How to connect your Android phone to your Mac
Macs work with iPhones out of the box, but not with Android phones. Crosslink fills the gap: sign-in codes, clipboard, files, notifications, texts and calls, end-to-end encrypted. Setting it up takes about a minute.
Connect them in four steps
- Step 1
Install Crosslink on both
Crosslink for Mac lives in your menu bar and needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Crosslink for Android needs Android 10 or later. Both are direct downloads while Crosslink is invite-only.
- Step 2
Sign in on both
Use Google, Apple, a passkey or a code sent to your email, with the same account on your phone and your Mac. There’s no password to remember.
- Step 3
Scan to pair
Your Mac shows a QR code. Scan it with your phone, and the two trust each other from then on. A stolen sign-in alone can never add a device.
- Step 4
Turn on what you want
Every feature has its own switch. The sensitive ones, like texts and notifications, only turn on from your phone, after Android asks for your permission.
How they stay connected
Crosslink always takes the quickest way between your devices.
On the same Wi-Fi
Your phone and Mac find each other and talk directly. It’s the fastest way, and files of any size never leave your network.
Anywhere else
They connect through our relay, end-to-end encrypted, so we can’t read what passes through. If one device is off, things wait for it.
What you can do once they’re connected
Codes
Never retype a sign-in code again. Codes from your texts are ready to paste on your Mac.
Clipboard
One clipboard across your phone and your Mac, with a history you control.
Files
Move files of any size between your devices, fastest when they share a Wi-Fi.
Notifications
Keep up with everything on your phone without picking it up.
Texts
Keep your SMS conversations going from your Mac’s keyboard.
Calls
Never miss a call at your desk. See who’s calling and answer or decline from your Mac.
Photos
Your phone’s screenshots and photos show up on your Mac, ready to use.
Links
Carry the page you’re reading over to your other device.
Find phone
Find your phone when it’s lost in the cushions, and keep an eye on its battery.
Questions
Can I connect an Android phone to a Mac with a USB cable?
A cable will charge your phone, but macOS can’t open an Android phone’s files over USB on its own. Crosslink moves files over Wi-Fi instead, with no cable.
Does my Android phone work with my Mac like an iPhone does?
Not out of the box. Apple’s Continuity features, like Universal Clipboard, AirDrop and calls on your Mac, only work with Apple devices. Crosslink brings codes, clipboard, files, notifications, texts and calls to Android and Mac.
Do my phone and Mac need to be on the same Wi-Fi?
No. On the same Wi-Fi they talk directly, which is fastest. Anywhere else they go through our relay, still end-to-end encrypted.
Which phones and Macs work?
Any phone with Android 10 or later, paired with a Mac on macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
Is it free?
Yes. The free plan covers codes, clipboard, files, links and finding your phone, for one phone and one Mac. Pro adds notifications, texts, calls, screenshots and more devices.
Request an invite
Crosslink is invite-only while we test. Tell us a little about you and we’ll email an invite when there’s a place.