I’m looking for a way to move files from my Kindle Fire HD 10 (2023) to my MacBook. I’ve never connected an Android-based tablet to a Mac before, so I’m not sure which software I should use.
I came across a few posts suggesting Android File Transfer, but I’m not sure if that’s still the recommended solution. Is there a better or more up-to-date option that works with the latest Kindle Fire models? I’d appreciate any suggestions that are easy to set up.
Google discontinued Android File Transfer, so I wouldn't rely on it anymore. It isn't getting updates or support.
For direct access to the tablet's storage over USB, try MacDroid. The Kindle Fire HD 10 (2023) transfers files using MTP, which MacDroid supports. It should detect the tablet and let you move files between it and your Mac.
If you only need to transfer documents or ebooks, Amazon's Send to Kindle app for Mac may be simpler. Download the installer from Amazon, then either drag files into the app or right-click a supported file in Finder and select Send to Kindle.
Check the USB mode before installing anything. Unlock the Fire, tap the USB notification, and choose “File Transfer”; if that option never appears, try a different data-capable cable, then use MacDroid since macOS does not handle MTP directly.
The Fire can be connected properly and still never appear in Finder by itself. Finder does not mount its MTP storage like a flash drive, so use MacDroid to mount the tablet first. Keep the Fire unlocked, select “File Transfer” from the USB notification, then choose MTP in MacDroid and click Mount. After that, look in DCIM/Camera for photos and Documents or Download for other files.
There is a cost-related catch: MacDroid’s free version copies files from the Fire to the Mac, which covers your stated need. Copying files back to the Fire requires the paid version.
The Send to Kindle suggestion is useful for putting supported documents onto the tablet, but it will not retrieve your existing photos or give you general access to its folders. If MacDroid cannot see the Fire at all, suspect the cable or USB adapter before changing more settings.
Even after it mounts, you won’t get full access to everything on the Fire. MTP only exposes shared folders, so files stored inside an app’s private area may need to be exported from that app first. For example, save a document to Downloads or share/export it before connecting the tablet.
The MacDroid advice is reasonable because Finder does not natively browse MTP devices. Connect the Fire directly to the Mac if possible, unlock it, pull down the notification shade, tap the USB connection notice, and change it from charging to File Transfer. That setting may return to charging mode after you unplug the cable, so check it again on the next connection.
Once MacDroid mounts the tablet, copy rather than move the files on your first pass. Photos may be split between DCIM/Camera, Pictures/Screenshots, and Download. Documents commonly appear in Documents or Download. Open a few copied files on the Mac before deleting anything from the Fire.
If the tablet never appears in MacDroid, the likely causes are still the cable, a USB hub or adapter, or the Fire remaining in charge-only mode. A cable can charge perfectly while lacking working data lines, which makes this more confusing than it should be. Send to Kindle won’t solve general file retrieval, so I’d keep that for sending supported reading files in the other direction.
The microSD workaround has a trap: if the card was set up as tablet storage, your Mac may not be able to read it at all. Fire OS can encrypt and format an adopted card so it behaves like internal storage, which means removing it for use in a card reader will not work the way you expect. Do not reformat an existing card until you know what is stored on it.
If you have a blank microSD card and only need to move a batch of photos or documents, though, this can be simpler than dealing with USB software. The 2023 Fire HD 10 has a microSD slot and supports cards up to 1 TB. Set the card up as portable storage, then use the Fire’s Files app to copy your items onto it. After the copy finishes, eject the card from the tablet’s storage settings, remove it, and put it into a reader connected to the MacBook.
That avoids MTP and MacDroid entirely. The confusing bit is that you must actually copy the files to the card first. Inserting a card does not automatically put existing camera photos and downloads there. Look for the files in folders such as DCIM, Pictures, Documents, and Download, select them, and choose the option to copy them to the SD card.
For regular transfers, I would still use the USB method already described because taking a card in and out gets old quickly. The main point is that the Fire not appearing in Finder does not necessarily mean the connection failed. Finder is simply not the place where its storage will show up. MacDroid handles that missing MTP support, while a portable microSD card is the no-app fallback.
Whichever method you use, copy a few files first and open them on the Mac before doing the whole library. That makes it much easier to catch a wrong folder, unreadable card, or incomplete transfer before deleting anything from the Fire.
Pulling a handful of photos is a different job than regularly syncing folders, and for the small one-off case I’d skip the cable fight entirely. Drop the files into your Amazon Photos or Google Drive account on the Fire, then grab them on the Mac in a browser. MacDroid makes sense if you want direct storage access, but for a quick grab the wireless route saves you the whole charge-only-mode guessing game the others are describing.
Don’t enable Developer Options or USB debugging for this. Those are for ADB, not ordinary photo and document transfers, and they only add more settings to troubleshoot.
Connect the Fire directly to the MacBook, unlock the tablet, then leave the screen on. Swipe down and tap the USB system notification. Choose “File Transfer.” If you prefer Settings, look under Connected Devices > USB, but that USB entry may stay hidden until the tablet detects an actual data connection.
Next, open MacDroid and mount the Fire as an MTP device. It will not appear in Finder before that because Finder does not browse MTP storage on its own. Once mounted, check DCIM and Pictures for photos, then Documents and Download for other files. Copy a couple of files to the Mac and open them before transferring or deleting the rest.
If the Fire never shows a USB notification or USB menu, stop changing software settings. The 2023 model’s USB-C port supports data, so that usually points to the cable, adapter, hub, or port. Try a known data cable and connect without a hub if possible.
Don’t buy an MTP utility unless you need to browse the Fire’s folders from the Mac. For straightforward photo and document transfers, LocalSend is a cheaper route. It supports both Fire OS and macOS, sends files across your local network, and does not require cloud storage.
Install LocalSend on both devices, connect them to the same Wi-Fi network, and allow local-network access when macOS asks. On the Fire, select the files through LocalSend or use the Share option in Photos or Files, then choose the Mac as the destination. If the devices cannot see each other, make sure neither is on a guest Wi-Fi network, since those often block communication between connected devices.
The limitation is that this does not let you remotely browse every Fire folder. For a large cleanup where you want access to DCIM, Download, Documents, and Pictures in one place, the USB File Transfer setting plus MacDroid still makes more sense. For occasional transfers, LocalSend avoids the cable and Finder issue entirely.
For photos versus documents, macOS has an easier path for the first case: choose “Photo Transfer (PTP)” in the Fire’s USB options, then open Apple’s built-in Image Capture app. That avoids MacDroid for camera images, but documents still require an MTP app or a wireless method such as LocalSend.