Help New to Android need help syncing to my mac

[conrad93]

Im new to the android platform and wanted to get some pics and music transferred over from my mac to my new droid and encountered a problem through the process. I did all he steps until "mounting" my droid and connecting it, but when i do so, my droid and sd card do not appear under my devices in finder. What can i do to fix this dilemma? did i forget a step? thanks

 

[GeorgeinLA]

I just went through this with my new Droid 2. After a lot of back and forth with clueless Verizon tech support people, somebody pointed me to Double Twist. It's a free app that you download to both your Mac and your phone, and it seems to do the trick. Google would be smart to solve this problem within Android itself. We can't be the first two people with Mac's who have ever bought an Android phone.

 

[NightAngel79]

Moving this to the support section...
BTW The "Droid" brand are a Verizon wireless exclusive. All other 'google' phones are just Androids. Not nit picking but just some friendly advice. (some get a little touchy about the subject)
Anyway, welcome to Android Forums and hope you get your problem solved!!

 

[GeorgeinLA]

Yes, I realize that, but the problem is not with Motorola, it's with the Android OS. Of course, I guess the manufacturer could also build that functionality into the "skin", but that would still be inferior to the Android OS including within it the ability to communicate directly via USB with the Mac OS. Or is impossible without Apple's cooperation?

 

[kylec]

I don't know if this helps but i have a captivate and under my usb settings i select mass storage, and turn usb debugging on which is under development. Then i plug my usb cable in a main usb port on the mac. Then i mount my device... Your status bar should have an icon that pops up. At this point the mac will be able to move files and pics back and forth.

 

[GeorgeinLA]

turn usb debugging on which is under development . . . Then i mount my device...

Don't know what either of those things mean. As I mentioned above, Double Twist works for me . . . I just find it hard to believe that such a basic level of functionality would not be build into the Android OS itself.

 

[digitaldroid]

I am on a Mac as well and to sync you music for Mac OS 10.5 users, everyone seems to mention Doubletwist.

For Mac OS 10.4 users there is "Salling Media Sync" and "iTuneMyWalkman" also there is a program called "Songbird" which is close to or works just like iTunes. I have tested all three and they work just fine on 10.4

Only bad thing about songbird it does not use smart playlist so if you have any created in iTunes thats the only thing it wont import.

 

[GeorgeinLA]

Interesting, I have 10.4.x, and I was still able to get Double Twist to work, even though it says that it's written for 10.5. Is that going to cause me a problem down the road?

I tried Sailing Media Sync and it didn't work. Don't ask me why.

 

[sremick]

Macs do seem to require USB debugging to be turned on for some reason. At that point transferring files is as easy as copying files.

I understand some people have been conditioned to think that putting files onto your phone requires "syncing" (far more complicated) and special software. If that is how you chose to function and you're willing to deal with the added complication of managing another piece of software then go ahead... Just understand that that's not the only, nor the easiest, way.

 

[GeorgeinLA]

Would it be too much to explain what "USB debugging" means, and how do I do it?

 

[GeorgeinLA]

. . . and no, I don't need to "sync". I was just looking to transfer some music from my computer to my phone.

 

[sremick]

Would it be too much to explain what "USB debugging" means, and how do I do it?

Not at all. In fact, good news! Someone already explained it for you.

Search is your friend...

(On these forums) Search -> Advanced Search

Keyword(s): usb debugging
Change "Search entire posts" to "search titles only"
Click [Search Now]
Third thread down: "What is USB debugging?" includes the steps in the first post to get to it.

 

[GeorgeinLA]

Not at all. In fact, good news! Someone already explained it for you.

Search is your friend...

I hate to say this, but those threads made it no clearer.

From reading them, I don't think that USB debugging in the issue, and if it is, then what the hell is up with Android?

What I sought to do is not at all exotic -- I have songs and photos on my home computer that I'd like to transfer onto my phone.

Android can tell me where I am, what the temperature is, sync all of my work emails, contacts and calendar, etc., but I can't transfer an MPEG or a JPEG from a hard drive to an SD Card?

I don't need to sync with my computer; I just need my phone to show up on my computer screen so I can transfer files to it.

Maybe it's all Apple's fault and it's just a lame attempt by them to prevent Android from poaching Mac users, but I would still think that it would be a first order of business for Google to program around that.

That's all I'm saying. Again, thank heavens for the folks at Double Twist.

 

[sremick]

For whatever reason, Macs require the USB Debugging to be enabled. Arguing the "why" of it I can't help you with... that's just the way it is for some reason.

If you don't want to turn that on because on principle you don't think it should be necessary, then I can't really help you with that either.

Like explained in the other threads, once you do that you can connect the USB cable from your Mac to the Captivate. On the phone, pull down the notification bar, find the notice about the USB connection, click on it then select [Mount]. You should see the icon for the phone appear on your Mac. Be sure to Eject the phone on the Mac when done, then go to the phone, pull down the Notification bar again, and on the USB notice choose [Unmount].

 

[kylec]

Ok GeorgeinLA, I'm going to try to walk you through this. Keep in mind I have a samsung captivate.
1) make sure you are at your home screen
2) hit the menu key, and select settings
3) select applications
4) select usb settings
5) select mass storage (on my phone after i select mass storage it brings me back to the previous screen)
6) select development (at this point u should see "usb debugging") and click the check mark. Another window will open and say something like "usb development is for development purposes only, etc". Click ok
7) hit the home key
8) at this point connect the usb cable directly to your mac and then to your phone
9) once you have connected the usb, the usb icon should pop up in the notification bar on your phone
10) select that icon, and another window will pop up (it will say mount or don't mount) at this point you want to mount the phone, and abracadabra your mac should see your phone.

*make sure you unmount your phone before ejecting the device, you do this by selecting the usb icon again and tap turn off.

I hope this was more clear than those other pages you viewed... If not there might be a youtube video of it, if you are a visual learner that is.

 

[GeorgeinLA]

Thanks a lot guys. We're getting closer. It's interesting, if I select USB debugging, it definitely allows the droid to show on my desktop, but when I select USB connection from the notification menu, I don't get "mount or dismount". Are you sure that we're all talking Android 2.2? Am I going to mess it up by not being able select mount/unmount. I don't know where that is.

Again, however, Double Twist allowed me to transfer the files that I needed, and the USB debugging trick seems to work as well. My basic question, however, is why Android would be designed in a way to make such a seemingly simple and basic thing complicated. It doesn't seem like a good strategy.

 

[sremick]

Are you sure that we're all talking Android 2.2?

I sure hope not, as the Captivate only has Android 2.1. Heh.

My basic question, however, is why Android would be designed in a way to make such a seemingly simple and basic thing complicated. It doesn't seem like a good strategy.

Well I can sort of understand the technical reasons for it, although I haven't sorted it out enough to write coherently about it. But we do know that Android 2.2 is supposed to improve this specific function.

 

[GeorgeinLA]

I sure hope not, as the Captivate only has Android 2.1. Heh.

Well I can sort of understand the technical reasons for it, although I haven't sorted it out enough to write coherently about it. But we do know that Android 2.2 is supposed to improve this specific function.

Well, I am on Android 2.2 and it seems to work better than how you described it for the Captivate, but still far from perfect.

 

[Tommy C]

I have the Captive with 2.1
i followed every step from kylec but does not happen like step 10
is their any other thing i should dp
tks