How to Use FTP to Get Files to and From Your Android Phone

When it comes to smartphones, you're more likely to think of standards such as wifi, Bluetooth, and NFC (Near Field Communication) before the old FTP (File Transfer Protocol) technology comes to mind. FTP has been around since the 1970s, and is more commonly associated with ancient data servers and huge mainframe computers.

Despite its age, though, FTP still has its uses for modern devices. Specifically, it's an easy and quick way of moving files between an Android phone and a computer. Now, there are plenty of other ways to do that, but FTP is definitely worth a look-it's easy to set up, and it won't cost you anything.

You'll find most third-party file managers for Android come with FTP support, so you can browse around and see which one works best for you. Here I'm going to use Amaze File Manager, which is lightweight, intuitive, and free to use as far as the FTP features go (you can pay extra if you need cloud storage adding too).

Getting started

Download and install Amaze File Manager from the Google Play Store, and you'll need to give it permission to access the file system on your Android device-an essential privilege for an app that manages your files. After that's done, it'll make short work of identifying all the files and folders on your phone, and getting them up on screen.

You'll see the app takes a straightforward approach to displaying your files: You're shown the main file system folder by default, and you can tap on any folder to move around. Use the primary menu button (three lines, top left) to quickly access folders such as Images and Documents, and the secondary menu button (three dots, top right) to change how files are sorted on screen and see your browsing history.

Setting up an FTP server in Amaze File Manager. Credit: Lifehacker

There are also search and home buttons up at the top to help you find your way around. When it comes to working with FTP, we can use the Amaze File Manager to create an FTP server on your phone-this is just a file repository, using the recognized FTP transfer standards, that other computers and devices are then able to connect to.

Tap the menu button (top left), then choose FTP Server. On the next screen, choose Start to get the server up and running: The details for connecting to the server will be shown on screen. If you think other people connected to your home wifi network might try and connect to your phone as well, you can set up a username and password that are needed to log in-tap the three dots (top right) then Login to do this.

Transferring files

With the FTP server enabled on your phone, you then need to access it from your computer. There are a few ways you can go about this, including getting a dedicated FTP application installed, but as the functionality is built into File Explorer on Windows and Finder on macOS, those are the easiest ways to go about it.

If you're on Windows, open up File Explorer, right-click on the This PC entry in the left-hand navigation panel, then select Add a network location. Follow the short setup wizard, which will ask you to enter the address of the FTP server and the login credentials, if needed. With that done, your Android phone's file system will pop up in File Explorer and can be used like any other folder.

Accessing the server from macOS Finder. Credit: Lifehacker

On macOS, you need to launch Finder, open the Go menu, and then select Connect to Server. Enter the FTP details as they're displayed in the Amaze File Manager, click Connect, and you should find yourself hooked up. You're then able to access your Android phone like any other folder: You can move files back and forth between computer and phone, create folders, and so on.

If you run into any issues, on the FTP server page in Amaze File Manager, tap the three dots (top right), then uncheck the box marked Secure Connection-this makes it a little easier for Windows and macOS to connect, and might be a step that's required depending on how your home network is configured. You'll need to stop and restart the FTP server for the change to be applied.