Unlike Windows, macOS does not include a built-in MTP driver, which means Android phones connected via USB are not automatically accessible in Finder. Google's Android File Transfer application fills this gap, but it is notoriously unreliable — especially on macOS Sonoma and Apple Silicon Macs. This guide walks through proper setup, explains why the infamous "Could not connect" error happens, and presents two alternatives that work more reliably in 2026.
Windows includes a built-in MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) driver that handles Android phones automatically. Apple chose not to implement MTP in macOS, which means connecting an Android phone does nothing in Finder by default — the phone does not appear as a mounted drive. Google released Android File Transfer (AFT) as a free app that implements MTP in user space on macOS, making Android's internal storage browsable in a custom file browser window.
AFT works by installing a kernel extension (kext) on older macOS versions or relying on a user-space MTP library on newer ones. The app has not received significant updates since 2019 and frequently breaks after macOS major version upgrades.
Download Android File Transfer from android.com/filetransfer. The download is a DMG file. Open the DMG and drag Android File Transfer.app to the Applications folder. On first launch, macOS Gatekeeper may block it because the app predates current notarization requirements. To bypass:
Android File Transfer runs in the background and launches automatically when an Android phone is connected in MTP mode. You do not need to open it manually each time once it is set up.
The phone's USB connection mode must be set to File Transfer (also labeled MTP on some devices). The default on most modern Android phones is Charging Only, which keeps the USB port in a power-only state and does not expose storage. To change the mode:
Android File Transfer should open automatically on the Mac and display the phone's internal storage and SD card (if present). If it does not open within 5 seconds, open it manually from Applications.
The most common AFT failure is the error dialog: "Could not connect to the device. Try reconnecting or restarting your device." The causes are almost always one of the following:
Wrong USB mode on the phone. Confirm the phone is set to File Transfer, not Charging Only or PTP. Swipe down and check the USB notification.
Low-quality or charge-only USB cable. Many USB-C cables sold as "charging cables" have only the power and ground wires connected and lack the data lines. Try a different cable, preferably one that came with the phone or is rated for data transfer.
Another app is holding the MTP interface. On macOS, if a photo importer, iTunes, or another app grabbed the USB device first, AFT cannot connect. Quit all other apps that might access the phone, disconnect and reconnect the cable, then let AFT be the first app to respond to the connection.
macOS Sonoma and Apple Silicon incompatibility. AFT frequently fails to connect on Macs running macOS 14 Sonoma, particularly on M1/M2/M3 hardware. This is a known and unresolved issue with the app's MTP implementation. The solution is to use an alternative application (see below).
Stale AFT process from a previous session. Open Activity Monitor, search for "Android File Transfer Agent," and force-quit all instances. Then reconnect the phone.
OpenMTP is a free, open-source Android file transfer application for macOS, available on the Mac App Store and at openmtp.ganeshrvel.com. It is actively maintained and handles macOS Sonoma and Apple Silicon correctly. OpenMTP uses a different MTP library than Google's AFT and tends to connect reliably on hardware where AFT fails.
Key advantages of OpenMTP over Android File Transfer:
Install OpenMTP from the Mac App Store or download the DMG directly. The first connection prompts for macOS permission to access the connected device — allow it. The phone must still be set to File Transfer (MTP) mode on the Android side.
Cyberduck (free at cyberduck.io) is a network file transfer client that also supports Android via MTP through its built-in protocol handler. It provides a more traditional file browser interface and supports file operations that OpenMTP does not, such as renaming files in place and editing text files directly on the device.
To connect an Android phone in Cyberduck:
Cyberduck is best for advanced users who need features beyond basic drag-and-drop, such as synchronizing a folder between Mac and Android or transferring to multiple destinations.
If MTP-based tools continue to fail, ADB provides reliable file push and pull operations that bypass MTP entirely. With USB Debugging enabled on the phone:
# Copy a file from Mac to Android
adb push /Users/yourname/Documents/file.pdf /sdcard/Download/
# Copy a file from Android to Mac
adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/Camera/photo.jpg /Users/yourname/Desktop/
# Copy an entire folder from Android to Mac
adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/Camera/ /Users/yourname/Desktop/Camera/ADB transfers are typically faster than MTP transfers and are not affected by the macOS MTP compatibility issues. The limitation is that USB Debugging must be enabled on the Android device, which is a developer setting most end users do not have active.
macOS 14 Sonoma introduced stricter USB device access policies. If neither AFT nor OpenMTP connects on Sonoma:
softwareupdate --install-rosettaOpenMTP is compiled as a Universal Binary and does not require Rosetta, making it the most friction-free option on M-series Macs in 2026.