android file transfer not working on Ventura

Wow, thank you so much!!!

I spent a huge amount of time trying to make this @#$% Android File Transfer work on Ventura, and apparently, simply quitting Google Drive and Preview - makes it work again!!! :)

Thank you!

I have never had Preview on my startup list. But thanks, it was Dropbox that caused the problem. Anything that may try to access a USB device should be quit. I just made sure I quit all applications and also signed out of Google Drive. It worked!

Better solution is to switch to OpenMTP. Android File Transfer is bulky and outdated. OpenMTP has better interface, larger file transfer, and has a few instructions in the beginning to make sure you quit the correct interfering programs. Worked first time beautifully!

I've been having the exact same issue trying to connect my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra to my Macbook Pro 13" M1 for many years. So frustrating!! It connected intermittently, usually after a lot of random phone and laptop restarts, but I never knew exactly why it worked.

Now I think I finally found the issue. It seems like (in my case) that Google Drive is interfering with Android File Transfer from connecting. In other people's cases it also seems that Dropbox is also interfering.

To fix the issue, quit Google Drive and Dropbox, and then in Activity Monitor, quit "Android File Transfer" and then start it again, and it should work.

the Preview App will prevent the connection to Android File Transfer. Make sure Preview is fully shut down, then connect the cable and your phone will connect without issue. i dont know why Preview messes up the connection, but for the past few itterations of MacOS, i have had to use FORCE CLOSE APP to make sure that preview is closed if i wanted to connect an android to transfer files.

Very annoying i know, and Apple should address it, unless they are purposly making it annoying to connect an android phone...

THIS WAS THE PROBLEM! Dropbox interferes with the ports that Android File Transfer uses.

I also sounds like other programs like Google Drive on Mac interfere with AFT program - just quit them and retry.

For me allowing "Full Disk Access" helped to resolve the issue. Go to System Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Full Disk Access and add and allow access for Android File Transfer app.

I had the same problem connecting my Android phone to my Macbook Pro.

First, quit the "Google Drive" app & then connect again.

This method worked for me.

I've also seen some other people suggesting quitting the "Preview" app.

I hope this helps! 💥

I was just having this issue (troubleshooting for hours) and finally found a reddit that suggested opening Activity Monitor and Force quit Preview. Worked like a charm for me.

Spent a few hours to solve the issue. One of the apps that is running, conflicts with "Android File Transfer". Use task manager to close all apps and try to run AFT again. By closing apps step by step, you will find out which one causes the crash of AFT

Maybe if another phone is successfully connected, it means the problem is in your phone, try to enter the Developer Options menu on your phone, in the Debugging menu then do "Revoke USB debugging authorizations", then try to connect again to your MacBook (Ventura), if a popup message appears "Allow USB Debugging" check always allow.

Unless you are actively debugging, you are going to want to flip 'USB Debugging' off (you can leave Developer Options on, just toggle the debugging setting.) while you are using Android File Transfer. I had a similar issue with my Nokia XR20 and Ventura and that seemed to fix it.

I can say pretty definitely now it is a problem with the Ventura OS. I have 4 apple computers to check this on. It worked fine on both Mac Book Pros. An old one running an old OS and another running Monterey. It did not work on either my iMac or my Mac Mini M1 both running Ventura. I upgraded my newer Mac Book to Ventura 13.4 and Android File Transfer no longer works. And yes I have trouble shot everything. It obviously is NOT the phone since it works on one computer and did work on a second one before the upgrade. Preview is NOT open and the USB setting is for file transfer. This is a problem of compatibility with Ventura.

After a lot of searching and frustration, this did the trick for me! Android File Transfer doesn't work with Google Drive running.

Just wanted to add that it only worked after restarting my Mac, which required temporarily removing Google Drive from login items within the Mac's system settings.

As kmsharif mentioned, some people talked about the Preview app.

As soon as I closed Preview, the Android file transfer app worked again.

I opened up Preview after connecting my Samsung and it disconnected me.

Quite an odd bug indeed.

I have solved all Android data transfering problems with "FV File Explorer" app on Android, where I simply run HTTP server. Just need to connect to the same network, run any browser on your Mac and it works quite fast compare to Android File Transfer and more convenient.