Definition – What does File Transfer mean?

File transfer is the process of copying or moving a file from one computer to another over a network or Internet connection. It enables sharing, transferring or transmitting a file or a logical data object between different users and/or computers both locally and remotely.

File Transfer

A file transfer can be an upload or download. File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), BitTorrent and Simple File Transfer Protocol are the most common file transfer protocols used in computer networks and online.

There are two main types of file transfer:

• Pull-Based: The file transfer request is initiated by the receiver.
• Push Based: The file transfer request is initiated by the sender.

Moreover, other than network or Internet, file transfer can be performed manually by copying a file to a new folder/drive in the same computer or by copying it on a USB pen drive, CD or other portable storage device to be transferred to another computer.

What is FTP and its uses?

FTP is a widely used network protocol for transferring files between computers over a TCP/IP-based network, such as the Internet. FTP lets people and applications exchange and share data within their offices and across the Internet.

METHODS OF FILE TRANSFER FROM COMPUTER TO YOUR ANDROID DEVICE

Using a USB Cable

If you connect your device to your PC via an USB cable, it shares (parts of) its storage to the PC. With versions prior to Android 4.x your device usually identifies as USB Storage (like any external disk/USB-stick attached), never Android versions might use MTP instead, which might require special drivers on your PC to be used.

Once connected, you can transfer files easily between PC and Android device.

Using a card reader

If your device features a slot for sd cards, you could simply remove the sd card from your device (remember to unmount it first via the device’s setup menu), put it into a card reader, and attach it to the PC. It should then pop-up on your PC as “USB storage” as described above.

Wireless solutions (Browser-based)

There are a bunch of wireless solutions available — and this is not the place to list them all. Principially, you can install any FTP/Web server, and configure it to offer the directories you wish to access.

As this might be too complicated for many users, there are quite easy solutions. The probably most well-known is AirDroid, which offers a nice interface to manage almost your entire device from your PC:

As the example screenshot shows, a file browser is included — and permits you to upload and download files to/from your device.

A second example for an easy-to-use app would be Wifi File Transfer which — as the name suggests — is specialized to transfer files via WiFi:

There are many more possibilities, just check the playstore. A good starting point are the playstore pages of the mentioned two examples, then lookup related apps.

Other Wireless Solutions

There are many more wireless solutions available. As Logos mentioned it in his comment, I will add some examples here for completeness:

Samba

You can use apps like Samba File Sharing  to turn your Android device into a Samba server. In short, Samba (or SMB, or CIFS) is the protocol used by Windows shares. Linux also understands this protocol. Using Samba, one thus can access the Android device’s file system (without root, this will be restricted to the internal/external sd card) like any Samba-/Windows share.

WebDAV

Several apps like e.g. DavDrive can share the Android device’s storage via the WebDav protocol. This works via HTTP, but can also be accessed like a “shared drive” using the appropriate software on the PC.

Bluetooth

Don’t forget that we also have this available — at least on our Android devices. But also keep in mind this is much slower than WiFi. Nevertheless, it can be facilitated using apps like Bluetooth File Transfer.

FTP

The File Transfer Protocol  also is an option. There are several apps available turning an Android device into an FTP Server.

Other solutions

For completeness, let’s just name them in short: SSH Server, Web server, File Synchronization tools (like e.g. Foldersync), and probably several other options

Part 1: How to transfer files from PC to Android by copy & paste?

The simplest method to transfer files from PC to Android is to copy and paste files. To learn how to transfer files from PC to Android, you just need to follow these steps:

Step 1 – First of all, plug in your Android device via a USB device to the PC.

Step 2 – Please wait for your computer to read the device.

Step 3 – A program called File Explorer will open all the files in your device. Then, you simply have to visit the ‘Hard Drive’ folder on your PC and select the files that you wish to transfer to the Android device.

Step 4 – Now it is a simple case of cutting and pasting videos, songs, and images from PC to Android device by choosing or creating the desired folder on your Android device.

Copy and pasting is the simplest technique for users because you don’t need third-party software to complete the transaction and neither do you need to have good PC knowledge.

However, there are some drawbacks as well.

• This method only works with certain file types like photos and videos.
• There are other data types like messages, contacts, and social media messages that cannot be transferred through this method.
• There might be chances that not all files from your PC are compatible with the Android device.
• Also, the process of copying and pasting can waste a lot of your time if you have a large volume of content.

Part 2: How to transfer files from PC to Android with Dr.Fone?

Dr.Fone is a third party software specifically designed to make it easier to transfer files between different devices. It comes with several modules including Dr phone Phone manager Android which transfers file types across all devices including iOS/Android devices. Dr.Fone is a superior solution to other methods because you can transfer different file types such as text messages, contacts, podcasts, ebooks and so much more. Furthermore, Android devices come in different formats and versions. Not all these versions are compatible with your PC. However, compatibility is not a concern when using Dr.Fone – Phone Manager (Android). The software is compatible with more than 6000 devices. Dr.Fone – Phone Manager is also advantageous because the transaction can be completed in a single click.

Dr-Phone Phone Manager (Android)

One-Stop Solution to Transfer files from PC to Android

• Transfer, manage, export/import your music, photos, videos, contacts, SMS, Apps, etc.
• Backup your music, photos, videos, contacts, SMS, Apps, etc. to computer and restore them easily.
• Transfer iTunes to Android (vice versa).
• Fully compatible with 3000+ Android devices (Android 2.2 – Android 10.0) from Samsung, LG, HTC, Huawei, Motorola, Sony, etc.
• Fully compatible with Windows 10 and Mac 10.15.

Do you want to use Dr.Fone – Phone Manager (Android) to transfer files from PC to Android? Well, the first thing you must do is download and install Dr.Fone – Phone Manager (Android). After that, follow the steps outlined below to complete the transaction.

Step 1 – The very first step, as usual, is to launch Dr.Fone software and select the ‘Transfer’ component, then plug in your Android device via USB.

Step 2 – Once the connection is established, you will see various options on the Dr.Fone main page. Select the section such as photos, videos, music, or others that you want to transfer to Android.

Here, we have taken the example of the Photo option.

Step 3 – Click on the ‘Photos’ tab to see all the photos stored on the Android device.

Step 4 – Now, select all the photos that you want to transfer and click on the Icon and select ‘Add File’ or ‘Add Folder’ to transfer them to an Android device.

Step 5 – Lastly, after selecting the relevant data, add all the photos to the Android device.

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