MacDroid Pro 2.10.0 — macOS

MacDroid Pro is a utility that lets you transfer and edit files between a Mac and an Android device over USB. If you’ve just installed it, here are a few things to try first.

Plug your Android phone or tablet into your Mac with a USB cable. MacDroid should recognize it and show your device’s folders. You can drag files, photos, music, or videos from the Mac onto the Android device — or the other way. Whole folders move the same way, no need to zip things up first.

One feature that sets it apart: you can open and edit files directly on the Android device without copying them to your Mac first. That saves time when you just want to tweak a document or a photo. The file and folder listings load quickly, and version 2.10 added Traditional Chinese localization and improved MTP connections.

For most tasks, you don’t need anything extra — just MacDroid and a USB cable. If you run into connection issues, try enabling USB debugging on your Android device or checking your cable. It’s a straightforward tool for a common job.

Moving a batch of photos from Android to a Mac folder

Here’s one workflow I do regularly that shows how MacDroid Pro fits into a real task. Say you took fifty photos on your Android phone over the weekend and want them on your Mac, sorted into a folder named by date.

1. Connect your Android phone to the Mac with a USB cable. MacDroid Pro should mount the phone’s storage as a drive on your desktop. Open it in Finder.
2. Navigate to the DCIM folder on the Android device. That’s where most phones store photos and videos. Select the pictures you want — you can click and drag to pick a batch or use Command-click for individual ones.
3. Open a second Finder window and go to the destination folder on your Mac, say Pictures/2025-Weekend.
4. Drag the selected photos from the Android window to that Mac folder. MacDroid handles the transfer. With version 2.10, the file listing loads faster, so you’re not waiting around for thumbnails to appear.
5. Once the transfer finishes, you can rename files, add them to an iPhoto library, or edit them directly in Preview. The originals stay on the Android device until you delete them.

If you’d rather work from the Android device’s storage without copying files first, MacDroid lets you open a photo in an editor on your Mac while it’s still on the phone. That’s useful for a quick crop or rotation before committing to a full transfer.

Appears in Finder sidebar like an external drive

MacDroid Pro works alongside regular macOS features. When it mounts an Android device, that device appears in the Finder sidebar just like a USB drive or an external hard disk. You can use macOS search (Cmd-F) to find files inside the mounted device, or drag items into the macOS Trash. Standard keyboard shortcuts like Cmd-C and Cmd-V work for copying and pasting files between the Android device and your Mac.

If you use tools like Adobe Lightroom or DaVinci Resolve for photo or video work, you can import media directly from the Android device’s mounted volume without an intermediate copy to the desktop. That keeps your workflow linear. For file archiving, MacDroid integrates with macOS’s built-in compression: you can zip folders on the Android device by right-clicking in Finder.

The three connection modes — MTP, ADB, and Wi‑Fi — give you flexibility depending on your hardware. MTP is the default for most Android devices over USB. ADB helps with devices that don’t mount easily, and Wi‑Fi handles wireless transfers when a cable isn’t handy. Each mode activates from the MacDroid Pro menu, and the app remembers your last choice.

No software needed on your Android phone

Do I need to install anything on my Android phone?
No. MacDroid Pro works from the Mac side. Your Android device just needs to have file transfer enabled. For USB connections, the device’s default MTP mode is sufficient. For ADB mode, you’ll need to enable Developer Options and USB debugging on the phone, but that’s a one‑time setting.

Can I transfer files wirelessly?
Yes, through the Wi‑Fi connection mode. Both your Mac and your Android device need to be on the same network. The transfer speed depends on your router and signal strength. For large folders, USB is usually faster, but Wi‑Fi works fine for a few documents or music tracks.

Will it work with an Android tablet or a Chromebook?
It works with Android tablets, phones, and any device that uses MTP or ADB. Chromebooks aren’t supported because they don’t run Android in the same way. Stick with Android devices that have a standard file system.

Can I edit files on the Android device from my Mac?
Yes. When MacDroid mounts the device, you can open a file from Finder using any Mac application. Edit it, save it, and the changes stay on the Android device. That’s useful for documents, spreadsheets, or simple image edits where you don’t want to duplicate files.

Does it work with external SD cards connected to the Android device?
Yes, as long as the Android device itself exposes that storage through MTP. External cards usually appear as additional folders inside the device’s file tree. MacDroid sees them the same way it sees internal storage.

Transfers RAW files from a camera to an Android tablet

Laura shoots with a Sony mirrorless camera and an Android tablet for reviewing images in the field. She transfers RAW files from the camera’s SD card to the tablet through a card reader. Later, at a hotel, she connects the tablet to her MacBook with a USB cable. MacDroid Pro mounts the tablet’s storage, and she drags the day’s selects into a Capture One catalog on the Mac. No extra software on the tablet, no cloud uploads. She edits the keepers, titles the folder by date, and hands it off to the client. The whole routine takes about the same time as a card reader, but without needing to unplug the SD card from the tablet.

• Traditional Chinese localization added.
• Connection and operation with devices via MTP improved.
• Loading of file and folder listings made faster.

• macOS 11.5 or later
• Intel or Apple Silicon Mac