Skip to content
Guide

AirDrop alternative: send files from Android to Mac

AirDrop is Apple's, and it is built for Apple devices. To send photos and files from an Android phone to a Mac, Synqed is an alternative that does the same job over your own Wi-Fi: share a file to Synqed on the phone and it lands in the Mac's Downloads folder. To send the other way, drop files on the Mac's notch, the Synqed Dock icon or the app window, or use Share, Synqed in Finder. Synqed is not AirDrop and does not use it.

Before you start

  • A Mac running macOS 14 Sonoma or later · Apple silicon and Intel.
  • An Android phone running Android 13 or later.
  • Both on the same local network: the same Wi-Fi, or the Mac joined to the phone's hotspot. Synqed has no relay server, so it does not work across the internet.

Steps

  1. Pair the phone and the Mac. Open Synqed on both devices, compare the numeric code on the two screens and confirm. They reconnect on their own after that.
  2. Phone to Mac. In Photos, Files or any other app, tap Share on a photo, video or file and pick Synqed. It is saved to Downloads on the Mac.
  3. Mac to phone. Drag files onto the notch, the Dock icon or the Synqed window, or choose Share, then Synqed, in Finder. Files are saved to the phone's Downloads folder, and the phone shows a notification when they arrive.
  4. If the connection drops. A transfer continues from where it stopped once the devices reconnect, instead of starting over.

First time? Install the Mac app and the Android app, open both, and confirm that the numeric code matches on the two screens. That pairs them, and they reconnect on their own after that. If they can't find each other, see support.

What it does not do

  • It is not AirDrop. Your phone does not appear in the Mac's AirDrop window, and Synqed only sends between its own Mac and Android apps.
  • Same network only: the same Wi-Fi, or the Mac joined to the phone's hotspot. It does not work across the internet.
  • It sends to your own paired Mac, not to nearby strangers' devices.

What about Quick Share and AirDrop?

In November 2025 Google announced that Quick Share on Android works with AirDrop, rolling out first to the Pixel 10 family, with more Android devices to follow. Google's pages describe it as sharing between Android and iPhone, with both devices within Bluetooth distance and Wi-Fi on. They don't describe sharing with a Mac. If your phone has it, try it with your Mac before you rely on it.

From Google's Quick Share and AirDrop announcement and the Quick Share page, checked 14 November 2026.

For more on moving files, including pulling them from the phone's storage, see how to transfer files between Android and Mac.

Questions

Can an Android phone AirDrop to a Mac?

Not with Synqed, which is not AirDrop. Google has announced that Quick Share works with AirDrop on some Android phones, starting with the Pixel 10 family, and its pages describe sharing with iPhones. They do not describe sharing with a Mac.

Do photos keep their full quality?

Yes. Synqed sends the file it is given unchanged. It does not compress or resize it.

Do files go through the cloud?

No. They go directly from one device to the other over your local network, encrypted with AES-256-GCM.

Cost

The Mac app is free. The Android app has a 7-day free trial, then Synqed Pro is was $20 now $7 once, plus tax. No account. Details on Synqed Pro.

Related