OpenMTP | Android File Transfer for macOS
Introduction
Advanced Android File Transfer Application for macOS.
Transferring files between macOS and Android or any other MTP devices has always been a nightmare. There are a few File Transfer MTP apps that are available online but most of them are either too expensive or come with bad UI/UX. The official “Android File Transfer” app for macOS from Google comes with bugs, innumerable limitations, some of which include - not being able to transfer files larger than 4GB, frequent disconnections, and being unable to rename the folders or files on the Android/MTP devices. Most of the other apps available online use either WiFi or ADB protocol to transfer the files, which is an extremely time-consuming process.
Countless searches to find an app to solve these problems and failing to find one made me restless. So, I took the leap and decided to create an app for us that could help us have a smooth and hassle-free file transfer process from macOS to Android/MTP devices. Created with the objective of giving back to the community, we can all use this app for free in this lifetime.
Thank you 🎉
OpenMTP has crossed 1.4 million downloads, from users in 180+ countries, and the repo has picked up 7.4K+ stars along the way. It is the #1 open-source MTP app for Mac, and it stays free, open-source and ad-free.
| Milestone |
Value |
| Downloads |
1.4 million+ |
| Countries |
180+ |
| GitHub stars |
7.4K+ |
| Open-source MTP app for macOS |
#1 |
Thank you for using it, reporting issues and testing devices I don’t own. 🎉
The next generation of OpenMTP is in active development and coming soon. It’s a major upgrade with new features and big improvements to stability and performance. Stay tuned, and thanks for all the support!
Features
- Safe, Transparent and Open-Source
- Plug and Play via USB. No hassles, easy and instant connection.
- Select between Internal Memory and SD Card
- Transfer multiple files which are larger than 4GB
- Dark mode
- Drag-and-drop support
- Split pane views for both Local Computer and Android device
- Choose between Grid and List view.
- Use Keyboard Shortcuts to navigate through your files.
- No collection of personally identifiable information.
Installation
⚠️ Only download OpenMTP from the official sources below. There are copycat websites that use the OpenMTP name, logo and content, redirect to various other pages. The only official sources are the official website openmtp.ganeshrvel.com, this Github repository github.com/ganeshrvel/openmtp, and formulae.brew.sh/cask/openmtp.
# newer versions:
brew install openmtp --cask
# older versions:
brew cask install openmtp
System Requirements and Support
- To support macOS version below Big Sur the Kalam Kernel needs to be compiled on an older macOS machine every time there is an update, which is practically very difficult
- Only the latest 3 versions of macOS will receive the
Kalam Kernel updates, which include new device support, fixes, and stability improvements. macOS Big Sur (11.0) or above will receive the above-mentioned updates
- We have now officially retired the support for
Kalam Kernel on macOS 10.13 (OS X High Sierra) and lower. Only the “Legacy” MTP mode will continue working on these outdated machines.
- We will continue releasing the updates for both
Intel and ARM64 machines
Running OpenMTP on macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) and lower
If the latest OpenMTP doesn’t launch or doesn’t work on your older Mac, use OpenMTP v3.1.15 with the “Legacy” MTP mode instead. Auto-update has to be turned off, otherwise the app will replace itself with a version your Mac cannot run.
- Download OpenMTP v3.1.15
- Drag the app into the Applications folder
- Turn off the internet
- Launch v3.1.15 of the app
- Go to Settings
- In the Update tab, turn off auto-update
- Turn the internet back on
Screengrabs
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Command |
Keyboard Shortcut |
| Delete |
backspace |
| New Folder |
command (⌘)+n |
| Copy |
command (⌘)+c |
| Copy to Queue |
command (⌘)+shift+c |
| Paste |
command (⌘)+v |
| Refresh |
command (⌘) +r |
| Folder Up |
command (⌘)+b |
| Select All |
command (⌘)+a |
| Rename |
command (⌘)+d |
| Switch Tab |
command(⌘)+1 |
| Open |
enter |
| Navigate Left |
left |
| Navigate Right |
right |
| Navigate Up |
up |
| Navigate Down |
down |
| Select Multiple Items Forward (in Grid View) |
shift+left |
| Select Multiple Items Backward (in Grid View) |
shift+right |
| Select Multiple Items Forward (in List View) |
shift+up |
| Select Multiple Items Backward (in List View) |
shift+down |
| Select Multiple Items (with mouse) |
command (⌘)+click or shift+click |
Kalam Kernel
OpenMTP 3.0 features a new MTP kernel and it was written from scratch. It promises a file copy speed of 20 to 30 MB/s on low and mid-range devices and 100 to 120 MB/s on higher end devices. The all-new and powerful MTP kernel is named after Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Do check out the Go package which I’ve written to build Kalam Kernel: github.com/ganeshrvel/go-mtpx. Feel free to raise PRs.
Development
Building from source, packaging, publishing and debugging are documented in DEVELOPMENT.md.
Troubleshooting
OpenMTP doesn’t launch or doesn’t work on my Mac
More open-source projects from the author
Credits
-
Special thanks to CodeMagic and Kevin Suhajda for sponsoring their CI/CD VMs, thus making the app releases more streamlined and much easier now. 🎊🎊 Do check out their products section for more.
-
Special shoutout to @CodyJung for adding the Fujifilm and Garmin device support. 🔥🔥
-
Thanks to Ms Ayushi Bothra for contributing to the documentation and pages.
-
App logo was contributed by Shubhendu Mitra. Make sure to check out more of his work on Behance.
-
Thanks to Vladimir Menshakov for android-file-transfer-linux (the legacy MTP Kernel)
-
Shoutout to @yennsarah, @h0tk3y, @riginoommen, @AjithKumarvm, @kiranshaji555, Dick Cowan, Kjell Dankert, Thorolf E.R. Weißhuhn and to all other community members who helped me test the application.
-
This app was built upon https://github.com/ganeshrvel/electron-react-redux-advanced-boilerplate, which is a heavily modified fork of https://github.com/electron-react-boilerplate/electron-react-boilerplate.
-
The icons used in the app were made by flaticon, good-ware and kiranshastry which are licensed under CC 3.0 BY.
-
The “no image found” icon was made by Phonlaphat Thongsriphong.
Contribute
If you are interested in fixing issues and contributing directly to the code base, please see the guidelines.
Support OpenMTP
Help me keep the app FREE and open for all.
Please feel free to contact me at [email protected]
License
OpenMTP | Android File Transfer for macOS is released under the MIT License.
Copyright © 2018-Present Ganesh Rathinavel
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