SwiftMTP
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SwiftMTP is a light-weight, modern, Swift-based utility for interacting with MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) devices on macOS. It allows users to browse, manage, and transfer files between a Mac and external devices like Android phones.
Inspired by OpenMTP, SwiftMTP uses the enhanced backend to provide a consistently high-performance transfer experience while maintaining a compact footprint.
New Feature
Introducing swiftmtp-cli. It is a powerful, lightweight macOS command-line interface designed to manage Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) devices with ease. Built natively in Swift and backed by the brand new Gomtp backend, it allows users to easily use AI Agent to quickly interact with connected Android devices or cameras.
swiftmtp-cli is located in SwiftMTP.app/Contents/MacOS.
The usage guide CLI_USAGE.md is available through the “File” menu - “Export CLI Usage Guide”.
Features
- Device Management: Easily connect/disconnect MTP devices and select specific storage devices.
- File Browsing: Deeply navigate through device directories with a native macOS feel with Quick Look preview supported.
- Bi-directional Transfer: Import and export files with support for Drag-and-Drop.
- File Operations: Create new folders, rename and delete files directly on the device.
- Progress Tracking: Real-time transfer progress bars and status indicators.
- Safe and secure: No ADB or USB debugging required.
- Localization: Multilingual support via
Localizable.xcstrings.
- Natural Language Search: Find your files naturally like a conversation. Just type what you’re looking for, e.g., “Photos of last week” or “Work documents from 2024”.
- Device Info Analysis: Get smart insights about your device hardware, connectivity status, and potential performance optimizations.
For AI details, privacy and security, please read Details_and_Privacy.md
Screenshot
| File menu with Keyboard Shortcuts |
Go menu with Keyboard Shortcuts |
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| Natural Language Search |
Device Info Analysis |
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Architecture
The project is structured to bridge high-level Swift with low-level MTP kernel interactions:
SwiftMTP/
├──SwiftMTP/ # Main App Source
│ ├── SwiftMTPApp.swift # Entry point
│ ├── Views/ # SwiftUI UI Layer
│ ├── Models/ # Data models
│ └── Services/ # KalamMTPManager (Connection & Transfer logic)
├──KalamShim/ # C shim bridging Swift and the MTP kernel
├──ffi/ # Kalam backend source
├──CKalam/ # Module map for C headers
└──lib/ # Runtime dependencies (kalam.dylib, libusb.dylib)
Getting Started
Install
Download Release or install via homebrew:
brew tap neighbor-z/swiftmtp && brew install --cask swiftmtp
Build
Prerequisites
Build & Run
Please build backend first. Refer to ffi/kalam/native/README.md. This step will build necessary dynamic libraries (kalam.dylib & libusb.dylib) and will place them under lib. Pre-compiled dylibs have been added. You can also compile them by yourself.- Open
SwiftMTP.xcodeproj in Xcode.
- Select your target platform (macOS).
- Press Run.
Realized
FAQ
I got “OpenSession after reset: LIBUSB_ERROR_NOT_FOUND”
This could be due to other software occupying MTP sessions or a device connection issue. Please ensure software like Preview, Image Capture, or Android File Transfer is not running. For Android File Transfer, even if it’s not running in the foreground, there is an Android File Transfer Agent in the system background to detect USB MTP device connections in real time and automatically launch the main app. You can exit Android File Transfer Agent in Activity Monitor. After that, please reconnect or restart your device.
macOS cannot verify this app?
This is because the app was not released in the way Apple prefers. Apple requires developers to pay $99 annually for a so-called “security signature”. Please go to System Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll down and allow the app to run. If the problem still exists, please execute the following command in Terminal and try opening the app once again.
sudo xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine /Applications/SwiftMTP.app
License
GPL
About AI: AI assistance involved; each code segment has undergone manual review and testing.
Need help? If you encounter any issues, please open an Issue.
Contributing: SwiftMTP is always looking for contributions. Just simply fork this repo and make pull requests. You can also improve the translation or add your new language freely.
Support project: ☕️ Buy Me a Coffee
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