You plug your Android phone into a Mac, open Android File Transfer, and get "Could not connect device" or "No Android device found" - with the phone sitting right there, plugged in, clearly charging.

Android File Transfer was Google's answer to the fact that macOS cannot read MTP, the protocol Android phones use for file access. The app has barely been touched in years, and on current macOS it fails more often than it works. Here is how to get it going, and what to use when you have had enough of it.

Key takeaways

  • macOS cannot read Android storage natively - that is why a Mac shows your phone as charging but not as a drive.
  • The single most common fix is on the phone: change the USB mode from "Charging" to File Transfer / MTP.
  • Android File Transfer only handles one device, fails on files over 4 GB, and has no progress recovery.
  • A browser transfer sidesteps the whole problem - no driver, no app, and it works when the cable does not.

Why it breaks

macOS has no built-in support for MTP (Media Transfer Protocol). Windows does, which is why the same phone and cable work on a PC. Android File Transfer was a thin bridge over that gap, and Google has left it to rot: it does not handle large files well, cannot run alongside other MTP tools, and newer macOS security prompts often stop it before it starts.

So when it fails, you are usually not troubleshooting your phone. You are troubleshooting an abandoned app.

Fix 1: change the USB mode on the phone

This solves it more often than everything else combined. When you plug in, Android defaults to charge-only.

  1. Plug the phone into the Mac.
  2. Swipe down to the notification shade.
  3. Tap the USB notification (something like Charging this device via USB).
  4. Choose File Transfer or MTP.

Android File Transfer usually pops open by itself the moment you switch.

Fix 2: rule out the cable

Many USB cables - especially the ones bundled with chargers and power banks - carry power but no data lines. There is no way to tell by looking. If the phone charges but never appears, try the cable that came with the phone, or any cable you know has moved files before.

Also skip the hub. Plug straight into the Mac.

Fix 3: turn on USB debugging

On some phones this wakes up the connection when nothing else does:

  1. Settings → About phone, tap Build number seven times to unlock Developer options.
  2. Settings → System → Developer options → USB debugging, switch on.
  3. Reconnect and accept the prompt on the phone.

Fix 4: quit the things that fight over the phone

Android File Transfer will not share a device. Quit Android Auto, Samsung Smart Switch, any other MTP tool, and previous copies of Android File Transfer itself (check Force Quit for a hung instance). Then unplug, plug back in, and open it once.

The way that avoids all of this

If you are moving photos or a few files rather than mirroring a whole phone, skip the cable and the app.

Open phone to computer transfer on the Mac, scan the code with the Android phone, and pick your files. They land on the Mac in seconds. No driver, no MTP, no Android File Transfer, and no cable to hunt down - it works over the internet, so it also works when the phone is in your pocket on the other side of the office.

Going the other way, computer to phone sends from the Mac to the phone using a QR code the phone scans.

Other alternatives worth knowing

  • Google Drive or Photos: upload from the phone, download on the Mac. Reliable, but it costs storage and a round trip.
  • Snapdrop-style local tools: fine on a shared network, useless when you are not on one.
  • Commercial MTP drivers: paid apps like Commander One or MacDroid mount the phone as a drive. Worth it only if you move whole folders both ways every day.
  • Samsung Smart Switch: if it is a Samsung, Smart Switch is better maintained than Android File Transfer and handles the same job.

Comparison

Method Needs a cable Needs software Handles large files Works off-network
Android File Transfer Yes Yes, abandoned Poorly over 4 GB N/A
Browser transfer No No Yes, up to 3 GB a batch Yes
Google Drive No App or browser Yes Yes
Paid MTP driver Yes Yes, paid Yes N/A

FAQ

Why does my Mac not recognise my Android phone?
macOS has no native support for MTP, the protocol Android uses for file access, so the phone charges but never mounts as a drive. You need either Android File Transfer, a paid MTP driver, or a method that skips MTP entirely such as a browser transfer.
Android File Transfer says "no Android device found" - what now?
Check the USB mode on the phone first: pull down the notification shade and switch from Charging to File Transfer. If that does not do it, try a different cable, plug directly into the Mac rather than a hub, and quit any other phone software that might have claimed the device.
Is Android File Transfer discontinued?
Google has effectively abandoned it - there have been no meaningful updates for years and it fails on current macOS often enough that most people give up on it. It still works on some setups, but it is not something to rely on.
How do I transfer photos from Android to Mac without any app?
Open a browser transfer page on the Mac, scan the QR code with the phone's camera, and pick the photos. Nothing is installed on either device and the original files arrive at full quality.
Does Android File Transfer work with large video files?
Poorly. It struggles past about 4 GB and has no way to resume a failed transfer, so a big video often means starting over. Send large files another way.