How to copy and paste between Android and your Mac

FileClipSync bridges the gap Apple leaves open: a shared clipboard and file shelf between an Android phone and a Mac. Copy a link or a paragraph on your Android phone and paste it on the Mac, or drop a file on the Mac's shelf and pick it up on the phone. The Android companion connects to your Mac over the same local network, end-to-end encrypted, with no cloud account tying it together.

The annoying bit

Handoff, Universal Clipboard and AirDrop are Apple-only, so an Android phone is left out entirely. The workarounds - messaging yourself, a cloud drive, or a cable and a file manager - are clumsy for something as small as a copied line of text, and they usually mean your snippet takes a trip through someone else's servers.

Step by step

1

Install FileClipSync on your Mac

Launch it; it lives in the menu bar, and in the notch shelf on MacBooks that have a notch.
2

Install the Android companion

Open the FileClipSync companion on your Android phone and connect it to the same Wi-Fi as the Mac.
3

Pair the devices

Approve the connection on both. Keys are exchanged directly between phone and Mac - no Google or Apple account, and no sign-in.
4

Copy or drop to send

Copy text or a link on the phone to have it ready to paste on the Mac, or drop a file on the Mac shelf to send it to the phone.
5

Grab it on the other side

Paste on the Mac, or open the item on the phone and share it wherever you need it.

Questions

Does Android sync go through the cloud?

No. Android connects to your Mac only over the local network - there is no cloud relay for non-Apple devices - so both need to share a Wi-Fi network, and nothing leaves it.

Is the connection encrypted?

Yes, end-to-end with AES-256-GCM and keys exchanged directly between the devices. FileClipSync has no servers and cannot see your data.

Can I move files, not just text?

Yes. Text, links, images, PDFs and files all travel across the shelf in either direction.

Do I need an account or sign-in?

No accounts anywhere. Pairing happens device-to-device, and that is the whole setup.

What about iPhone, Windows or Linux at the same time?

You can connect those too. Apple devices also get automatic discovery and the iCloud relay; Android, Windows and Linux join over the local network.

← All use cases

Step by step

Install FileClipSync on your Mac

Install the Android companion

Pair the devices

Copy or drop to send

Grab it on the other side

Questions

Stop hunting for that thing you just copied.