https://github.com/Santosh7017/AndroidFileSync
AndroidFileSync: A free, native macOS app to transfer files between your Mac and Android phone — over USB or WiFi.
https://github.com/Santosh7017/AndroidFileSync
adb android android-macos-fletransfer filesharing filetransfer mac macos swift
Last synced: 3 days ago
JSON representation
AndroidFileSync: A free, native macOS app to transfer files between your Mac and Android phone — over USB or WiFi.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/Santosh7017/AndroidFileSync
- Owner: Santosh7017
- License: gpl-3.0
- Created: 2025-11-28T18:21:27.000Z (7 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-06-11T16:57:19.000Z (11 days ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-06-11T18:21:10.507Z (11 days ago)
- Topics: adb, android, android-macos-fletransfer, filesharing, filetransfer, mac, macos, swift
- Language: Swift
- Homepage: https://santosh7017.github.io/AndroidFileSync/
- Size: 19.3 MB
- Stars: 95
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 5
- Open Issues: 2
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
- Security: SECURITY.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
- awesome-swift-macos-apps - AndroidFileSync - commit/Santosh7017/AndroidFileSync?style=flat&label=" /> - Transfer files between Mac and Android over USB or Wi-Fi, with no cloud account required. (Sharing Files / Text)
README
# AndroidFileSync
A free, native macOS app to transfer files between your Mac and Android phone — over USB or WiFi.
No cloud. No Google account needed. Plug in via USB or connect wirelessly over WiFi.
**[📥 Download Latest Version](#installation) • [🖼️ View Preview](#preview)**
---
## What Can It Do?
- 📁 **Browse your phone like Finder** — Navigate folders, search, sort by name/size/type
- 🖱️ **Drag & Drop** — Drag files from your Mac straight to your phone
- 📶 **USB or WiFi** — Connect with a cable, or wirelessly over your home network
- 👁️ **Preview files** — Double-click to view images, videos, and PDFs without downloading
- 🚀 **Fast transfers** — Upload and download multiple files at the same time
- ⚠️ **Duplicate detection** — Warns you before overwriting files that already exist
- 🗑️ **Trash & Restore** — Deleted something by accident? Restore it, just like on macOS
- ✂️ **Copy, Cut, Paste** — Move files between folders on your phone with clipboard shortcuts
- 📝 **Rename & Batch operations** — Rename files, change extensions, delete in bulk
- 💾 **SD Card support** — Browse and manage files on your external SD card
- 📱 **App Manager** — Install, uninstall, disable and manage apps (System/User) on your Android device
---
## What You Need
- A Mac running **macOS 13.0 (Ventura)** or later
- An Android phone with a USB cable
- For wireless: Android 11 or later
That's it. The app comes with everything else built in.
---
## Installation
### Install via Homebrew (Recommended)
The easiest way to install AndroidFileSync is using [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/):
```bash
brew tap santosh7017/androidfilesync
brew install --cask androidfilesync
```
To update/upgrade to the latest version via Homebrew later, run:
```bash
brew update
brew upgrade --cask androidfilesync
```
> **Note:** You don't need to run any `xattr` commands when installing with Homebrew. Just install and open!
### Install Manually (DMG)
1. Go to [**Releases**](https://github.com/Santosh7017/AndroidFileSync/releases) and download the latest `.dmg` file
2. Open the DMG and drag **AndroidFileSync** into your **Applications** folder
3. Open **Terminal** (search for it in Spotlight) and paste this command:
```bash
xattr -cr /Applications/AndroidFileSync.app
```
4. Launch the app — you're ready to go!
> **Why step 3?** macOS blocks apps that aren't from the App Store by default. This command tells your Mac it's safe to open. The app is fully open source — you can inspect every line of code yourself.
### Build from Source (For Developers)
```bash
git clone https://github.com/Santosh7017/AndroidFileSync.git
cd AndroidFileSync
open AndroidFileSync.xcodeproj
```
Press ⌘R in Xcode to build and run. To create a DMG: `./build-dmg.sh`
## Setting Up Your Android Phone (One-Time)
Before the app can talk to your phone, you need to enable a hidden developer setting. This only takes a minute and you only have to do it once.
> **These first two steps are required for both USB and WiFi connections.**
### Step 1: Unlock Developer Options
1. Open **Settings** on your Android phone
2. Scroll down and tap **About Phone**
3. Find **Build Number** and tap it **7 times** quickly
4. You'll see a message: _"You are now a developer!"_
> **Samsung phones:** Go to **Settings → About Phone → Software Information → Build Number**
### Step 2: Turn On USB Debugging
1. Go back to **Settings**
2. Search and Tap **Developer Options**
3. Find **USB Debugging** and turn it **ON**
4. Tap **OK** when it asks you to confirm
Now choose your connection method below:
---
### 🔌 Option A: USB Connection (Wired)
The simplest way to connect. Just plug in a cable.
1. Connect your phone to your Mac with a USB cable
2. On your phone, you'll see a prompt: **"Allow USB debugging?"**
3. Check **"Always allow from this computer"**
4. Tap **Allow**
5. Launch AndroidFileSync on your Mac — your phone will appear automatically
> **Tip:** If you don't see the "Allow USB debugging?" prompt, try unplugging and replugging the cable, or use a different USB port on your Mac.
