Sharing between Android and Apple is a challenge, but not impossible

Many smartphone owners use their mobile devices as their primary source of storage, but there comes a time when they may need to perform Android file transfer to move data from one device to another.

Those who use Apple products have it pretty easy as there are several easy ways to move files from iPhones to MacBooks to iPads and so on. Transferring files from Android smartphones to other devices can be a bit more difficult, but not impossible.

In fact, there are several methods to transfer files from Android smartphones to other devices, be it Android to Android, Android to Mac, Android to iOS or Android to Windows.

Transfer files from Android to Android

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is probably the easiest way for two Android users to share files between devices. This method does not require an Internet connection or cables. Users only need to have their Bluetooth connection connected to pair the devices. From there, users can find the files they want to transfer and download from one device to another.

OnePlus 6 and Galaxy S8 connecting via Bluetooth.

Connecting devices via Bluetooth

1. Unlock both devices with Bluetooth connections turned on.
2. Access Bluetooth through the drop-down menu or through Settings under the Connections option .
3. In Bluetooth settings, devices can automatically display other available devices for pairing, or users can go to Pair a new device to search for available devices.
4. Start Bluetooth pairing on one phone and both phones will be prompted to confirm a passkey. Once confirmed, the devices are paired.

Share files via Bluetooth

1. Go to the file manager on one of the devices.
2. Navigate to the folder where the file to share is located and access the file.
3. Select Share in the lower left corner of the screen, select Bluetooth , and select the device to share. The user receiving the file will need to confirm file sharing on their device to initiate the transfer.
4. Once the transfer is complete, the recipient will be able to access the file from their device’s Downloads folder.

Get rid of Bluetooth connected devices

1. Access the Bluetooth settings on one of the connected devices.
2. Next to the paired devices, select the Settings icon , represented as a gear.
3. Select Unpair .

NFC

NFC (Near-Field Communication) is another simple wireless transfer method between Android devices. It’s very similar to a Bluetooth connection, except users must touch the back of two smartphones together to initiate a connection.

Connecting a OnePlus 6 and a Galaxy S8 via NFC.

Device connection via NFC

1. Unlock both devices with their NFC connections turned on.
2. Access NFC through the drop-down menu or through Settings under the Connections option .
3. In NFC settings, enable Android Beam on both devices.

Share devices via NFC

1. Go to the file manager on one of the devices.
2. Navigate to the folder where the file to share is located and access the file.
3. Press the back sides of the two devices together and follow the Tap to Beam instructions of the device sending the file.
4. Press the backs of the two devices a second time to start the file transfer. This should happen automatically with minimal download time.
5. Once the transfer is complete, the recipient will be able to access the file from their device’s Downloads folder.

NFC disconnection

Go to the NFC settings of the connected device, and then turn off Android Beam .

Note : Please note that the NFC-enabled connection to support mobile payment systems such as Google Pay is active, so it may not be necessary to disable NFC.

wire transfer

Using a cable to transfer files from one Android smartphone to another is another simple method, in theory; users won’t know how devices will react to being connected until they try the feature. Making sure devices have proper connection compatibility is one problem, while navigating the Android file transfer system is another, which is often activated automatically and in different ways depending on the device.

Share by cable OnePlus 6 and Pixel 2 XL.

Wired device connection

1. Find out what type of input port each device has. Current devices usually have a Micro USB port or a USB-C port. Users will typically need an adapter or OTG (On-the-Go) cable to connect two devices.
2. Gather the necessary cables and/or adapters to establish a connection between two devices.
   1. Note : If both devices are USB-C, users may need an OTG cable to complete a connection between a standard USB and USB-C charging cable. If one device is USB-C and another is Micro USB, users may need a USB-C to Micro USB adapter or a Micro USB to USB-C adapter to complete the connection.
3. Connect the cable to both devices through their respective ports.
4. Once the devices are connected, wait to see if any of them request any file sharing actions. Some devices may prompt users to access the Downloads folder . If a device prompts you for this option, select it as it will automatically connect the two devices and take users to the folder where the other device’s files should be visible.
   1. Note : Alternatively, users will see an Android toast notification in the dropdown menu of at least one of the smartphones. Select Tap for more options > File transfer to access the folder where the other device’s files should be visible.

