I’ve heard a lot about the godlike levels of integration that Apple has with their devices, but I’ve stubbornly refused to leave my Android phone, because I feel Apple is too restrictive with their iPhones, and I could easily get a better phone for half the price. However, I felt the urge to try to replicate Apple’s ecosystem as much as I could, with my Mac and my Android phone.
step one: google drive
The first step I did is to use Google Drive. With it’s spacious 15GB of storage and integration with your Android phone, it’s usually a no-brainer. Along with the (usually) preinstalled Google Drive, Docs, Sheets and Slides on Android, I also install the Backup and Sync desktop app on my Mac for easy access and transfer of my files. This replaces Continuity, iCloud, Pages, Numbers, Keynote and the like. iCloud Photos can also be easily replaced by Google Photos.
step two: kde connect
Some people may already be using Google Drive, or other cloud service providers, and you may be wondering, “that’s fine, but what about the rest?” This is where KDE Connect comes into play. It’s an app written by the amazing KDE Community, made in QT, and a developer, Weixuan Xiao (Inoki), has ported it to macOS. You can download it here.
It can do a ton of things, which can even rival those of iPhone’s with Mac. Some of these are:
- Send files to and from your Android (like AirDrop)
- Control audio and video playback
- Use your phone as a touchpad, or as a slideshow remote
- Universal Clipboard
- Execute commands on the Mac from your Android
It may be a bit buggy, but it’s worth a legitimate try. You can read more about it on the developer’s blog.
So, there we have it. You now have iPhone-level integration between your Android and Mac. The Apple Ecosystem is not the only way to go with a Mac, and the Google ecosystem is easily accessible on macOS.