---
### 📶 Option B: WiFi Connection (Wireless)
No cable needed. Your phone and Mac must be on the **same WiFi network**. Requires **Android 11** or later.
#### Extra Setup: Turn On Wireless Debugging
1. On your phone: go to **Settings → Developer Options**
2. Find **Wireless Debugging** and turn it **ON**
3. Tap on **Wireless Debugging** to open its settings
#### Auto-Discovery Pairing (Easiest)
1. Inside the Wireless Debugging settings, tap **Pair device with pairing code**
2. In the Mac app: click the **WiFi** button — the **Auto-Discovery** tab will automatically detect your phone and pre-fill the connection details
3. Type the **6-digit code** shown on your phone and click **Pair & Connect**
> **Got multiple phones?** A dropdown will appear letting you pick which device to connect to.
#### Advanced Pairing (Manual)
If Auto-Discovery doesn't find your phone (for example, on a corporate network or VPN):
1. Inside the Wireless Debugging settings, tap **Pair device with pairing code** — note the IP address, port, and code shown
2. In the Mac app: click the **WiFi** button → **Advanced** tab → type in the IP, port, and code manually
---
## How to Use
1. **Connect** your phone via USB or WiFi (using the steps above)
2. **Launch** AndroidFileSync — it will automatically detect your device
3. **Browse** your phone's files just like you would in Finder
4. **Drag & drop** files from your Mac into the app window to upload them
5. **Double-click** any file to preview it (images, videos, PDFs, documents)
6. **Right-click** any file for more options (Download, Rename, Delete, Copy, Cut)
> A connection badge appears at the top: **blue** for USB, **green** for WiFi.
---
## Preview
---
## Troubleshooting
| Problem | What to Do |
| ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| "Scanning for Device..." won't stop | Make sure USB Debugging is enabled and you tapped "Allow" on your phone |
| Phone not showing up | Try a different USB cable — some cables only charge and can't transfer data |
| WiFi pairing fails | Make sure both your Mac and phone are on the same WiFi network |
| Pairing code not working | Go back to Wireless Debugging on your phone and tap "Pair device" again to get a fresh code |
| Transfers are slow | Use a USB 3.0 cable and plug into a USB 3.0 port on your Mac |
| Trash won't empty | Disconnect and reconnect your device, then try again |
| App won't launch | Make sure you're on macOS 13.0 or newer, and that you ran the `xattr` command from step 3 |
---
## All Features
### Connectivity
- **USB Connection** — Plug in and go, zero setup
- **Wireless ADB (Android 11+)** — Connect over WiFi without a cable
- **Auto-Discovery** — Automatically finds your phone on the network
- **Advanced Pairing** — Manually enter connection details for complex network setups
- **Multi-Device Selector** — Switch between multiple Android devices from a dropdown
- **Context-Aware Disconnect** — Cleanly disconnect wireless devices when you're done
### File Management
- **File Browser** — Browse your phone's storage like a native Finder window
- **SD Card Support** — Browse and manage files on your external SD card
- **Drag & Drop** — Drag files from Finder straight to your phone
- **Parallel Transfers** — Upload and download multiple files at the same time
- **Conflict Resolution** — Detects duplicate files during uploads, lets you Skip or Replace
- **Collision Prevention** — Automatically generates unique names when renaming or pasting to avoid overwrites
- **Smart Sidebar** — Quick access to Camera, Downloads, Pictures, Music, SD Card — hides folders that don't exist on your device
- **Native macOS Dialogs** — Polished rename and new folder prompts that feel right at home on Mac
- **Search & Sort** — Search files instantly, sort by name, size, date, or type
- **Batch Operations** — Change extensions or delete multiple files at once
- **Copy, Cut & Paste** — Clipboard operations across folders on the device
- **Trash & Restore** — Move files to trash and restore them later, just like macOS
- **Delete Permanently** — Bypass Trash and permanently erase files/folders instantly
- **File Preview** — Double-click to preview images, videos, PDFs, and documents
- **Resizable Transfer Panel** — Collapsible, draggable progress view
### App Management
- **App Browser** — View all installed apps (User, System, Disabled) with icons and labels
- **Install APK** — Sideload APK files directly from your Mac
- **Uninstall Apps** — Remove user-installed apps with confirmation
- **Disable System Apps** — Disable built-in system apps without rooting
- **Re-enable Apps** — Restore previously disabled apps with one click
- **Batch Actions** — Select multiple apps and uninstall/disable/enable them at once
- **App Icons** — Real app icons extracted from APKs, with letter-avatar fallbacks
- **Force Stop & Clear Data** — Stop misbehaving apps or wipe their data and cache
- **Backup APK** — Save an app's APK file to your Mac before uninstalling
### Safety
- **Confirmation Dialogs** — All destructive actions (uninstall, disable, clear data) ask before proceeding
- **Context-aware actions** — System tab shows Disable; Disabled tab shows Enable; User tab shows Uninstall
---
## Tech Stack
- **SwiftUI** — Native macOS interface
- **ADB** — Android Debug Bridge (bundled with the app)
- **Swift Concurrency** — Async/await for parallel transfers
- **Network.framework** — mDNS service discovery for wireless pairing
- **CoreImage** — Image processing and thumbnail generation
- **Quick Look** — Native file preview via macOS default apps