Here’s how I created my own ecosystem with an Android and a Mac

I switched to a MacBook Pro from one of the best Windows laptops a couple of years ago and haven’t looked back since. The overall user experience, thanks to the synergy of both the hardware and software working together, convinced me to switch to the other side. I was using an iPhone at that time, so the seamless ecosystem also worked in my favor. However, my work involves using and reviewing multiple smartphones. So, I can’t always keep using an iPhone all the time. When I recently switched to the Vivo X200 Pro, which is one of the best phones out there currently, I figured out that a lot of the things I love about macOS are linked to the ecosystem.

From seamless file transfers using AirDrop to copying text on my iPhone and pasting it on my Mac, none of this was available after switching to an Android phone. That’s when I decided to do something about it. After tinkering around with various apps and services, I found alternatives to pretty much most of the features I was missing after giving up on my iPhone. If you, too, have an Android phone and use a Mac along with it, here’s how you can make your workflow more cohesive.

I found a better alternative to AirDrop

AirDrop is certainly a convenient way to transfer files between Apple devices. All you have to do is hit the Share button and select the recipient. The file will be transferred in a few seconds. But, what if I told you there’s a better AirDrop alternative that works across multiple platforms, is end-to-end encrypted, and is faster? LocalSend is an open-source app that’s available on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux. So, no matter what devices you have, you can transfer files between them without any compatibility issues.

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This app changed the way I transfer files between all my devices

Struggling to transfer files from your PC to an iPhone or from a Mac to your PC? LocalSend is the solution you’re looking for!

Moreover, I have observed that the file transfer speeds on LocalSend are much faster than AirDrop, especially when sending large files. I timed a transfer for the sake of this article and was quite surprised by the results. When sending a 2.2GB video file from my Mac to my Android phone, LocalSend took 43 seconds. On the other hand, sending the same file from my Mac to an iPhone via AirDrop took 1 minute 24 seconds.

The only downside of LocalSend is that all the devices involved in the transfer need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network, whereas AirDrop works on mobile data too and devices don’t need to be connected to the same network. As a result, it may be difficult to transfer files via LocalSend when you’re outdoors.

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LocalSend

LocalSend is a multi-platform file transfer app that’s open-source, secure, and fast.

Syncing notes with Google Keep

Apple Notes is a surprisingly useful tool for a first-party app that’s limited to a few platforms. This is a big reason I used the app as my primary note-taking app when I was using an iPhone and a Mac together. It was extremely convenient to take a quick note on my Mac and see it reflected immediately on my phone. Unfortunately, the Apple Notes app isn’t available on the Google Play Store.

Since making the switch, I have tried several other alternatives for jotting down notes, including OneNote, Notion, Obsidian, etc. These are all cross-platform apps that allow users to sync notes across multiple devices. However, I felt most of these apps and services were massive overkill for my type of usage. So, I settled on Google Keep.

The biggest reason why Keep appealed to me was its simple, minimalist UI. I tried Notion for a bit, but I felt the interface was rather intimidating for users who just wanted to take notes and nothing else. Keep has all the features I need, plus it works straight from a browser on my Mac so I don’t need to download an additional app. It’s also a pre-installed app on Android devices, which saves the need to download a third-party app.

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Apart from simple notes, you can add tick boxes, scribble and draw, insert images, or even set reminders for time-sensitive notes. That’s everything I need from a note-taking app. All the notes sync immediately between devices, so it’s as good as using Apple Notes in my experience.

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Google Keep

Google Keep is a reliable note-taking service that’s fairly easy to access and use. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles like password protection and search options, but what you get is a simple tool for everyday use that gets the job done.

A lite version of Handoff

Along with AirDrop, another feature in the ecosystem that Apple users rave about is Handoff. The way Handoff works is if you’re browsing the web on your phone, you can continue viewing the same website on your Mac with a single click. Of course, Handoff applies to several other use cases, like transferring a call from your iPhone to Mac, continuing a conversation on iMessage using your Mac, etc. But my primary use case with Handoff has always been browsing the web.

Thankfully, Chrome (my web browser of choice) has a built-in feature to quickly share tabs with all devices that are signed in to the same Google account. I leveraged this feature to quickly continue browsing on my Android phone whenever I close my Mac. Sometimes, I open several tabs on my Mac when working but forget to attend to them. So, what I do is quickly transfer the tabs to my phone before my daily commute. This way, I can catch up with all those tabs on my phone while traveling.

To do this, all you have to do is highlight the URL of a website, right-click on it, and select Send to Your Devices. Select which device you want to send the link to, and you’ll see a pop-up on the selected device to open the tab.

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Google Chrome

Chrome is a web browser that can be used to share open tabs with multiple devices including Android an Mac.

Text from both devices without interruption

While iMessage on Android could be a possibility, it’s not recommended since it involves giving your Apple account credentials to third-party apps. So, what’s the like-for-like replacement on Android? Well, it’s WhatsApp. WhatsApp is a multi-platform messaging app that can be used to send texts and media and to make voice or video calls. In fact, WhatsApp has a lot more features compared to iMessage, making it a solid replacement if you want to chat with friends via your phone and Mac simultaneously. You don’t even have to worry about what devices the recipient has.

But, if you’re not comfortable using a third-party app, Google’s Messages app, the default messaging app on Android phones, supports RCS messages. RCS is a standard that’s more secure than SMS, and it works on an internet connection. Moreover, iOS 18 has added support for RCS even on iPhone devices. So, if your friends or colleagues are all team blue bubbles, don’t worry. Your messages will reach them in the intended format, and you can see everything from message reactions to media replies without any issues.

Unlike WhatsApp, Google Messages doesn’t have a native app on macOS. However, it’s available to use on the web, making it convenient to switch between your phone and laptop whenever required. I use both on and off, but WhatsApp is certainly more popular here in India, so it’s my go-to option.

• Your changes have been saved

  

  
  WhatsApp
  

  WhatsApp is a multi-platform messaging app that can also be used to make voice and video calls.

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  Google Messages
  

  Google Messages allows users to send texts via RCS. It’s available on Android and on the web, so it can be used on any computer.

Getting a common clipboard with Alt-C

I perform a lot of online transactions for which I use my credit card. Now, all credit card transactions in India require a one-time password (OTP) for authentication. The OTP is sent via SMS to my phone number. When I was using an iPhone, I could simply copy the OTP on the phone and hit Command+V to paste it directly onto my Mac. This made it extremely convenient and quick to authenticate transactions. However, it’s not possible to do this with an Android phone, unless you have a Windows PC and use the Phone Link app.

Unless, of course, you use a third-party app like Alt-C. The app enables a network-based clipboard for both your Android device and Mac. Using this, you can copy text from your Mac and paste it on your Android, and vice versa. Simply install the app on both your Android phone and Mac, set it up for the first time, and you’re ready to go.

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Alt-C

Alt-C is an app that allows you to sync the clipboard on your Android phone with your Mac or Windows PC.

Not a bad match, after all!

Those of you who think an Android and a Mac don’t play well together should probably reconsider your stance. Over the years, there have been many apps, services, and workarounds to make the two operating systems work well together, and we’ve definitely come a long way. I can comfortably say that I was able to use my Android phone with my Mac with no real issues. Plus, it’s only going to get better with time, which I’m glad about, since it means I can bid adieu to an iPhone without compromising on convenience.