Skip to content
Guide

How to transfer files between Android and Mac

Install Synqed on your Mac and your Android phone and pair them on the same network. To send a file to the phone, drop it on the Mac's notch, the Synqed Dock icon or the app window, or use Share, Synqed in Finder; it is saved to the phone's Downloads folder. To send from the phone, share the file to Synqed and it lands in the Mac's Downloads folder. No cable and no cloud upload.

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.
  2. Mac to phone. Drag files onto the notch, the Dock icon or the Synqed window, or choose Share, then Synqed, in Finder. If another app uses your notch, turn on the send shelf, a tab at the side of the screen that opens when you drag files to it. Files are saved to the phone's Downloads folder, and the phone shows a notification when they arrive.
  3. Phone to Mac. In any app, tap Share on a file, photo or video and pick Synqed. It is saved to Downloads on the Mac.
  4. Pull files from the phone's storage. The Files section of the Mac app browses the phone's storage, with thumbnails for images and videos. Grant folder access on the phone first, then pick files to copy to the Mac.
  5. Pause, cancel or resume. Each transfer can be paused or cancelled from the Mac. If the connection drops, the 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

  • Same network only. Transfers run over your local network, so speed depends on your Wi-Fi.
  • Pausing works while connected. A paused transfer does not stay paused across a disconnect.
  • Android blocks every app, Synqed included, from the Android/data and Android/obb folders.
  • Pulling a whole folder with its subfolders is not supported yet; pick the files inside it.

Questions

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.

Is there a file size limit?

Synqed sets no limit of its own. Files are streamed to disk in chunks rather than held in memory, so large files work; the practical limit is free space on the receiving device.

Cost

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

Related