AirDrop is a handy tool if you ’ve got an iPhone and a Mac , but what if you ’re one of the few Mac users with an Android ? Here ’s how you may apply Android Nearby portion on Mac to incur files wirelessly .
Nearby Shareis Android ’s equivalent ofApple ’s AirDrop functionality , essentially letting you quickly and well deal cognitive content wirelessly between gimmick without deliver to bank on a physical association or uploading substance beforehand .
It ’s very ready to hand tech that let you quickly share photos , video or any other files between twist using a combination of Bluetooth and Wi - Fi , with security system feature in position to make certain you ’re not spammed with random Nearby Share petition or as well sent any malicious content that could hack or otherwise interfere with your smartphone .
The interrogation is , what if you ’re aMacandAndroiduser ? Admittedly the usage face is a little niche – MacBook owners tend to have aniPhoneas the two work well together – but it does happen .
While you might take on that you ’re locked to the region of Google Drive or in force old - fashioned electronic mail to divvy up files between the two gadget , there is a agency to expend Nearby Share on a Mac to receive files .
The stop ? It ’s not prescribed technical school created by Apple or Google , rather being the creation of one particularly talented developer by the name of Grishka who has since portion out the home - brewed app on GitHub . While the lack of an official seal of approval may put some off , it ’s something we use very often and have had no issue with it until this point .
If you ’re well-chosen to install unofficial software package from GitHub , here ’s how to use Nearby portion on your Mac to wirelessly incur content from an Android smartphone .
What you’ll need:
The Short Version
Step 1.
Head to GitHub
The first stride is to head to the GitHub website on your Mac . More specifically , you need to go to Grishka ’s GitHub page where his unofficial Nearby Share app , dub NearDrop , can be get . you may do that by clickinghere .
Step 2.
Download the NearDrop app
Once you ’re on Grishka ’s GitHub Sir Frederick Handley Page , the next step is to download and add the latest version of their unofficial app , NearDrop . Admittedly GitHub does n’t make this obvious , but clicking the Release tab key on the correct - hand side and then clicking on “ NearDrop app . ZIP ” should initiate the download .
Step 3.
Install NearDrop on your Mac
Once the ZIP single file has been successfully download , threefold - click the file in your Downloads booklet to unzip it , and then move the NearDrop app to your Mac ’s Applications brochure . For those unaware , this is easily site from the Finder sidebar . Once move , treble - chatter the app ikon to open it and , if prompt , reassert that you notice that the app is unofficial and not signed by Apple itself .
Step 4.
Turn on Wi-Fi on your Mac
The next step is to spark off Wi - Fi on your Mac as , unlike the prescribed Nearby Share functionality that uses a combination of Bluetooth , Wi - Fi direct and other association methods , the unofficial app relies only on Wi - Fi connectivity for data point transference . You may also call for to be a part of the same Wi - Fi electronic web as your Android smartphone to be discover .
Step 5.
Activate Nearby Share on your Android to send files
Now come the fun part ; sharing your single file to your Mac . To do this on your Android , choose the files you ’d wish to apportion ( this works in apps like Gallery , Photos , Files and any other file - found app ) and exploit Nearby Share . Your laptop should look as one of the uncommitted option . solicit it , reassert the transfer on your Mac ( a little notification should appear ) and the transfer will begin .
Troubleshooting
The app has been project with one - style transfer in mind – from Android to Mac . If you desire to share files to your smartphone , you ’ll have to plug it into your Mac or habituate a cloud - based storage system to wirelessly change data .
If you ’ve made sure that the NearDrop app is participating and running on your Mac , it ’s likely because your speech sound and Mac are on two dissimilar Wi - Fi mesh . Connect to the same internet and try again . If all else betray , re-start your Mac and Android smartphone should do the trick .
