Sanity Check - Android File Transfer

[carlarogers]

This is a request for a sanity check. I cannot believe this really is a problem that Android users have to deal with.

For years, Android File Transfer by Google worked great with my computer, a 2012 cheese grater MacPro. Now, it works no more.

I could understand this being an issue, if I was trying to do something complicated, but I don't think that applies in this case.

My goal is to copy files back and forth between Android phone to Mac. Mass file deletion on Android is required. The file transfers should be fast, not the slow way I have seen with apps running through Bluetooth or wifi.

Must be that updates to MacOS have veered away from Android File Transfer by Google. I just read the app has not been updated in a long time.

Ok, so I look for another app to handle the file transfer, and every single one of them is a problem. I don't want to sync anything. I just want the ability to move files on and off my phone to my computer, in a manner as similar to Windows Explorer or Mac Finder as possible.

I suppose I can pay for an app if it comes to that, but come on, this is not something that automatically just works between MacOS (as in a macbook or macpro desktop) and Android phone? Is there a similar hassle with moving files between an android phone and Windows?

This is how this should work.
Connect phone to computer with usb cable. As long as the phone is not on the lock screen, the phone's file system should appear in Windows Explorer or MacOS finder. If that doesn't work, that means something is wrong.

Ok, so there are apps to use. You have to pay for them and they are not intuitive. I really hope I am wrong about this.

So I am thinking either there is a simple thing I just don't know about or this is actually an issue. If this is an actual issue, is it just me, or is this freaking ridiculous?

Several years ago, I had an iPhone. Getting files back and forth from iPhone to Mac was ridiculous. Apple dweebs never admit when their software is cockamamy.

Why doesn't the Android just show up in the Finder or Windows Explorer apps as another drive or device that can be accessed that same way the files on other devices normally work?

 

[Kizzy Catwoman]

I used to use an app called Airdroid that allowed me to sync my older mac with my android phone. But not sure it still works with it. I think there is a free version you can try. But you may need to upgrade it to get it to do everything you want.

 

[blackhawkhot]

You don't need an app but you need the driver for the computer to see the Android.
Even though Samsung Kies is obsolete it's loaded on my Windows laptop... so I have the driver.
Can go back and forth between the laptop and my Note 10 plus running on Pie.
Either in Explorer or straight in with drive management.

 

[dangerousfen]

If it's a new phone or a phone that has previously not been connected to the PC, then you need to enable file transfer.

In the case of my Wife's new nokia I had to initially connect the phone via USB, the swipe down for the notification shade, open the dialogue and then select 'file transfer '.

Once this is completed you can then connect to explorer thereafter with just a tap on the OK tab.

Hope this helps.

 

[carlarogers]

Thank you for taking time to tell me what works.

The solution I have landed with amounts to fixing Android File Transfer, so it works normally again. For example, I just copied 166 files with a total of 1.9G from Android to a hard disk drive. It took ~2 minutes.Same copy to ssd took the same amount of time. Transfer rate averaged 160 Mbits/s. I don't know where the bottleneck is, but this is the speed I have seen previously. I guess it is usb 2 speed.

Just verified this old horse has only usb 2. There are cards to upgrade it but I never sprung the dough. All in all, I am ok now.

This happened after I deleted the app and reinstalled it, even though the app is the same version I had already. Before the resinstall, it would faile with all kinds of stupid messages/.

However, comparing a backup of my system with the now-working live system, I cannot find any sign of the culprit. Chauk it up to computer bs.

Somehow, your comments helped me resolve the problem, even though I cannot connect what I did to any of your comments directly. Something about not having to go it alone seems to have created a benefit.

So, thank you again. I appreciate what you did for me a lot.