Download NearDrop (Mac) – Download Free

iPhone, iPad, and Mac are designed to work together, and with features like AirDrop, you can transfer content and switch between devices on the go. However, if you prefer to use an Android phone, the integration possibilities between the handheld and the Mac are very limited.

near drop is an open-source application designed to take advantage of Google’s Nearby Share, an AirDrop-like technology available for Android, ChromeOS, and Windows. The idea is to provide the same fast file transfer functionality between Android and Mac.

Sadly, there are some limitations. For starters, your Mac can only receive files, as there’s no way to send content to your Android device. Perhaps this will be implemented in a later version, but it seems unlikely.

Unlike Nearby Share, NearDrop only works on Wi-Fi, which means both devices need to be connected to the same network to transfer content.

Finally, the app will always be visible to all devices on your network, since limiting visibility to specific people requires interaction with Google’s servers.

While it does have some pretty significant limitations, NearDrop is still very useful. It allows you to quickly send files over your local network from your Android device to your Mac that would otherwise require a lot more effort.