1. Users will know that the two devices are connected if they see the internal shared folder of one smartphone on the screen of the other device. They can also select the three-line menu icon in the top left corner of the Downloads folder to see both devices listed in the file manager.

Share files when the smartphone is the connected source

1. The connected source is the smartphone that has both devices listed in the device manager menu. Users can access all the folders from the other device from the screen of the connected source.
2. Find the file that users want to share from the other device. For example, a camera image can be accessed by navigating to the DCIM folder > Camera folder > and the image to be shared.
3. Select the Download option from the three plus dots icon in the top right corner.
4. Go back to the main file manager and access the other Download folder from the connected source device. Users will find the downloaded file from the other device in this folder.

Share files when the smartphone is not the connected source

1. Users can connect the devices, but may want to share files from the other device with the connected source device. This is also possible using the connected source’s file manager.
2. Find the file that users want to share from the connected source files. For example, a camera image can be accessed by navigating to the DCIM folder > Camera folder > and the image to share.
3. Select the file with a long press and then select Copy to from the three plus dots icon in the top right corner.
4. Select the Menu tab in the upper left corner and select the other smartphone. This will take users to the field of the other device. Select the folder you want to copy the file to and users will find the file in this folder.

Once the transfer is done, simply unplug the devices from the cable to finish the connection.

Transfer files from Android to Mac

Transferring files from Android smartphone to Mac computer is not that difficult, but there are some annoying steps. What makes an Android to Mac transfer tedious is that most of it is manual. First of all, if the Mac is new or has never been connected to an Android device before, users will need to install the Android File Transfer app.

Android file transfer on a Macbook.

Installing Android File Transfer App

Find the Android File Transfer app here. Download AndroidFileTransfer.dmg, then open and install it by dragging the app to the Mac Applications folder.

Connecting an Android smartphone to a Mac computer

1. Unlock your Android smartphone and connect it to a Mac or MacBook computer with a compatible cable.
   1. Note : Older MacBooks may have USB 2.0 or 3.0 ports to allow a direct smartphone-to-computer connection. Newer MacBooks have a single USB-C port, so users will need a USB-C to USB-C cable or a compatible USB-to-USB-C OTG cable to establish a connection.
2. Once connected, your Mac will likely display a message that says, “Make sure your device is unlocked” and MTP or file transfer mode is selected .
3. Open the Android smartphone drop-down menu and select Android system > USB charging this device > Tap for more options .
4. Select Transfer files on the smartphone and close the window on the computer.
5. This should close and reopen the Android File Transfer app automatically. If it doesn’t open automatically, users can exit the app and manually reopen it to access files.

Share files between Android and Mac

1. Users will see all the files on the Android smartphone in the Android file transfer window.
2. Select the files for transfer. For example, find camera images by selecting the DCIM folder ; Camera .
3. Users need to manually drag and drop the files they want to share from the Android file transfer app to the Mac desktop.
   1. Note : Users cannot preview files but they can identify them by name or “last modified” date.
   2. Tip : Select multiple files to drag and drop by pressing the Command key while selecting the items. You can also create a folder on the desktop and drag all the files in at once to avoid a cluttered screen.
4. Similarly, users can drag and drop files from Mac computer to Android file transfer app. Users will want to drag and drop to a specific folder to ensure easy access to the smartphone.

Disconnecting an Android smartphone from a Mac computer

Quit the Android file transfer app, and then disconnect the cable from the Mac and Android smartphone.

Transfer files from Android to iPhone

Android and iOS smartphones are largely incompatible, making it challenging to share files between phones in the same way that users can share files from one Android smartphone to another. There are many apps and programs such as Move to iOS designed to allow users to transfer their entire Android system to an iOS device and vice versa. If users want to share only a few files, the options are not so easy, but still not impossible.