How to import Photos into OS X Photos app from an Android phone.

NOTE: This doesn’t work anymore, it’s broken in Mojave,  I’ve written an updated article here about the fix.

If you plug an Android phone into your computer the Photos app will open like it does with an iPhone, but it may not see the photos on your Android Phone. This happened to me on my Nexus 5X phone and I needed to give the phone permission to share the photos with my computer. It’s the same for any Android phone.

After you plug the Android phone into your Mac,  swipe down notifications and there will be a notification telling you that your phone is charging from the computer. Click this notification.

Now select ‘Transfer Photos (PTP)’ to allow your OS X Photos app to upload the photos from your phone.

Select the 4th option – ‘Transfer Photos (PTP)’ to allow OSX to read your photos.

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8 responses to “How to import Photos into OS X Photos app from an Android phone.”

  1. Vinc

    Excellent! This made a big headache into a tiny step. Thanks!

    Reply
  2. Edna

    I used this method in my pre High Sierra Mac configuration and it worked well. But now there is no connection – nothing at all happens although I use the exact same method. Maybe a later version of OSHigh Sierra is the problem.

    Reply
    1. Wayne

      Still works for me in High Sierra. I have 10.13.5

      Reply
    2. Wayne

      Not working for me in Mojave!

      Reply
      1. Daniel

        Not working for my in Mojave 10.14.3 and Huawei P20 Pro. Photos app opens and says “unsupported file type”. No photos are shown.

      2. Wayne

        I have written an updated article about this, check it out.

  3. Jeanne Nicol

    Wayne, would you please post a link to your article? I’m having the same problem as Daniel on March 10

    Reply
  4. Wayne

    Here:
    https://www.macintoshhowto.com/phone/how-to-import-photos-from-a-pixel-phone-with-os-x-mojave.html

    Reply

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