More

    Android file transfer: The no-fuss way to connect your phone and computer

    Your smartphone is a strong pc in your pocket — and with Android, a part of that PC-like muscle means having the ability to plug your cellphone into any Windows, Mac, or ChromeOS system after which drag and drop recordsdata both method.Unlike iPhones, Android gadgets permit you to entry their file methods immediately from a desktop, with out the necessity for any cumbersome interfaces or sophisticated procedures. In truth, transferring recordsdata to or from an Android machine is principally no totally different than plugging an exterior onerous drive into your pc and transferring information to or from it.All you want is your cellphone, your pc, and a cable to attach ’em — with micro-USB or USB-C on the cellphone aspect and USB-A or USB-C on the pc aspect, relying on the specifics of your gadgets. (Most present Android telephones use USB-C, whereas most pre-2016 gadgets have the older micro-USB commonplace. USB-A, in the meantime, is the standard connector port you are used to seeing on computer systems, although an increasing number of fashions now additionally provide USB-C.) There’s an honest likelihood that the identical cable that connects your cellphone to its wall charger will work.Got it? Good. Here’s what you should do subsequent, relying on whether or not you’ve gotten a Windows, macOS, or ChromeOS system:Android file transfers for Windows computersWith Windows, issues are so simple as will be. Just plug your cellphone into any open USB port on the pc, then flip in your cellphone’s display screen and unlock the machine.Swipe your finger down from the highest of the display screen, and it is best to see a notification concerning the present USB connection. At this level, it will most likely let you know your cellphone is related just for charging. JR Raphael/IDG

    After you join your cellphone to your pc, a notification will allow you to put together it for transferring recordsdata.

    Tap the notification and choose “Transfer files” or “File transfer” within the menu that seems. If media recordsdata are all you are planning to maneuver, you could possibly additionally use the “Transfer photos” (typically listed as “PTP”) possibility, which’ll deal with your cellphone like a digital digicam. Once you have made your choice, go to your desktop and open up a File Explorer window utilizing the tactic that makes essentially the most sense in your Windows configuration:
    Click the File Explorer icon in your taskbar
    Open the Start menu and click on This PC or Computer
    Click the This PC, Computer, or My Computer icon in your desktop
    Then search for an icon representing your cellphone alongside different moveable gadgets and drives. Click or double-click that icon, and ta-da! You’re watching your Android cellphone’s inside storage. You can now click on round and browse folders, drag and drop recordsdata between your cellphone and PC, or manipulate the info in any method you need. JR Raphael/IDG

    Your Android cellphone’s storage appears to be like like every common onerous drive when considered from a pc. (Click picture to enlarge it.)

    Android file transfers for Mac computer systemsGot a Mac? The Android file switch course of is a little more sophisticated for you — however concern not, for it is nonetheless fairly darn simple.The essential distinction is that earlier than issues will work, you may must obtain and set up an official Google program referred to as Android File Transfer. To use this system, your Mac should be working macOS 10.7 or later, and your Android machine should have Android 3.0 or later — one thing that ought to hopefully be a given on each fronts at this level.Once this system’s in place in your Mac, simply plug your cellphone into your pc, flip in your cellphone’s display screen and unlock the machine, after which look for a similar USB standing notification described above.Tap the notification and choose “Transfer files” or “File transfer.” The Android File Transfer program ought to then robotically open in your Mac, and it is best to have the ability to browse your cellphone’s storage and switch recordsdata to your coronary heart’s content material. If the official Android File Transfer program would not work effectively for you — a vexingly frequent criticism amongst Mac customers lately — take into account the favorably reviewed third-party Commander One Pro instead. It prices $30 for a single license or $100 for a five-user staff license.Or — effectively, skip right down to the ultimate part of this story for one different possibility.Android file transfers for ChromeOS computer systemsYou’d anticipate file transfers between Android telephones and Chromebooks to be so simple as will be, contemplating that Google’s the driving drive behind each of these working methods — and by golly, you would be completely proper.Just like on a Windows system, all you have gotta do to attach your Android cellphone to a Chromebook is plug it into any open USB port, then faucet the USB charging notification on the cellphone and choose both “Transfer files” or “File transfer” from the immediate that seems — or choose “Transfer photos” or “PTP” if you’d like your cellphone to be handled like a digicam, with a spotlight solely on multimedia recordsdata. Once you try this, the ChromeOS Files app ought to robotically seem in your Chromebook along with your cellphone loaded because the energetic storage focus. You’ll discover an possibility inside the app’s menu (within the upper-right nook of the display screen) to again up your entire cellphone’s media recordsdata to Google Drive, if you wish to go down that highway — or you possibly can merely drag and drop recordsdata in both path as wanted. JR Raphael/IDG

    Pulling up your Android cellphone’s storage on a Chromebook is straightforward as will be. (Click picture to enlarge it.)

    There’s actually not a lot to it — nor ought to there be.And if you’d like an excellent easier solution to maintain enterprise…Don’t like cables?Hey, wait a minute — aren’t there apps and cloud providers for this form of factor? Sure there are, and we have you coated there, too. Check out “Transferring files wirelessly between devices” in our in-depth information to file administration on Android for the whole lot there may be to know.

    This article was initially revealed in August 2017 and most just lately up to date in October 2022.Read this subsequent: The greatest Android apps for organizing your life   

    Copyright © 2022 IDG Communications, Inc.

    Recent Articles

    Chromebooks are about to change in a massive way

    Beyond the Alphabet(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)Beyond the Alphabet is a weekly column that focuses on the tech world each in...

    Open Roads Review – Quick Trip

    I as soon as learn in a really profound article...

    Foldable Phones in 2024: What to Expect From Samsung, Google and Others

    Last 12 months marked a big second for the foldable cellphone trade. Newcomers Google and OnePlus launched their first bendable telephones. Motorola and Samsung...

    Horizon Forbidden West PC: best settings, VRAM, DLSS, | Digital Trends

    PlayStation Studios More than two years after its launch on PS5, Horizon Forbidden West is now accessible on PC. The authentic recreation, Horizon Zero Dawn, has change into...

    How much RAM do you need in a laptop? Here’s how to figure it out

    Determining the specs for a new laptop (or a laptop computer improve) could be a delicate balancing act. You wish to spend sufficient so...

    Related Stories

    Stay on op - Ge the daily news in your inbox