This is how I created my own ecosystem with an Android and a Mac

I upgraded to a MacBook Pro from one of the best Windows laptops a few years ago and haven’t looked back since. The overall user experience, thanks to the synergy of hardware and software working together, convinced me to move on to the other side. I was using an iPhone at the time, so the seamless ecosystem also worked in my favor. However, my job involves using and reviewing multiple smartphones. So I can’t always use an iPhone all the time. When I recently upgraded to the Vivo

From smooth 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. After tinkering with various apps and services, I found alternatives to most of the features I missed after ditching my iPhone. If you too own an Android phone and use a Mac with it, here’s how to make your workflow more consistent.

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 tap the Share button and select the recipient. The file will be transferred in a few seconds. But what if I told you there is a better alternative to AirDrop that works on multiple platforms, is end-to-end encrypted, and is faster? LocalSend is an open source application available on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and Linux. So, whatever devices you have, you can transfer files between them without any compatibility issues.

Additionally, I observed that 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. In contrast, sending the same file from my Mac to an iPhone via AirDrop took 1 minute 24 seconds.

The only downside to LocalSend is that all devices involved in the transfer must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network, whereas AirDrop also works on mobile data and devices do not need to be connected to the same network. Therefore, it may be difficult to transfer files via LocalSend when you are outside.

Synchronizing notes with Google Keep

Apple Notes is a surprisingly useful tool for a proprietary app limited to a few platforms. This is one of the main reasons I used the app as my primary note-taking app when using an iPhone and Mac together. It was extremely convenient to jot down a quick note on my Mac and immediately see it reflected on my phone. Unfortunately, the Apple Notes app is not available on the Google Play Store.

Since making the switch, I’ve tried several other note-taking alternatives, including OneNote, Notion, Obsidian, and more. These are all cross-platform apps that allow users to sync notes across multiple devices. However, I felt that most of these apps and services were extremely overkill for my type of usage. So I opted for Google Keep.

The main reason Keep appealed to me was its simple, minimalist user interface. I tried Notion for a while, but found the interface to be rather intimidating for users who just wanted to take notes and nothing else. Keep has all the features I need and works directly from a browser on my Mac, so I don’t need to download an additional app. It also comes pre-installed on Android devices, eliminating the need to download a third-party app.

Besides simple notes, you can add checkboxes, scribble and draw, insert images or even set reminders for urgent notes. That’s all I need from a note-taking app. All notes sync between devices immediately, so it’s as efficient as using Apple Notes in my experience.

A lighter version of Handoff

Besides AirDrop, another ecosystem feature that Apple users love is Handoff. The way Handoff works is that if you’re browsing the web on your phone, you can continue viewing the same website on your Mac with just one 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, and more. But my primary use case with Handoff has always been web browsing.

Luckily, Chrome (my favorite web browser) has a built-in feature to quickly share tabs with all devices signed into the same Google account. I’ve exploited this feature to quickly continue browsing on my Android phone every time I close my Mac. Sometimes I open multiple tabs on my Mac while working but forget to take care of them. So what I do is quickly transfer the tabs to my phone before my daily commute. This way I can view all these tabs on my phone when I travel.

To do this, simply highlight a website URL, right-click on it and select Send to your devices. Select the device you want to send the link to and you will see a pop-up on the selected device to open the tab.

Text from both devices without interruption

While iMessage on Android might be a possibility, it is not recommended because it involves giving your Apple account credentials to third-party apps. So, what is like-for-like replacement on Android? Well, it’s WhatsApp. WhatsApp is a cross-platform messaging application 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 more secure standard than SMS and works over an Internet connection. Additionally, iOS 18 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 will be able to see everything from post reactions to media responses without any hassle.

Unlike WhatsApp, Google Messages does not have a native app on macOS. However, it is available on the web, making it easy to switch between your phone and laptop at any time. I use both on and off, but WhatsApp is definitely more popular here in India, so it’s my preferred option.

• Your changes have been saved

  WhatsApp

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

• Your changes have been saved

  Google Messages

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

Get a common clipboard with Alt-C

I make a lot of online transactions that I use my credit card for. 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 to the phone and press Command+V to paste it directly to my Mac. This has made transaction authentication extremely convenient and fast. However, it is not possible to do this with an Android phone unless you have a Windows PC and are using the Phone Link app.

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

It’s not a bad match after all!

Those of you who think Android and Mac don’t mix should probably reconsider. Over the years, many apps, services, and workarounds have been created to allow the two operating systems to work well together, and we’ve certainly come a long way. I can comfortably say that I was able to use my Android phone with my Mac without any real problems. Plus, it’ll only get better with time, which I’m happy about because it means I can say goodbye to an iPhone without compromising convenience.