung phone to your Mac over your local Wi-Fi, full quality, end to end encrypted, free and with no account.
The honest answer first: to send files from Android to a Mac wirelessly, install Flitdrop on the Mac, scan a QR code once with your Android or Samsung phone, and both connect over your local Wi-Fi. Google's old Android File Transfer needs a cable, caps files at 4 GB and often fails, and Apple offers nothing cross-ecosystem, so people fall back on clunky tools or Google Drive round trips. Flitdrop moves full quality photos, videos and files directly, end to end encrypted, with nothing to install on the phone.
The gap
Why Android to Mac Is So Painful
Google's Android File Transfer is old and wound down, and there is no built-in wireless path between an Android phone and a Mac. Flitdrop is the free fix.
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Android File Transfer is failing
Google's Android File Transfer is old, needs a USB cable, caps files at 4 GB and often fails to connect or drops mid transfer; it has since been wound down.
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Apple has no cross path
AirDrop and Quick Share each stay inside their own ecosystem, so Apple offers nothing native to move a file from Android straight to a Mac.
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The clunky alternatives
MacDroid is paywalled, SHAREit is heavy with ads, and Google Drive means a round trip to the cloud that compresses photos and costs time.
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A free direct fix
Flitdrop is a free cross platform fix: files travel directly over your local Wi-Fi, never through a server, with nothing to install on the phone.
Getting started
How Flitdrop Works on Your Mac
Install the app on your Mac once, pair your Android phone with a single scan, then send over your Wi-Fi.
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1
Install on your Mac
Install the lightweight Flitdrop app on your Mac once (Apple Silicon or Intel; the first time, open it, then click Open Anyway in System Settings > Privacy & Security); there is nothing to install on the Android phone.
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2
Scan once to pair
Scan a QR code one time to pair your Android or Samsung phone; the phone simply uses its browser as a lightweight web app.
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3
Send over your Wi-Fi
Both devices stay on the same local Wi-Fi and transfer peer to peer, so files move fast and stay off the cloud.
Everything is end to end encrypted, with no account to create and privacy first by design.
Everything it moves
What You Can Send From Android
Full quality photos and videos, any file, several at once, and even the clipboard, both ways between your phone and your Mac.
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Full quality photos and videos
Full quality photos and videos, with no compression and no cloud round trip that shrinks your files on the way to the Mac.
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Big files, several at once
Any files, several at once, in both directions between your Android phone and your Mac, up to 16 GB each instead of a 4 GB cap.
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Two way clipboard
Clipboard text in one tap: copy on your Android phone, paste on your Mac, and the other way around.
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Free on your network
It is free on your own network with 30 files a day, with no subscription; Flitdrop Pro, one payment for life, removes the daily limit.
Private by design
Your Files Stay on Your Wi-Fi
Flitdrop is not an internet or cloud service. Transfers go directly device to device over your local Wi-Fi, everything is end to end encrypted, and there is no account, so nothing is ever uploaded to a server.
It is source available, so anyone can inspect how the sharing works, and it stays free for local transfers on your own network.
Frequently asked
How do I transfer files from Android to Mac wirelessly?
Install Flitdrop on your Mac, scan the QR code once with your Android or Samsung phone to pair, and both devices connect over your local Wi-Fi. You can then send photos, videos and files directly, with nothing to install on the phone.
Why is Android File Transfer not working on my Mac?
Google's Android File Transfer tool is old, tied to a USB cable, limited to a 4 GB file size, and often fails to connect or drops mid transfer, and Google has since wound it down. Flitdrop avoids the whole problem: it is wireless over your local Wi-Fi, needs no cable and no Google account round trip, and moves files at full quality.
Do I need to install an app on my Samsung/Android phone?
No. The phone just uses its browser as a lightweight web app after a one time QR scan. Only the Mac needs the Flitdrop app, which installs on macOS for Apple Silicon and Intel (it is not notarized by Apple yet, so the first time, open it, then go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway; on macOS 14 or older, right-click > Open also works).
Does it work without a cable?
Yes. Flitdrop is fully wireless. As long as your Android phone and your Mac are on the same local Wi-Fi, files transfer directly between them with no USB cable involved.
Is it free and private?
Yes. Flitdrop is free on your own network with 30 files a day, with no account and no subscription. Flitdrop Pro, one payment for life, removes the daily limit. Transfers go directly device to device over your local Wi-Fi and everything is end to end encrypted, so your files never pass through a server or the cloud.
Does it send full quality photos?
Yes. Flitdrop sends full quality photos and videos with no compression, unlike messaging apps or cloud round trips that shrink your files before they reach your Mac.
Ready to send from Android to your Mac?
Install Flitdrop on your Mac, keep your phone exactly as it is.
Windows, Mac and Linux