I’m new to this and not very experienced with Android devices or Macs. While searching for a solution, I found several recommendations to use Android File Transfer, including this discussion.
However, I was wondering if there are any other methods or applications that work well with the newer Kindle Fire HD 10 (2023)?
Android File Transfer isn’t a great option anymore. Google stopped maintaining it, so it can be unreliable with newer Macs and Android-based devices.
For browsing your Kindle Fire HD 10 (2023) over USB, you’ll probably need an app that supports MTP. MacDroid is one option. It’s built to connect macOS to MTP devices and should let you access the Kindle’s storage and move files back and forth.
If you only want to put ebooks, documents, or PDFs on the Kindle, USB may be unnecessary. Amazon’s official Send to Kindle app lets you transfer supported files from your Mac. You can drag files into the app or use the Send to Kindle option from Finder’s right-click menu.
So it depends on what you need. For direct access to internal storage, try an MTP app such as MacDroid. For sending reading material, Send to Kindle is usually the simpler route.
The USB cable may be the real problem since many USB-C cables only provide power. Try a known data-capable cable, unlock the Fire, then tap the USB notification and select “File Transfer” rather than charging. If the Mac still shows nothing, macOS does not handle MTP devices in Finder, so an app such as MacDroid is needed to browse the storage.
Don’t turn on USB debugging for this. It isn’t required for ordinary file transfers and usually just adds confusion.
After connecting with a known data cable, unlock the Fire, swipe down, tap the USB/charging notification, and choose “File Transfer.” You may need to select that again after reconnecting because the Fire can default back to charging mode. The tablet still will not appear as a normal drive in Finder. Open MacDroid or another MTP-capable app after changing the USB mode, then browse the Fire’s internal storage from there.
If the USB notification never appears, bypass any hub or dock and connect directly to the MacBook. Try another cable before changing more settings. For occasional PDFs or photos, uploading through Google Drive or Dropbox may honestly be less hassle than dealing with MTP.
Don’t assume selecting “File Transfer” is the final step. Keep the Fire unlocked and accept any permission prompt allowing the Mac to access its data, or MacDroid may still show an empty or disconnected device.
If you’re transferring a large folder or doing this regularly, a microSD card may be less annoying than fighting with USB MTP. Put a card in the Fire, set it up as portable/removable storage rather than internal storage, then use a USB card reader on the MacBook. Copy the files onto the card, eject it properly, and return it to the tablet. The downside is physically moving the card, but Finder can handle it normally and no Mac app is needed.
For a direct USB connection, the key expectation is that the Fire will not mount in Finder like a flash drive. Follow the cable and “File Transfer” advice above, then open MacDroid or another MTP client. Keep the tablet awake during the initial connection. Fire tablets have a habit of dropping back to charge-only mode after reconnecting, restarting, or sitting locked for a while.
I’d troubleshoot it in this order:
Once connected, copy files into sensible folders such as Documents, Books, Pictures, Music, or Movies rather than dumping everything at the top level. Some Fire apps only scan particular folders, so a successful transfer does not always mean the file will immediately appear inside the app you expect.
For a few PDFs or ebooks, Send to Kindle is still the lowest-effort route. For mixed files or large video folders, use MTP or the microSD-card method. USB debugging and developer options have nothing to do with ordinary transfers, so leave those settings alone.
Do not install a “Kindle USB driver” on the Mac. That advice is usually meant for Windows, and it will not make the Fire appear in Finder.
Check System Information on the Mac and look under USB while the tablet is connected. If the Fire appears there, the cable and port are working. Finder still will not browse it because the remaining problem is MTP, so open MacDroid or another MTP client.
If it does not appear under USB at all, stop changing tablet settings. You have a cable, adapter, hub, or port problem. That check saves a fair amount of pointless fiddling.
If you’re only moving a handful of documents, the whole USB debate barely matters. The condition that actually decides this is what you’re transferring and how big it is. Small stuff goes over the air with almost no setup. Large video files or a folder of APKs is where you actually need the cable and the MTP dance everyone above described.
The cable and ‘File Transfer’ mode advice from @just_router and @beaconhq is correct and worth doing carefully, since the Fire really does love flipping back to charge-only after a reconnect. No argument there. Where I’d lean differently is treating USB as the default. On a Fire tablet, MTP over macOS is fussy on a good day. You unlock, you pick File Transfer, you accept the prompt @stacktigersync mentioned, and half the time the device still shows up empty until you unplug and try again.
MacDroid does the job when you genuinely need to browse internal storage, so it earns its spot in this thread. I just wouldn’t reach for it first if your goal is books and PDFs. Amazon’s own Send to Kindle route handles those without a cable at all, and for random files you can drop them into any cloud folder and grab them in the Fire’s browser or Docs app. Slower per file, sure, but no driver roulette.
One practical thing people forget: the Fire’s Silk browser can download straight from a cloud link, so you don’t even need the desktop cloud client if you just want a couple of files across. Set up the messy MTP path only when the wireless option is clearly too slow for what you’re moving. For most people asking this question, it never gets to that point.
You do not need an MTP app if you only want to copy photos from the Fire to the Mac. If the Fire’s USB menu offers “Photo Transfer (PTP),” select that and open Apple’s built-in Image Capture app. The tablet may appear there even though Finder ignores it. Image Capture is designed to import pictures and videos from camera-type USB devices.
PTP is much more limited than MacDroid, though. It generally exposes camera media for importing to the Mac, not PDFs, books, downloads, or arbitrary folders, and it is not the right choice for copying files onto the Fire.
So the useful comparison is: PTP plus Image Capture for pulling off photos, Send to Kindle for reading material, and an MTP client such as MacDroid for full two-way folder access. In every case, the Fire still needs to be awake, connected with a data-capable cable, and set to the matching USB mode.