Being an Android smartphone user gives you everything until you get an iMac for your personal use. Then, of course, using different operating systems makes things a bit complex.
With over 2.5 billion Android users, this operating system is the most popular in the world. Also, Android OS spans over 196 countries.
However, the performance of Mac computers has surpassed other desktops. Thus, pair of Android phones with a Mac is the best combination today.
Many Samsung phone users struggle when they transfer photos from an Android device to a Mac computer. If you are an Android device user, you have big news.
Suppose you have to transfer photos from your phone to an iMac. If you have no experience, you don’t want to take a risk. To ease your pain, this guide will help you in transferring photos from Android to Mac.
Table of Contents
Transfer Files from an Android Phone
First, you should know the requirements for transferring photos from an Android device to another desktop device. If you have an iMac or similar OS computer on the other end, check the following prerequisites:
- Mac OS X 10.5 or later
- Android File Transfer app
- USB cable
When you have all the above things ready, you can quickly transfer photos from Android devices. However, you might still face some errors while transferring the files. We’ll discuss the troubleshooting later.
Check the OS version of Your Mac
As you read that your computer must have the Mac OS X 10.5 or later installed, let’s verify this requirement first. For that, you need to:
- First, click the Apple logo on the top-left of your Mac’s screen.
- Then, click “About This Mac.”
A box will show up having your Mac’s operating system details.
Moreover, you can see the operating system’s name like macOS Monterey or macOS Big Sur. Also, their version numbers follow their names in the box. So if you want to know the build number, just click the version number.
Android File Transfer
This tool enables you to browse and transfer files between your Android and MTP devices to a Mac. Besides, your Mac must be macOS 10.7 or higher to run Android file transfer.
Third-Party Apps
For the ease of Mac users, companies have launched multiple applications to support the file transfer from Android to Apple devices. Besides, some of the best ones are:
Additionally, you can go for a third-party app as well if the recommended tool is having compatibility issues.
How Do I Transfer Photos from Android to Mac?
There are two methods through which you can transfer photos between the two devices; one is an Android device, and the other is a Mac device (including laptops).
However, some of the steps might vary due to the OS update after Android 9 and up.
Transfer Android Photos to Mac Using USB Cable
The first method is via using a USB cable. It might look simple but let’s get through it.
- Download Android File Transfer (AndroidFileTransfer.dmg) and install the app on your Mac.
- Drag Android File Transfer to Applications.
- Unlock your Android phone.
- Connect your phone to your computer via the cable. Your phone will show a notification after the successful connection.
- Tap the notification “Charging this device via USB.”
- You will see a “Use USB for” option. Under that option, tap File Transfer.
- On your Mac, go to Finder.
- Select Android File Transfer from the drive list.
- Double-tap the Android drive icon.
- Use that window to drag photos from your Android phone.
- Once you are done, unplug the USB cable.
Now, this method looks pretty straightforward. But sometimes, you might face issues while transferring photos from Android to Mac. Do you know why?
Either your Android phone, Mac, or the USB connection is not working properly. Therefore, it’s always important to troubleshoot the two devices with the USB cable.
Troubleshoot USB File Transfer
Troubleshoot Your Android Device
- Check for Software Updates. If available, download and install the update. Moreover, make sure that your phone has enough storage and a stable connection. The Android updates are sometimes mandatory to install after a specific time. Else, your phone will not function properly.
- Restart your phone. In most Android phones, press the power button and tap Restart. Or you can also do that by pressing the power button for 30 seconds.
Troubleshoot Your Mac
- Check for iOS updates on your Mac. The older iOS versions might affect the file transfer process from Android to Mac.
- Check that your Mac has Android File Transfer installed and running. Moreover, you can also use any other third-party app to transfer files.
- Restart your Mac. Sometimes, restarting your PC flushes the memory and other trash storage that hinders the file transfer process.
Troubleshoot USB Connection
- Connect other USB cables to your computer. Since it’s a wired connection, the cable sometimes doesn’t perform correctly.
- Check your computer’s USB port. You can do that by connecting other devices to your computer. This will reveal if your computer’s USB port is working fine or not.
- Check your phone’s USB port. How? Connect your phone to other computers.
Check File Types
It’s essential to check the format of the photos you want to transfer. Sometimes, your phone saves photos in a format that can’t be opened on Mac. Therefore, check the file type if you have errors during the process.
You can check the type of a particular file by opening a photo from Gallery > Tap the “Options” icon on the top right corner > “Details.”
Transfer Android Photos to Mac Using Google Photos
The second method totally relies on your Google account. Moreover, Google photos is a photo sharing and storage tool, which means that you don’t have to establish a wired connection to transfer photos from Android to Mac.
To use this method, make sure that you are logged in with the same Google account on both devices because Google Photos works only for authentic users.
- Open the Google Photos app on your phone.
- Sign in with your Google account.
- If you see the same files in Photos as in your phone’s Gallery, there’s no need to sync the Gallery. If not, follow step#3.
- In Google Photos, tap your profile picture.
- Go to Photo settings.
- Toggle on ‘Back up & sync”. This option will turn on the sync automatically option from the phone’s Gallery to Google Photos.
- On your computer, open the Google suite of applications. Then, make sure that you are signed in with the same Google account.
- Go to Photos. There, you will have access to all your photos on your phone.
Once you enter Photos from the computer, you can make changes like creating albums and deleting photos. But this will not affect your phone’s Gallery. Moreover, you can also upload the photos on Google Drive.
Upload Photos on Google Drive
You can download the photos to your computer; you can easily upload them on Google Drive.
- Select the photos you want to upload on Drive.
- Tap the “Share” option.
- Tap the “Drive” icon.
- A Google Drive window will open. Select where you would like to upload and save the photos on Drive.
You can opt for any option that you deem suitable. Moreover, when it comes to accessibility, saving photos online gives you a more significant advantage than keeping the files on only one device.
Conclusion
You can transfer photos from Android to Mac via USB cable or Google Photos. Moreover, both of these options are safe and secure.
Since the difference in operating systems might make the file transfer process uneasy, you have to use an app that supports this process.
Once the file-sharing is done, you can delete the photos from your phone and optimize its storage manually.
