Justin Pot is a freelance journalist who helps people get more out of technology. I'm a former Android-Mac hybrid user. Laugh all you want—we exist. I enjoy having a polished operating system on my computer and an endlessly hackable operating system on my phone, and the combination of Mac and Android gave me all of that. I only stopped using Android alongside my Mac a couple years ago, mostly because an iPhone SE was cheaper than most mid-range Android options at the time. When I think about switching back, though, I realize how much I'll miss the integrations. Using a Mac and an iPhone gives you access to all kinds of tricks. Among the ones I use the most are the shared notifications, the syncing clipboard, and the easy ways to sync files. There's also the ability to control your iPhone from your Mac. Android users can't do any of this on a Mac. That's where AirSync comes in. The open source application, built by Sri Lanka based developer Sameera Sandakelum, integrates Android devices with macOS in all kinds of ways. Android notifications show up on your Mac. You can sync your clipboard. It's also easy to send files from Android to the Downloads folder on your Mac, or vice versa. And with a little bit of setup, you can even take control of your Android device from the comfort of your Mac. Getting started is straightforward. You need to download the app for Android and macOS and install them. You will be prompted on both devices to enable certain permissions, after which you can connect your devices to each other by scanning a QR code. (It's worth noting that you can only connect devices that are on the same wifi network.) After that, you should start seeing Android notifications on your Mac—they'll show up in the native Mac notifications, or you can review existing ones in the app itself. You can even trigger buttons, allowing you to do things like respond to text messages from the notifications on your Mac. Items copied on your clipboard on one device will sync to the other. And you will see controls for the media currently playing on your Mac on the lock screen of your Android device. It has lot of nice touches, and you can go a bit further by paying for AirSync+, which costs either $2.49/month or $50 one time. This paid version of the application lets you take control of your Android device, similar to iPhone Mirroring. I tried this feature out and enjoyed it, though you can set this up yourself using Scrcpy for free. Other features in the paid version include controlling your Android's music from your Mac, opening websites open on one device from another, and custom app icons. Even without these paid features, though, Airsync makes it a little bit easier to be a Mac/Android person. Not missing notifications, easier file sharing, and clipboard syncing are all big quality of life improvements, so check this app out if you're tired of macOS and Android not playing nicely together. Justin Pot is a freelance journalist who helps people get more out of technology. Lifehacker has been a go-to source of tech help and life advice since 2005. Our mission is to offer reliable tech help and credible, practical, science-based life advice to help you live better. © 2001-2025 Ziff Davis, LLC., A ZIFF DAVIS COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Lifehacker is a federally registered trademark of Ziff Davis and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of Lifehacker. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant.