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How do I transfer / send a file from my Mac to my cellphone via Bluetooth?Okay, so I now know how to pair a cellphone with my Mac via Bluetooth - thank you! - but I am still unclear about how to actually transfer a file to the device. Can you shed light on this additional step, Dave? Sure, happy to help, though if you've gotten through that first article you should probably be able to figure out this last step, particularly if you have enabled the Bluetooth menu. Why? Because the bluetooth status menu itself has a "Send File..." option: ![]() Still, let's go through the more standard path to accomplish this task because if you're like me, you do your very best to minimize what shows up on your menu bar. For me, it's an aesthetic thing, but that is, as they say, another story! Once you've paired your cellphone with your Mac via bluetooth, the next time you go to the Bluetooth system preference, you'll see that device listed. Make sure you've selected it and you'll get all sorts of geeky incomprehensible information: ![]() That's fine. ignore it all. Instead, on the lower left corner click on the little gear wheel: ![]() Ahhh, there's that "Send File..." option again. Choose it. ![]() Now you need to find the file (or files!) you want to copy from your Mac to your cellphone. Note that there's a useful file search function in the top right of this window, so you can simply type in part of the filename and it'll show up in the search results, as I have done here with "break your". Select the file, then click on "Send" in the lower right and... ![]() Quickly replaced by the actual transfer occurring: ![]() I will warn you that Bluetooth is pretty cool, wireless, etc, but it ain't fast. In fact, if you're sending anything of any notable length then you might be waiting for rather a while as the transfer inches along. No worries though, as long as there's room it will work eventually and you'll have copied content from your MacBook, Mini, iMac, whatever, to your cellphone via Bluetooth!
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Categorized:
iPhone and Cell Phone Help
(Article 9486,
Written by Dave Taylor)
Tagged: bluetooth, bluetooth file copy, bluetooth pairing, cellphone, imac, mac mini, macbook pro Previous: How do I bluetooth pair a cellphone with a MacBook Pro or iMac? Next: How can I have Twitter DMs show up as txt messages on my cell? Reader Comments To Date: 3Dave Taylor said, on July 3, 2010 5:19 PM:
Dan, you're right on both counts. Bluetooth is a communications protocol and different devices support different capabilities "on top of" bluetooth. You can't browse the iPhone file system via Bluetooth, for example, but there are other BT capabilities it supports. Stupid, really, but that's just my opinion as an end customer. In terms of Verizon, heck yes. I was shocked a few years ago when I had a Verizon Motorola RAZR then Motorola sent me a stock RAZR with the Motorola operating system on the device. It was totally different, easier to use and supported capabilities like bluetooth file transfer that the Verizon version had removed. Again, as an end consumer it was infuriating, but I think we basically rent access nowadays, even as we think we own the devices. Stephanie said, on June 7, 2012 11:56 PM:
thank you thank you thank you!
I do have a comment, now that you mention it!Check This Out Too... |
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I think different phones have different levels of bluetooth capability.
One of the phones in my household does not "support" bluetooth file transfer, and after pulling out my hair for a while, I gave up and used a MicroSD card to do the transfer. It's a brand new Verizon low-end LG phone, can't remember the model name but bluetooth sees it as VN-250.
Another phone we have is the Verizon G'Zone. This one sends up a warning window on the Mac's screen claiming it can't accept jpg files but the warning can be skipped and then the files transfer just fine. No browsing the phone, though. This is a middle-of-the-line phone from last year.
The LG Voyager (VX 10000) was a high-end fancy phone from Verizon about 4 years ago. This one has great bluetooth support. You can browse its files from the Mac, send and receive, and no dumb error messages.
In conclusion, some phones have very limited bluetooth capabilities. Especially Verizon phones (those feature-disabling rascals).