Can't get iMac to detect android (Galaxy J2).

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Level 1

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Can't get iMac to detect android (Galaxy J2).

Help! I am using an Early 2008 iMac running OS 10.11.8. I have a new USB cable (none came with the phone) that will charge the Samsung Galaxy J2. Connecting the phone directly to the back of the iMac, the phone remains invisible to iTunes and Photo. I have downloaded, installed, and run the following apps on the iMac or the phone without getting a connection: Android File Transfer; Hand Shaker; Commander One; Mobile Go; Samsung KIES for Mac; USB Drivers for Galaxy J2. I cannot get to "Connect as Media Device" in the phone's Settings.

I have tried connecting over Bluetooth and with WiFi. Nada. All depends on first making the phone "visible" to the iMac and it is not.

I plan to continue meandering down this path. Next download is Samsung Smart Switch. I have discovered instructions that involve going into the Terminal window and typing in several lines of code. That will be my last resort, I guess, but I am hoping there is a better way.

The problem could be that the cable is no good for data, but I doubt it. I am in India where it is much easier to get support etc. for a Samsung phone, and all things Apple are complex, expensive, and only available in a distant city. My iPhone was replaced by the Android because it kept butt-dialing strangers in Europe while turned off on the night stand after midnight, and other haunted behaviors (it could not reliably keep track of Contacts, for instance).

Any suggestions? I gather from Search responses that this is a very common problem, with all Macs and all their OSs, but fixes are all over the map. Thanks.

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)

Posted on Oct 8, 2017 2:49 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Roger Wilmut1

Level 10

131,558 points

Oct 8, 2017 8:13 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

OK, I got Android File Transfer to work. This is what worked for me:

Plug the cable into your Mac and the phone. Android File Transfer should open and may complain that it cannot access the device.

On the device, swipe down from the top left. You should see a notice saying 'USB for charging'. Tap this, and in the pane which opens, 'Use USB for', choose File Transfers. You may have to close this and open it again to check it's worked. When I did this Android File Transfer worked as expected: I clicked the 'OK' button on the error message and it quite and reopened after a few seconds with a display of the contents. (This is with my Nexus 7; I can't try it with the Pixel C which is using the latest Android as I don't have a lead).

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Answer 2

Oct 8, 2017 5:09 AM in response to Kathill7

I couldn't get Android File Transfer to work, although it used to. Possibly an Android upgrade has broken it. However you should be able to get access to the device using Wi-Fi File Transfer:

WiFi File Transfer - Android Apps on Google Play

This, once enabled on the device, will give you a URL to open in a browser window, from where you can access the contents.

This free version has a maximum file size of 5MB but the paid version isn't expensive. (Start with the free version to check it works.) It's not the same as being able to actually mount the device as an external disk, but I don't think you're going to be able to do that.

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Answer 3

Kathill7 Author

Level 1

13 points

Oct 9, 2017 5:15 AM in response to Kathill7

I have discovered a workaround by using Bluetooth. If I transfer the Whatapp photos to an album, they can be bluetoothed to my iMac or MBP. So I will give up on getting the phone to recognize any Mac, with a cable, and rely on Bluetooth instead. It kinda ***** as a solution but I can live with it. Thanks everyone for helping me out.

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Answer 4

Oct 8, 2017 7:50 AM in response to Kathill7

The thing is, it's not only a matter of connecting: the phone has to have a server running in order to make files available, and that is what WiFi File Transfer does. Why Android File Transfer isn't working is uncertain - it's some time since I used it since I find WiFi File Transfer easier (particularly as though my older tablet can connect physically, the newer one uses a type of connector I don't have a lead for, only a charger).

See whether this page helps: https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-transfer-files-android-to-mac/

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Answer 5

VikingOSX

Level 10

124,148 points

Oct 8, 2017 5:41 AM in response to Kathill7

Can you connect to the Android Phone using Bluetooth? Provided that you are connected to the phone via Bluetooth from the Mac, and that you have enabled the Bluetooth menu bar icon on the Mac, then you can select Browse Items on Device...

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Answer 6

Oct 9, 2017 12:05 AM in response to Kathill7

'Mass Storage' means that it would show up as an external disk when you plug it in, without any extra software: that certainly doesn't happen with my Google tablets, though I don't know about Samsung. I would have thought it unlikely connecting to a Mac but I don't know. It's more of a puzzle why Android File Transfer isn't working.

