Best ways to transfer photos from Android to Mac

Easily transfer Android photos to Mac: The Ultimate Guide

The interconnection between Apple devices is very convenient, but outside its ecosystem, compatibility is inferior. Cooperation between different operating systems often leads to problems, such as transferring photos from Android to Mac becomes tricky, especially after Google no longer provides Android file transfer apps.

However, there are still many ways to easily accomplish this task, which will be explained in detail in this article.

Quickly, easy and reliable transfer of photos, videos and more files, with just a few clicks.

The easiest way to transfer photos from Android to Mac

For convenience, I have compiled the following quick lookup table. Select the method you want and scroll down to see the detailed steps:

Your goal	You need
Transfer photos and other files in batches to your Mac	Use AnyDroid to transfer files in batches.
Transfer photos to Mac via USB	Use the built-in image capture application.
Transfer photos to Mac via Google Photos	Upload photos to your Google Photos account via Android and download them on your Mac from photos.google.com.
Transfer photos via iCloud	Upload photos to your iCloud network account via Android and download them from icloud.com on your Mac.
Transfer photos from multiple cloud storage	Use DropShare to manage all cloud services on one platform.
Transfer photos via Bluetooth	Connect your Android and Mac using Bluetooth and then transfer photos.
Transfer photos via SD card and card reader	Upload photos to the SD card inserted into the Android device. Then, use the card reader to connect the SD card to your Mac and download the photos.

Transfer files to Mac using AnyDroid

My favorite (and easiest) way to transfer photos from Android to Mac is to use AnyDroid. This app is powerful and is currently the best way to bridge the compatibility gap between Android and Mac.

How to use it is as follows:

1. Install and open AnyDroid on your Mac and Android devices. Make sure both are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. Launch AnyDroid on both devices and click Scan on Android to connect to the desktop version on your Mac.

3. Once connected, click Photos in the Device Manager tab > Select the photos you want to transfer > Send them to the folder on your Mac.

As you can see from the app interface, photos are just one of many items that AnyDroid can help you transfer. As long as your Mac can recognize its classification (e.g., videos and documents), you can use it for any other file.

Transfer photos to Mac via USB cable

Moving files between Android and Windows using a USB cable is very simple. You just need to connect a USB cable to view everything, including application files!

However, this is not the case with Mac, because it does not support the MTP file system. When you connect your Android device to your Mac, it only starts charging. Over the years, Google has simplified the integration of Mac and Android by providing Android file transfer applications for Mac. However, the company stopped maintaining the app in 2024. Although there is a new version (Quick Share), it only works on Windows.

Google's Android file transfer app is often called the "official" method, but Mac users can use an alternative - a built-in image capture app.

To transfer photos from Android to Mac using USB:

1. On your Mac, go to Finder > Applications > Image Capture.
2. Connect Android to your Mac and select your device under the "Device" tab of the app.
3. Select the photo you want to import.
4. Click the "Import" button to transfer the selected photos to your Mac.

Make sure your Android device is set to File Transfer mode when connected to your Mac.

Personally recommending using a USB cable to transfer photos can be a bit tricky and can go wrong. You may accidentally delete important photos or files, or the cable may accidentally unplug, which may lead to data loss. That's why I always use Disk Drill. It helps you get back lost photos or files, giving me peace of mind while managing all my images and other content.

Transfer photos from Android to Mac using Google Photos

Google Photos is a good choice! If you have synced your photos, you only need your Mac.

How to use it is as follows:

1. Make sure the photos are backed up to Google Photos.
2. Visit photos.google.com on your Mac.
3. Log in with your Android device's Google account.
4. Select the photo you want to transfer and click on the three dots in the upper right corner > Download.

Also, learn how to transfer Google Photos to iCloud.

Tips: Once you transfer photos, you can control them better than on your phone, so you can organize your photos and avoid taking up space on your Mac. I usually do this immediately after the transmission, as we all tend to take a lot of similar photos. The preferred tool I use to clean up photos is the Gemini app. It scans your entire device or specific folders, finds duplicates and similar photos, and allows you to view all of them.

Transfer photos from Android to Mac via iCloud

Uploading photos to iCloud is also one of the fastest ways to do it, and it works very well if you are not transferring photos in batches.

How to use it is as follows:

1. Use an Android device browser to access icloud.com.
2. Sign in with your Apple account.
3. Go to Photos and click the Upload icon.
4. Select the photo you want from the gallery and click "Upload".
5. Once the photos are uploaded to iCloud, they will sync with your Mac. You should find them in the Photos app.

If your goal is to sync several Android phone photos with your iPhone or Mac photos, this is a great option.

Transfer photos using cloud services

You can also transfer photos from Android to Mac using cloud services like Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive.

The process is simple, but it becomes annoying if you do it often. Switching between multiple cloud services is not the best choice, and that's where DropShare comes in handy. This app can integrate all common services together through the DropShare app to manage all cloud content on your Mac. You can simply drag and drop files to upload them, or even share them with your password.

Transfer photos using Bluetooth

Old-style Bluetooth is still an option to transfer pictures from Android to Mac. However, as you know, it's not the fastest way, so I only recommend using it when you want to share a small number of photos.

How to use it is as follows:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on Mac and Android.
2. Use Bluetooth settings to pair these two devices.
3. Select the photo you want in your Android Gallery app or Google Photos.
4. Click the Share button at the bottom and select Bluetooth.
5. Select your Mac from the options.
6. Accept transfer requests on your Mac.

The photos will start transferring and you will find them in the Downloads folder.

Transfer photos from Android to Mac using SD card and card reader

If your Android device supports SD card, you can use it to transfer photos.

How to use it is as follows:

1. Use the file manager to move the photos to the SD card (or confirm its storage location).
2. Safely eject the SD card.
3. Insert it into the card reader (compatible with your Mac).
4. Access it as external storage and transfer photos.

This method is relatively fast and is ideal for batch transfers as it does not depend on wireless connections.

Transfer photos from Android to Mac: Task completion

Android and macOS are not the best partners, but transferring pictures from Android to Mac is not necessarily laborious. That's why there are tools like AnyDroid that lets you move any photo or file at high speed. Another way is to use DropShare to access all cloud storage on one platform and transfer photos from the menu bar.

After that, you can use Gemini to clean up photos, delete duplicates and similar photos. If any photos or files are lost, Disk Drill can help you get everything back. All of these apps are available through Setapp and you can try it for 7 days for free! Setapp is my favorite platform because it offers over 250 macOS and iOS apps in one subscription – very good deal, isn’t it?

Frequently Asked Questions

How to transfer photos from Android AirDrop to Mac?

Taking photos from Android AirDrop to Mac is a feature unique to Apple devices. However, you can use an app like AnyDroid, which allows you to share photos and files in a similar way, without requiring any cables.

What is the best way to transfer photos from Android to Apple?

The best way to transfer photos from Android to Apple depends on your preferences, as there is no official method. For convenience, you can use Google Photos or cloud services. If you're dealing with a lot of photos, you can get faster speeds with Wi-Fi or USB using AnyDroid.

How to transfer thousands of photos from Android to iPhone?

To transfer thousands of photos from Android to iPhone, you can do it offline using the Image Capture app:

1. Go to Finder > Applications > Image Capture.
2. Connect Android to Mac via USB>Select your device under the "Device" tab of the app.
3. Select the photo you want to import.
4. Click the "Import" button to transfer the selected photos to your Mac.

The above is the detailed content of Best ways to transfer photos from Android to Mac. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!