How to transfer files from Mac to Android
Install the ZiggSend app on the Mac and on the Android phone (free, on Google Play), connect them once and drag the files onto the ZiggSend window. It’s easy and free, with no ads. They arrive to the Android phone with no quality loss, verified byte for byte. No account, no cloud, no cable.
This guide is for Mac and Android: open this page on one of them, or send the link with “Send to someone”.
What you need
- A Mac or MacBook with macOS 14 (Sonoma) or newer
- Android 7 or newer
- Both on the same Wi-Fi (your home wifi works)
How long it takes
We tested this pair on home Wi-Fi in September 2026: the file arrived and passed the check. We haven’t measured this pair’s speed; on the pairs we measured, home Wi-Fi ran at 17.5 to 49.7 MB/s. How we measure →
Over Wi-Fi, step by step
The Mac and the phone on the same network, no cable.
On the Mac, download the Mac app. On the Android phone, get it free on Google Play. It’s the same ZiggSend on both sides.
On the Android phone, tap “Connect to a computer”. The Mac shows up under “Devices nearby”: tap it, check that the security code matches on both screens and click “Allow” on the Mac. Not there? Tap “Scan the QR code” and point at the code the Mac shows under “Connect phone”.
The Android phone receives even with the screen off (if it can’t, the app tells you to keep the screen on). On the Mac, drag the files onto the ZiggSend window or click “Send files” and pick them.
On the Android phone, you see “3 files arrived intact” (with the number of files you sent). Images and videos go to the Gallery, in the ZiggSend folders; other files go to Downloads › ZiggSend.
Other ways (Mac → Android)
What each option does, only with facts you can check at the source.
| Option | How it moves | Good to know | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android File Transfer | USB cable (MTP) | Google removed the download in 2024. What happened → | 9to5Google |
| OpenMTP | USB cable (MTP) | Free and open source. | GitHub |
| Quick Share | Wireless | The official app is for Android, Chromebook and Windows; there is no Mac app. | |
| ZiggSend | Wi-Fi | Free with 1 phone; checks every file byte for byte. | How we measure |
What can go wrong (and what to do)
The Mac doesn’t show up in the list
Both need to be on the same Wi-Fi (one on Wi-Fi and the other on mobile data won’t work). Guest, hotel and office Wi-Fi often isolates devices: use your home Wi-Fi or put the Mac on the phone’s hotspot. Turn off any VPN. Still nothing? Use “Scan the QR code”.
The Android phone stopped receiving with the screen off
Android receives with the screen off and the app closed in the background. If the system doesn’t allow it, the app tells you to keep the screen on.
The app won’t open on the Mac
It needs macOS 14 (Sonoma) or newer. To check yours: Apple menu → About This Mac.
The Wi-Fi dropped
Just send again: it picks up where it stopped. A file that fails the check is never saved, and the app tells you.
Questions from people about to do this
Does it lose quality?
No. The file arrives identical to the original, verified byte for byte: photo, 4K or HDR video, document.
Do the files leave the Mac?
No. ZiggSend only copies: nothing is deleted on the Mac.
Do I need internet?
Not to transfer: just both on the same Wi-Fi. Your files never go through a server.
Is there a size limit?
No, not even on the Free plan.
Do I need an account?
No. No sign-up.
Is it free?
Yes: the phone app is free, and the computer app is free forever with one phone. Pro is optional, for several phones, full history and automatic folders.
Is it safe?
Yes. The file goes straight from one device to the other over your own network, with the content encrypted (AES-256), and never through a server. To connect, the two devices recognize each other with a code (the security code or the QR code).
Are there ads?
No, not even on the Free plan.
Does it work on my Samsung, Xiaomi or Motorola?
Yes, on any Android 7 or newer.
And without Wi-Fi?
Put the Mac on the phone’s hotspot: then both are on the same network.
Can I use a cable?
ZiggSend’s cable only pulls from Android to the Mac. From the Mac to Android, it’s over Wi-Fi.
Where do the files go on the Android phone?
On the Android phone, images and videos go to the Gallery, in the ZiggSend folders; other files go to Downloads › ZiggSend.
And from Android to Mac?
That too: see the step by step from Android to Mac.