Android and Mac are two very popular operating systems today, with millions of users enjoying all their benefits on a daily basis. The problem is when we want to transfer a file from one device to another and we find ourselves with the inconvenience that Android not showing up on Mac What can we do to fix it? In this article we will see it in detail.
Android not showing up on Mac
If we are using an Android device and trying to transfer files to or from our Mac computer, we may have come across the problem that Android transfer is not working on Mac. Obviously, this can be a very frustrating problem. However, there are ways to fix it.
Before trying complicated solutions, we recommend starting by trying some simple tricks to fix the problem.
When we encounter this kind of problem, one of the main things that we will have to do is verify if the problem is with the USB cable or with the devices that we are trying to connect. In this way, we can rule out one thing or the other and find the solution more easily. The ideal in this case is to try connecting the Android device to a Mac and then to a Windows computer. If it doesn’t work, it’s probably the cable.
We can also try changing the cable itself or changing the USB port to which we connect the mobile. It is highly recommended to verify that the port is clean of dirt or debris of any kind that is preventing a good connection from being made.
In case we are trying to connect both devices via Bluetooth, we are going to have to make sure that both are turned on and within range. This is something that we can verify from the Bluetooth settings of both devices and checking if they are paired would be ideal.
As a last easy trick, we recommend restarting both devices to check if the issue persists. If so, we will have to move on to more complex solutions.
Turn on USB debugging
Another option is to enable USB debugging. But what is USB debugging? It is a mode that we will have to enable on our Android device to be able to transfer files and access the internal memory of our device. We achieve this in a very simple way.
- We connect the phone to our Mac using the USB cable.
- We open Settings on the phone and we will scroll down until we find developer options.
- In Developer Options we are going to have to activate the USB debugging mode switch.
Enable file sharing mode on Android
Something that is very important is to make sure that the phone is in the correct mode. When we establish a connection, our mobile phone goes into charging mode automatically. So, if we want to transfer files, we will have to change this mode.
- We slide from top to bottom to open the notifications section.
- We look for a notification called USB for file transfer and click on it.
When we have file sharing mode, we will be able to transfer files between devices.
Install Android File Transfer App
In case we still have Android not showing up on Mac issue then let’s uninstall and reinstall Android File Transfer.
Android File Transfer is a free app from Google that allows us to send files between Android and Mac devices. Although from time to time we find that the app doesn’t work properly. So let’s see how to uninstall the application from our Mac.
- We open Finder and look for the Applications section by clicking on “Go” at the top.
- We go to Android File Transfer and right click on it.
- We will choose Move to Trash from the context menu.
- Finally, we will empty the trash.
Now we’re going to have to visit this page to install the latest version of the application on Mac.
Install AirDroid on Mac
AirDroid is a remote access tool that allows us to manage our Android mobile device. Thanks to this tool we can send and receive text messages, access the device’s file system, see notifications and even take screenshots.
- The first thing we will do is download AirDroid for Mac and install the program from this link.
- Once we have installed it, we are going to have to start the program and follow the instructions that we see on the screen.
- Now we go to the phone and we are going to download the app from the Play Store or clicking here.
Finally, we are going to have to log in to our computer and mobile device with the same account to be able to manage our files.
