How To Browse Your Android Using Your PC

A lover of technology in all forms, Matt Skaggs began writing professionally in 2010, specializing in Windows computers and Android devices. His writing has appeared on many websites providing a plethora of technology information and tutorials. In 2008 Skaggs graduated from Bob Jones University with a Bachelor of Arts in humanities.

5 Best Android Apps To Transfer Files From Android To PC

Joe Hindy / Android Authority

This article was updated and checked for accuracy in September 2023. It was originally published in 2015.

One of the more common things people need to do is transfer files from their mobile device or tablet to their desktop. Sometimes it's a photo, sometimes it's a song, and many other times it's some sort of document, presentation, or other file that needs to be transferred. There are actually quite a few ways to transfer files from Android to PC (and back again), and we'll take a look at them here.

AirDroid and Pushbullet

Price for AirDroid : Free /In-app purchases ($0.99 – $379.99 per item)

Price for Pushbullet: Free /In-app purchases ($4.99 – $39.99 per item)

AirDroid is one of the more popular apps for transferring files from Android to PC. Its features include sending and receiving SMS and MMS from your PC, seeing your device notifications, and much more. It can even find a lost phone, control the camera, and use apps. You'll also be able to transfer files to your computer from your phone. You get the basic stuff for free. You'll have to subscribe to the service to get everything. Pushbullet works pretty much in the same way, with similar features. You can go with either of these options. They are the two most popular options.

Cloud Storage

Price: Free

Cloud storage is an excellent method to transfer files from Android to PC and back again. There are various services to choose from, including Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box.Com, and others. Transferring files is easy enough. You upload the file to cloud storage on one device. You then download it to another device. Most cloud storage apps have their own dedicated apps, which makes the process easier. We have our best cloud storage apps list linked up toward the top of this article.

SHAREit

Price: Free /In-app purchases ($0.19 – $7.99 per item)

Umme Aimon Shabbir / Android Authority

Shareit is a very popular sharing app. As the name suggests, this super-fast app lets you share files, apps, videos, photos, music, and more securely, both online and offline. With speeds up to 42 MB/s, it's 200 times faster than Bluetooth and ensures high privacy and data security. You can seamlessly transfer files between devices, including from mobile to PC, and even clone your phone when upgrading. Additionally, Shareit features a fast downloader, supports HD online videos, and boasts an elegant music player.

Umme Aimon Shabbir / Android Authority

Nextcloud is a private and fully open-source file sync, share, and communication server that gives you control over your data, whether it's photos, calendars, contacts, or documents. You can host it yourself or choose a hosting company to manage it for you. It is user-friendly and has a modern interface that simplifies file management, enabling you to effortlessly upload, share, and sync your files and folders. It has handy features like Instant Upload for photos and videos, multi-account support, and the ability to keep your favorite files synced. You can contribute to its development by reporting issues on GitHub or joining discussions on the Nextcloud community forum.

Xender is one of the most popular apps in this space. It lets you connect your phone to another device and transfer over WiFi. It works with other Android or iOS phones, Macs, PCs, and even Tizen. The app does its job as intended most of the time, and it worked well in our testing. However, this is one of those apps that either works perfectly or doesn't work at all. It also has a few other features, like the ability to convert video to audio, and you can apparently use it to download Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram videos. Another strong (albeit less popular) competitor here is Feem (Play Store link).

Non-app ways to transfer files

If apps aren't your thing, there are still some other ways to transfer files from your PC to Android and vice versa.

Use Bluetooth: If your laptop has a Bluetooth module or if you have a Bluetooth dongle for your desktop or laptop, you can pair your device with your computer using Bluetooth and send files that way. The transfer rates are very slow, so only use this method for smaller files.

USB On-The-Go: OTG cables allow you to connect your device to USB devices such as external hard drives or flash drives. You use the cable to transfer documents from your flash drive or external hard drive, or vice versa.

Share by email: This only works with small files like photos or documents, but you can send most types of files over email. Most emails have a limit of around 25MB for attachments.

Share to Chat: This works for a number of file types, especially if you use something like Discord, WhatsApp, Slack, or Skype. You send yourself the file in a chat on one device and retrieve it on another. Some, like Slack or Skype, have support for ZIP files, PDFs, and other file types.

Use your data or charging cable: This one is fairly obvious. Just plug your phone into your computer using the USB cable that comes with your charger. This is the most common and reliable method of transferring files to a PC from Android devices.

Your microSD card: Devices with microSD card support can transfer files much like flash drives. You use a file manager app to move the files to the SD card, pop it out of your phone (after turning it off, of course), and then use an adapter like this one to transfer files to your PC.

Android's Nearby Share feature: Android's Nearby Share utility works much like Apple AirDrop, but for Android. You can quickly share small or large files with devices right next to you. This only works from one Android device to another, but it's still a method to move files around.

If we missed any of the best methods or apps to transfer files from Android to PC, tell us about them in the comments.

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Here's Everything You Have To Look Forward To In Android 14

Now that Android 14 is officially available on Pixel devices, it's only a matter of time until it begins to make the jump to other Android smartphones. While the update does follow in the footsteps of Apple's iOS 17 by offering a modest upgrade over last year's Android 13, Android 14 has plenty of great new features and improvements on offer—enough that, if you're running an Android phone that supports it, I highly recommend an immediate upgrade.

