how to transfer files android to Mac using Warpshare

How to Use Warpshare to send files from Android to Mac with Airdrop

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If you want to transfer files from your Android phone to your Mac, WarpShare is the app you are looking for. It uses the Mac’s native Airdrop to transfer files, so the experience feels much more frictionless.

Apple likes to do things their own way, even if it’s not always the most convenient thing for their users. A perfect example is their chargers – until the iPhone 15, you had to use Apple’s special charger with the lightening port. It wouldn’t work with anything else, and you couldn’t use it to charge any non-Apple devices.

This need to be different shows up in other places too, like transferring files between Apple and non-Apple devices. Apple’s made it super easy to move files around within their own ecosystem, but trying to get files from a different operating system onto your Mac can be bit of a hassle.

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While there are workarounds to transfer files between Mac and Android, they can all be a bit awkward. None of them use that smooth “Airdrop” system that Apple devices enjoy. But thankfully, that’s not the case anymore (sort of!).

Some awesome folks have created a new app called WarpShare. It basically mimics how AirDrop works, so your files transfer super fast. Your Mac won’t even know the difference – it’ll still see it as a regular AirDrop transfer and give you the usual notification.

All you need to do is get the WarpShare app on your Android phone. Heads up, the app is not on the Play Store (yet), so you’ll need to download and side-load it on your phone.

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Here’s how to send files from your Android to your Mac using WarpShare:

Table of Contents Hide

1. Install the WarpShare app

Here are the steps to install the WarpShare app on your android phone:

  1. Get the app file: As the app isn’t on Playstore, you will have to visit this page on Github and download the file named “app-release.apk“.
  2. Tap to install: Once it’s downloaded, tap on the file. You’ll be asked to confirm if you want to install. Hit “Install”.
  3. Allow installation (if needed): You might get a warning about apps from unknown sources. If so, you’ll need to go into your phone’s security settings and allow “installation of unknown apps“.

That’s it! WarpShare will be installed on your Android phone.

All that remains now is to send file from your Android to your Mac.

How to send files from Android to Mac using Warpshare

To allow your android phone to connect to your Mac, there are a few conditions:

  • Same WiFi: Make sure both your Android phone and your Mac are connected to the same WiFi network.
  • Bluetooth on: Turn Bluetooth on for both devices.
  • Airdrop open: On your Mac, open Airdrop (hit Cmd + Space and search for ‘Airdrop’). Set “Allow me to be discovered by” to “Everyone”, like shown in the picture below:
How to send files from Android to Mac using warpshare

Okay, now open up the WarpShare app on your phone and wait for a few seconds. It’ll scan for available Mac devices on your WiFi network.

Once you see your MacBook’s name, tap it and then choose the file you want to send. Your Mac will give you a quick heads up – a prompt to accept or reject the file. Go ahead and accept, and boom! Your file will land right in your downloads folder.

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This app is pretty speedy too. I tested it with a big video file (nearly 1.14 GB!), and the whole transfer took about six and a half minutes. That’s an average speed of about 3 MB/s.

Perfect for those times when you need to share photos or documents on the fly!

Limitations

Okay, so far so good, but there are a few limitations:

  1. WarpShare (and other similar apps) still only work one way: Android to Mac. Apple uses its own special system for file transfers, so sending stuff from your Mac to your Android using Airdrop isn’t possible yet.
  2. The max file size that can be transferred is limited to 4.2 GB.
  3. Many people have reported that this app doesn’t work on their phone. However, I tried it on my Samsung S20 FE (3 years old) and it worked flawlessly, so you might wanna give it a try.

The developer has clearly listed out all these limitations on its Github page.

Wrapping up

WarpShare is a neat solution for those moments when you need to quickly get files from your Android to your Mac.

While the one-way transfer might still be a bummer for some, it’s definitely a step in the right direction, breaking down the barriers of Apple’s closed-off ecosystem. It’s exciting to see developers coming up with these creative workarounds, and hopefully, it pushes Apple to consider more open ways to share files in the future.

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