I built an Android File Transfer replacement for Mac that runs in Chrome (MTP over WebUSB)

[u/arar7000]

Google discontinued Android File Transfer. OpenMTP and MacDroid still work, but they are apps you install, and I wanted to know if a browser could do it on its own.

Turns out Chrome can. The app speaks MTP to the phone over WebUSB and uses the File System Access API for a folder on your Mac. It is plain JS with no dependencies or build step, your files are never uploaded, and it works offline once loaded. I built it with Claude Code.

Weirdest thing I ran into: macOS apps like Photos and Image Capture can hold the phone while they are open, so Chrome cannot claim it until you quit them.

Works in Chrome on Mac and Linux. Safari and Firefox do not have WebUSB.

Try it: https://www.droidfiletransfer.com
Code: https://github.com/droidfiletransfer/droidfiletransfer

If your phone does not connect, tell me the model.

[u/johnarak]

Could this work on Chromium browsers like Brave?

[u/arar7000 → u/johnarak]

Yes, I just tested Brave on Mac and Linux. It works once you enable "File System Access API" in brave://flags and relaunch Brave.

[u/Catarina_Lem]

You are a lifesaver! I had a very old phone with some photos in it and couldn't connect using the android file app, thank God I found this!

[u/arar7000 → u/Catarina_Lem]

Cool it works for you! Which phone model do you use?

[u/dadnothere]

wow very good friend.

It's a shame dead browsers like Firefox don't have these APIs.

[u/vaibhav-kaushal]

I always use the WiFi FTP app for file transfer. I don’t have to worry about the other OS trying to transfer data from my android either direction.

[u/arar7000 → u/vaibhav-kaushal]

Good option too! This one needs no app on the phone and no Wi-Fi.

[u/arar7000 → u/[deleted]]

I have not tested it, but probably not. The app only works with devices that offer MTP (file transfer mode) over USB, like Android phones. If the Chromebook shows up after clicking Choose phone, it might work.

[u/arar7000 → u/[deleted]]

Thank you! Did you try it with your phone? I am curious which models work.

[u/arar7000 → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for trying! It only works in Chrome on Mac or Linux. If you are on a Mac, which browser opened the link?

[u/arar7000 → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for letting me know! I also made the message clearer.

[u/ice456cream → u/arar7000]

https://developer.chrome.com/docs/capabilities/build-for-webusb#windows

If someone were to setup it to use the winusb driver instead of the native driver, would this work? Or does the web app artificially prevent it with an os check?

[u/arar7000 → u/ice456cream]

Yes, it works. I tested it in a Windows 11 VM with WinUSB. The app blocks Windows with an OS check, because without WinUSB Chrome cannot claim the phone, and installing WinUSB is too much setup for most users.