There’s no AirDrop on Android, and macOS can’t browse an Android phone over USB without extra software. Videos are the hard part: a minute of 4K phone video is a few hundred megabytes, far over email limits, and chat apps compress it.
Send videos from Mac to Android
Send videos up to 1 GB from your Mac to your Android without compression. No app or account.
Keep for
Clipboard
Press ⌘V / Ctrl+V anywhereClips are visible to devices on your Wi-Fi for 30 minutes. Avoid sending passwords.
On your network
liveLooking for files…
The quick way, with fdrop
- 1
Open fdrop.cc on the Mac
Open fdrop.cc in Safari or Chrome and drag the videos onto the page.
- 2
Open fdrop.cc on the Android
On the same Wi-Fi, the videos appear under “On your network” automatically. Anywhere else, send yourself the link fdrop gives you.
- 3
Download
Downloads go to the Download folder and usually show up in your gallery app.
Other ways, and their catch
USB cable with OpenMTP
macOS can’t read Android phones over USB by itself. Install a free app such as OpenMTP, connect the phone in File transfer mode and copy files across.
Good: Full quality, no internet needed. Catch: Extra app on the Mac, and connections can be flaky. Google’s old Android File Transfer app is no longer updated.
iCloud Photos
Turn on iCloud Photos on the Mac, wait for it to upload, then sign in at icloud.com in Chrome on the Android phone.
Good: Automatic once it’s set up. Catch: Only 5 GB free, uploads can take a long time, and you have to sign into your Apple ID on the other device.
Google Photos
Back up the videos with Google Photos on the Mac, then open the app or photos.google.com on the Android.
Good: Works across any platforms. Catch: Uploads everything first, needs your Google account on both, and Storage saver backups are compressed.
WhatsApp or Telegram to yourself
Send it to your own chat (Message yourself in WhatsApp, Saved Messages in Telegram) and open WhatsApp or Telegram on the Android.
Good: You probably have the app already. Catch: WhatsApp compresses photos and videos unless you send them as a Document or pick HD, and it fills your chat history.
Email it to yourself
Attach it (or paste it) in an email to yourself and open the email on the Android.
Good: Works on every device. Catch: Gmail attachments stop at 25 MB and Outlook.com at 20 MB, so most videos won’t fit.
Good to know
- fdrop takes files up to 1 GB each, which is roughly 2–3 minutes of 4K at 60 fps or more than 15 minutes of 1080p video from a phone. Longer clips: trim them first or send them in parts.
- fdrop doesn’t compress or re-encode anything: the receiver downloads the same file you uploaded.
Questions
How do I send videos from Mac to Android without a cable?
Open fdrop.cc on both devices, pick the videos on the Mac and download them on the Android. No app or account needed. Of the built-in options, USB cable with OpenMTP is the closest, with the trade-offs listed above.
Will the videos lose quality?
No. fdrop doesn’t compress, resize or re-encode anything. The receiver gets the same file you uploaded.
Do the Mac and Android need to be on the same Wi-Fi?
Only for the automatic “On your network” list. If the Android is somewhere else or on mobile data, copy the link fdrop gives you and open it there.
Do I need to install an app?
No. fdrop runs in Safari or Chrome on the Mac and Chrome on the Android. Nothing to install and no account.
How long do the files stay online?
2 hours by default. Pick 1 hour, 1 day, 7 days or 30 days before uploading, or delete them yourself at any time from the device you uploaded on.