If you want to backup/ sync your Android folder(s) to your Mac, there are two ways to set this up:
1. Set up the Mac as a server and a file manager on Android (or other platforms) as the client.
2. Set up the Android (or other platforms) as a server, and use a file manager on Mac as the client.
You can setup both the above simultaneously and both will work perfectly fine.
Easiest (though not the best) setup is to launch an FTP server on Android and access phone files from the laptop: I will post the steps in the 1st comment.
The best option, however, is to setup the server on the MacBook and use a file syncing app on the phone to copy/ backup selected folders/ files to the Mac.
In this tutorial, we'll use an app called FolderSync on Android.
1. Enable Remote Login (on macOS Ventura, this is under Settings/ General/ Sharing/ Remote Login)
2. Click on the 'i' button and configure user access as per your requirements.
Please note that this method would work even with Firewall ENABLED and 'All incoming connections' BLOCKED (under Settings/ Network/ Firewall/ options).
3. Note the IP address of your Mac under Settings/ Wi-Fi/ Connected network's details.
There is no need to enable any of the other settings in the Sharing section:
It is best to configure your router to assign static* IP address to your devices (phone, laptop, TV, etc.) in the home network so that you don't have to key in a new IP address each time. If your router isn't configured this way, it will likely assign a new IP address to your devices each time it reboots, or each time your device connects to the router after a break. If that happens, you'll have to update the IP address each time. Setting a static IP address to your devices will solve this problem and your devices will always get the same IP address as configured in your router settings.
*Static IP address here is the internal static address that the router assigns to your devices. This doesn't require a Static IP connection from the ISP as those would require a subscription payment. You'll be able to configure this in your router settings page (most routers support this) and no payment is required.
01. Install FolderSync, launch the app and give the necessary permissions.
02. At the bottom, go to the Accounts tab.
03. Click on 'Add account'.
04. Scroll down to the bottom and choose SFTP.
05. Enter your login credentials: your Mac's IP address, username and password**
06. Press on the Test button on top. If everything is correctly configured and set up, then you'll see a success message in green that reads like this:
Your credentials has been tested and everything is looking good.
07. Go back
08. Now go to the Folderpairs tab at the bottom
09. Create FolderPair
10. Change Sync Type to 'To right folder' as shown below:
11. For the Left account, choose SD Card and select the folder on your phone to backup, e.g. Camera Roll
12. For the Right account, choose the SFTP account we created above and select the folder on your Mac where you would like to copy the files from your phone
13. Give this sync task a name and save it.
That's it.
Click on the Sync all button in the home page of the app and it will backup all files from your selected phone folder to your Mac.
This app provides several configurations that you can customise to choose what you want to sync, when, etc.
You can create a shortcut for this sync task (long press on the app icon or use the shortcut feature of Android as this app provides this shortcut) on your Android home-screen. Next time you want to sync (or backup) your phone folder(s) to your Mac, simply tap on this shortcut button and it will be done with no further action from your end!
Note that Sync tasks can also be automated within the app if you want this sync process to run on a schedule. But that would require your laptop to be turned ON during the sync times set, and both your phone and laptop should be connected to the same wifi network during that time.
**Although this isn't mandatory, it is advisable to setup a normal user (not an administrator) on the Mac who has access (both read and write) to the folders to which you copy the Android files to, and use that user's login credentials in the Android app. This is advisable from a security and privacy perspective.
1. Set up the Mac as a server and a file manager on Android (or other platforms) as the client.
2. Set up the Android (or other platforms) as a server, and use a file manager on Mac as the client.
You can setup both the above simultaneously and both will work perfectly fine.
Easiest (though not the best) setup is to launch an FTP server on Android and access phone files from the laptop: I will post the steps in the 1st comment.
The best option, however, is to setup the server on the MacBook and use a file syncing app on the phone to copy/ backup selected folders/ files to the Mac.
In this tutorial, we'll use an app called FolderSync on Android.
ON THE MACBOOK
1. Enable Remote Login (on macOS Ventura, this is under Settings/ General/ Sharing/ Remote Login)
2. Click on the 'i' button and configure user access as per your requirements.
Please note that this method would work even with Firewall ENABLED and 'All incoming connections' BLOCKED (under Settings/ Network/ Firewall/ options).
3. Note the IP address of your Mac under Settings/ Wi-Fi/ Connected network's details.
There is no need to enable any of the other settings in the Sharing section:
It is best to configure your router to assign static* IP address to your devices (phone, laptop, TV, etc.) in the home network so that you don't have to key in a new IP address each time. If your router isn't configured this way, it will likely assign a new IP address to your devices each time it reboots, or each time your device connects to the router after a break. If that happens, you'll have to update the IP address each time. Setting a static IP address to your devices will solve this problem and your devices will always get the same IP address as configured in your router settings.
*Static IP address here is the internal static address that the router assigns to your devices. This doesn't require a Static IP connection from the ISP as those would require a subscription payment. You'll be able to configure this in your router settings page (most routers support this) and no payment is required.
ON THE ANDROID DEVICE
01. Install FolderSync, launch the app and give the necessary permissions.
02. At the bottom, go to the Accounts tab.
03. Click on 'Add account'.
04. Scroll down to the bottom and choose SFTP.
05. Enter your login credentials: your Mac's IP address, username and password**
06. Press on the Test button on top. If everything is correctly configured and set up, then you'll see a success message in green that reads like this:
Your credentials has been tested and everything is looking good.
07. Go back
08. Now go to the Folderpairs tab at the bottom
09. Create FolderPair
10. Change Sync Type to 'To right folder' as shown below:
11. For the Left account, choose SD Card and select the folder on your phone to backup, e.g. Camera Roll
12. For the Right account, choose the SFTP account we created above and select the folder on your Mac where you would like to copy the files from your phone
13. Give this sync task a name and save it.
That's it.
Click on the Sync all button in the home page of the app and it will backup all files from your selected phone folder to your Mac.
This app provides several configurations that you can customise to choose what you want to sync, when, etc.
You can create a shortcut for this sync task (long press on the app icon or use the shortcut feature of Android as this app provides this shortcut) on your Android home-screen. Next time you want to sync (or backup) your phone folder(s) to your Mac, simply tap on this shortcut button and it will be done with no further action from your end!
Note that Sync tasks can also be automated within the app if you want this sync process to run on a schedule. But that would require your laptop to be turned ON during the sync times set, and both your phone and laptop should be connected to the same wifi network during that time.
**Although this isn't mandatory, it is advisable to setup a normal user (not an administrator) on the Mac who has access (both read and write) to the folders to which you copy the Android files to, and use that user's login credentials in the Android app. This is advisable from a security and privacy perspective.
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