Roundup

Best apps to connect an Android phone to a Mac

Apple's Continuity only works between Apple devices, so an Android phone needs an app to reach a Mac. These are six that do, what each one covers, and what it needs.

Disclosure: we make Synqed, one of the apps on this list. To keep it fair, every fact about the other apps is taken from their own websites, linked on each entry and checked 14 November 2026. Where a site doesn't mention a feature, the entry says “not listed”, which doesn't mean the app lacks it. If something here is wrong or out of date, tell us and we'll fix it.

Which one to pick

You want free and open source, or use Linux or Windows too: KDE Connect.
You only need texts, in a browser: Google Messages for Web.
You want calls, texts, notifications and files in a Mac app, over your own network: Synqed or Bounce Connect. Bounce Connect supports older phones (Android 8.0 and up) and WhatsApp calls. The full comparison covers the rest.
You want notifications and clipboard for free, with paid extras: AirSync.
You need Windows, iPhone or access from outside your home network: AirDroid.

Microsoft Phone Link is not on the list because Microsoft offers it for Windows PCs, not the Mac. See Phone Link for Mac.

KDE Connect

Free, open-source software from KDE that runs on many platforms, macOS included. It does more desktop control than anything else here: phone as trackpad, presentation remote, custom commands.

Price: Free and open source.
Platforms: Linux, Windows, macOS (a stable release), Android, iOS, Plasma Mobile, SailfishOS.
Calls: Notifications for incoming calls, and it can pause music or video during a call.
SMS: Reply to texts from the computer.
Notifications: Synced to the desktop.
Clipboard: Shared between devices.
Files: Files and links shared between devices.
Network: Pairing needs both devices on the same network.

Source: kdeconnect.kde.org, download page, KDE UserBase · compared with Synqed

Google Messages for Web

Google's own way to text from a computer. It runs in a browser tab and covers messages only.

Price: No price is listed; carrier fees for SMS apply as on the phone.
Platforms: A browser: Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge. The phone needs Android 5.0 or later.
SMS: Read and send texts from the computer.
Account: Sign in with the Google Account your phone uses.
Network: The phone needs Wi-Fi or mobile data, and the computer an internet connection.

Source: Google Messages help

Synqed (ours)

A Mac app and an Android app for using your phone from your Mac, over your local network with no account. Calls arrive in the Mac's notch, notifications in Notification Center.

Price: Mac app free. Android app: 7-day free trial, then ~~was $20~~ now $7 once, plus tax.
Platforms: macOS 14 Sonoma or later · Apple silicon and Intel. Android 13 or later.
Calls: Answer, decline, mute and redial from the Mac, with the call log. The audio stays on the phone.
SMS: Threads on the Mac, live, with replies and new messages to any number. Plain text from the Mac.
Notifications: In Notification Center with app icons, inline reply, action buttons, per-app muting and seven days of history.
Clipboard: Mac to phone automatically, text and images. Phone to Mac by share sheet, or optional auto-capture.
Files: Both directions, resumable, with a browser for the phone's storage.
Screen: Mirror and control the phone's screen from the Mac.
Account: None. Same local network only; no relay server.

Source: how it works

AirSync

An open-source Android and macOS pair with a free tier and a paid AirSync+ tier.

Price: Free tier. AirSync+ is $2.49 a month or $50 once.
Platforms: macOS and Android.
Calls: Media and call controls are listed under AirSync+.
SMS: Not listed on its site.
Notifications: Synced to the Mac in the free tier. Replying to notifications is also listed.
Clipboard: Copy on the Mac, paste on Android, and text the other way. Included in the free tier.
Files: Mac to Android and back. The file browser is an AirSync+ feature.
Screen: Mirroring the Android display is an AirSync+ feature.
Network: Your local Wi-Fi, or a network such as Tailscale.

Source: sameerasw.com/airsync

Bounce Connect

The closest app to Synqed: an Android companion and a free Mac app, over your own Wi-Fi.

Price: Mac app free. Android companion $15.99 once (listed as an early-user price, down from $24.99); ₹999 in India.
Platforms: macOS 14.6 or later. Android 8.0 or later.
Calls: Accept, decline or mute cellular and WhatsApp calls from the Mac. Audio routing is not supported.
SMS: Send and receive from the Mac, with dual-SIM selection.
Notifications: Mirrored, with inline replies and remote dismissal.
Clipboard: Text and images; Android to Mac is text only.
Files: Over Wi-Fi with resume, and a browser for Android files.
Network: Both devices on the same Wi-Fi, or one on the other's hotspot.

Source: bounceconnect.app · compared with Synqed

AirDroid

The broadest of these: Windows, Mac, web and iPhone, with an account and access over the internet.

Price: Free plan. Premium $3.99 a month or $29.99 a year.
Platforms: Windows, macOS 10.11 or later, web, Android 8 or later, iOS 13 or later.
Calls: Makes phone calls from the computer.
SMS: View and reply from the computer.
Notifications: Managed from the desktop app.
Clipboard: Not listed on its site.
Files: Local and remote transfers. The free plan caps remote transfers at 30MB a file and 200MB in total.
Screen: Mirror and control the phone from the computer.
Account: Sign in to the same account on each device.

Source: AirDroid Personal, pricing · compared with Synqed

What none of them can change

Some limits come from the platforms, not the apps. Apple's Continuity features, such as iPhone Mirroring and calls on the Mac, are documented for Apple devices only. On the phone side, Android blocks apps from reading the clipboard in the background, which is why Synqed copies from the phone to the Mac through the share sheet, or through an opt-in mode that needs extra permissions.