How to Transfer Files to Your Android Phone: Six Methods

USB cable

Most phones ship with a cable for charging and connecting to a computer. When you plug in, the phone usually asks how to connect, with options like charge only, USB mass storage and MTP. The phone then shows up like a USB stick, and you copy files by drag and drop. On some older phones, mass storage mode makes the phone unavailable while the computer uses it. MTP avoids that, though a warning that the device may not play a file can appear. Clicking OK is usually fine.

microSD card

Cards are a workable option, especially as larger ones get cheaper. The author suggested Class 6 or higher. You can reach the card over USB, where it appears as a second drive, or remove it and use a card reader. On some phones the battery must come out first, and you should unmount the card before removing it.

Internet options

• Email: send the file to yourself. Some clients offer no “save as” option, and attachment size limits apply.
• FTP: an app such as AndFTP can browse and download from an FTP server.
• Cloud storage: services like Dropbox, Box, SugarSync, Drive and SkyDrive work by uploading on the computer and downloading on the phone. This uses data twice, so a 10MB file costs about 20MB, and it suits big movie files poorly.

Downloads often land in a generic download folder, so you may need to move the file afterwards.

Wi-Fi file server

Apps such as Wifi File Explorer turn the phone into a file server on your home network. Any device on that network can then upload or download. It is fast and uses none of your provider’s bandwidth. Bluetooth and NFC are also device to device options.

Status today

Several of the services named are old or gone. The ideas still apply, but check what is current.