The 'swipe down' method I used was an my older tablet, running an earlier version of Android. On my Pixel C you get the same things swiping down from anywhere on the top. I can't check what happens when you connect a USB lead since I don't have a compatible one, but other things which on the older tablet are on the left have been rolled into this, so you ought to be able to see that something has been connected: I'm afraid I have no idea why you don't. I'm guessing here, but you could try going to Settings>Connected Devices and clicking on 'USB' (when the lead is connected) and see whether that brings up the options. However if WiFi File Transfer didn't show the WhatsApp pictures I wohjldn't expect Android File Transfer to.

if you can't get any further your best bet would be to try an Android forum where someone may have deeper knowledge.

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Answer 7

Kathill7 Author

Level 1

13 points

Oct 8, 2017 5:15 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Thanks Roger for a prompt and cogent reply. Your fix did permit me to retrieve some of the photos on the phone (the ones taken with its camera) but not others (the ones received via Whatsapp). It is not a very elegant solution as it demands I type in a 27-character string. I am still trying to connect with the phone itself via bluetooth or USB and I still believe there will be a way. I can't access the phone's USB connection settings (if there are any) or "notification panel" (if it has one) which nearly all other fixes require. I will keep trying as my job demands I use the photos I receive. I am grateful for your assistance.

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Answer 8

Kathill7 Author

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13 points

Oct 8, 2017 5:46 AM in response to VikingOSX

Thank you VikingOSX. I just tried this route again. Bluetooth ON on phone, Bluetooth ON in Mac System Pref, in Bluetooth Menu -> "Browse Device," phone is shown on list, can be selected; but it is shown as "Not Connected." It should be discoverable because on phone's Bluetooth screen is message "Your device is currently visible to nearby devices." Not sure how to get from "visible" to "discoverable." ???

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Answer 9

Kathill7 Author

Level 1

13 points

Oct 8, 2017 8:07 PM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Thanks Roger.

On that link are three methods. The first one costs $35 and I prefer not to spend the money (yet).

The second is Dropbox. Struggled with Dropbox for an hour but it can't find the Android.

The third is Android File Transfer. I did a clean install of File Transfer and followed your instructions. Swiping down for the notification screen (per your subsequent message) yields no mention of USB anything; the icons there are for Wi-Fi, Location, Sound, Screen Rotation, and Bluetooth. File Transfer can't find the Android, regardless of whether I plug the cord in before or after launching it. It gives a pop-up for "No Android device found. Please connect your Android device with a USB cable to get started."

I appreciate your help. Sorry about the long delay in replying, but I suspect there is a major difference in your time zone and India's.

Now I have downloaded WhatsApp for Mac and am trying that next, since the main objective today is to retrieve Whatsapp photos.

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Answer 10

Kathill7 Author

Level 1

13 points

Oct 8, 2017 10:16 PM in response to Kathill7

Discovered this advice at Techathlon.com:

"Before you try to re-install the driver by installing Kies, try this simple method.

Unplug the USB cable
On the cell phone, dial the following number: *#7284# Once the last # is hit, the PhoneUtil application is launched.
Choose USB -> Modem quit once. Then again dial *#7284# and then USB -> PDA mode.
Now connect the USB cable for mass storage mode

You should have the USB Mass Storage option came back."

What happened: Nothing. Hit "send." Got this message: "Connection problem or invalid MMI code." Not helpful.

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Answer 11

Oct 9, 2017 12:56 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Update: I found a lead at the bottom of a drawer! On my Pixel C, running Androis 8.0.0, I connected the cable and plugged it into the Mac. Android File Transfer opened with the same error message. When I swiped down the USB notification appeared at the bottom of the pane; I tapped it for options and got the same pane I described above. I was able to connect following that method.

However I gather you can't get it to connect in the first place, so I don't know what that's about. I had to make sure the USB-C connecter went fully home into the socket on the tablet before it worked. Of course Samsung have their own version of Android and I don't know whether that would make a difference.

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Answer 12

Kathill7 Author

Level 1

13 points

Oct 9, 2017 2:08 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Thanks Roger for your continued efforts. I really appreciate the thought you have put into this. I can't find USB settings on any screen of my phone - I perused the J2 manual, too, although the English version is much harder to find than the Hindi one! And now I can't use the iMac because of a power cut and an inverter failure, so I am going to continue this project using my Macbook Pro (as long as its battery lasts - assuming I can get the internet to revive...). My current plan is to delve into the Terminal window with the iMac when power returns, if I can't find help in an Android forum (great idea, thanks). I am comforted by the fact that legions of other Android users have encountered the same difficulty, and many have arrived at various solutions or workarounds eventually.

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