Google brings AI to Android (mostly in future Feature Drops)

One of the biggest things Google is doing with Android 14 is introducing more AI. Google has been working hard to make its generative AI systems as powerful as ChatGPT and other platforms, and while it isn't quite there yet, the company has put a lot of faith in AI to help make Android 14 stand out.

Some of the newest AI features include the option to create a unique wallpaper using generative AI, which relies heavily on text-to-image diffusion models to create a wallpaper based on your input. It isn't out just yet, and it's slated to arrive first on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. (There's a demo available on Google's blog, and so far it seems really promising.)

Another big change is the AI-powered Assistant At a Glance. Google shared plans to update its Assistant widget not that long ago, allowing it to better provide information on your home screen, including precise weather forecasts, dynamic travel updates, and even reminders about upcoming events. The At a Glance widget has been sorely under-appreciated by Google in the past, so it's nice to see them focusing more on it in ongoing updates to the Android ecosystem. (This update isn't locked to Android 14, but it does fit into the new AI features that Google is pushing, so it seems worth mentioning.)

Google is also relying more on AI to help power some of its newest camera features, many of which will debut on the new Pixel devices.

Use your phone as a webcam, plus better customization

One big feature Android is now adopting natively in Android 14 is the ability to use your phone as a plug-and-play webcam, removing the necessity to have a separate webcam for your computer. IPhones have had this feature for a while now, but that doesn't change how helpful it should be to Android users going forward. While testing it, I found it was easy to get things connected, and my Android phone's camera offered great video quality during the call I tested it on.

Customization is another big function that Google is expanding in Android 14, including increased options to personalize your lock screen. You can now select widgets and even control which shortcuts you use from your lock screen. This is something that some versions of Android phones have offered in the past, but the first time Android will offer it natively in the operating system. It's a nice change, and being able to customize your lock screen more fully is a welcome addition that many users are going to have fun tinkering with.

Google has also added the option to make your entire theme monochrome, which definitely sets a vibe if you're going for a stylish look.

Better security, more privacy

I'm excited to see Google focusing on onboard security on-device. Google also touts enhanced security in its operating system, but now the company is taking steps that put user privacy first, starting with better protecting your health and fitness data.

Android 14 makes it easier than ever to sync up your health and fitness data from various apps into one place. Google has also improved how it handles this data: Now, no one, not even Google will have access to the data that is tied to your private health and fitness information, which will be stored only on your device. It's a huge leap forward, and honestly almost makes Android 14 worth upgrading to all on its own. The feature is made possible thanks to Health Connect, which you can set up in the Settings area on your Android 14 device.

Another big security change is how Android 14 handles on-screen pin codes. Previously, Android devices required a four-digit PIN, with a press of the "enter" button to confirm. Now, Android 14 will recommend a 6-digit PIN to unlock your phone, which is a much more secure standard. Furthermore, you no longer have to hit enter, which means unlocking your phone is going to be a little bit easier overall. You'll no longer think you typed your PIN in correctly, only to find something was wrong when you hit enter.

Android 14 also provides more in-depth and easy-to-understand information about app's data permissions, something that has been growing more and more important as malicious apps continue to pop up on the App Store and third-party websites. It's a handy way to see why an app wants your data, and exactly what data it wants, and another key reason to update.

Accessibility

Finally, Google is giving Android a huge accessibility facelift with Android 14, starting with the ability to set various magnification preferences across different apps. You can change the magnifier size at any time by pinching and zooming in on the app you want to change it for. This is handy if some apps have harder-to-read text, or if you just need to read something quickly without putting on your reading glasses.

Additionally, Google has updated how texts scales when you increase the font. You'll have more readable text when scaling the font up, which should help with those longer messages or bits of information you need to read. Scale has always been an issue on smartphones, especially when trying to increase font sizes dramatically, so this is a nice feature people with low vision should find especially useful.

Speaking of changing font sizes, you no longer have to go out of your way to do that in Android 14, as Google has added an option to adjust your font directly from the Quick Settings menu. This is another great change for low vision users, and one I've already found myself taking advantage of, simply because some fonts look better when smaller or larger, depending on what I'm trying to read.

Perhaps one of the most controversial additions is the appearance of flash notifications. Flash notifications are exactly what they sound like: Whenever you receive a notification, the flash on your device will go off, shining a bright light to alert you to a message or app. It can be useful, especially for those who can't rely on auditory alerts, but it can get annoying if you get a ton of notifications. Still, it's surprising that it has taken Google this long to add the feature.

The bigger picture

Overall, Android 14 feels like a solid update to Google's operating system. There are no mind-blowing new features, and many of the coolest ones aren't available just yet. But Google is doing a lot of things right, and it really shows how much the company is progressing towards its goal of making Android a complete and fully user-supportive operating system.

The bottom line: Upgrade to Android 14 ASAP

Pros:

Performance feels smoother

Security updates are fantastic

New customization options are great

Cons:

Some exciting features don't have a release window yet

Nothing that makes Android feel hugely different than it already does

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