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zeroseis/disable-auto-android-file-transfer.md

Created September 14, 2015 17:28
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Disable auto start for Android File Transfer
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disable-auto-android-file-transfer.md
  • Close Android File Transfer
  • Open Activity Monitor and kill “Android File Transfer Agent”
  • Go to where you installed “Android File Transfer.app” (I have it under /Applications)
  • Ctrl+click –> “Show package contents”
  • Go to Contents/Resources
  • Rename “Android File Transfer Agent” to e.g. “Android File Transfer Agent_DISABLED”
  • Then go to “/Users/username/Library/Application Support/Google/Android File Transfer” and again rename the Agent app.
@wangyandongnx
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The permissions trick worked great for me. All I did was:

  1. In Settings app > Users & Groups > Login Items, first unlock the settings panel then remove the Android File Transfer Agent entry
  2. Open a Terminal and sudo -s
  3. Change permissions on the agent app: chmod 000 /Applications/Android\ File\ Transfer.app/Contents/Helpers/Android\ File\ Transfer\ Agent.app
  4. Change ownership to root on the agent app: chown root:wheel /Applications/Android\ File\ Transfer.app/Contents/Helpers/Android\ File\ Transfer\ Agent.app
  5. Delete the Application Support directory: rm -r ~/Library/Application\ Support\Google\Android\ File\ Transfer
  6. Open Activity Monitor and force kill the Android File Transfer Agent process

That's it. I confirmed that re-opening the Android File Transfer app no longer adds the launch entry or makes the copy to Application Support directory and the app no longer auto-launches when a device is plugged in.

Works for me. Thanks.

@SmokyLion
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This is too radical. I'd suggest going to the System Preferences / Users & Groups / / Login Items and removing "Android File Transfer Agent" from the list. This way you will still be able to launch it when you need it.

@alg This does work. thank you! (I just needed to kill/stop the agent process manually after removing it from the list as you suggested)

6 yrs later, Thanks!

@tanduynguyen
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I tried all solutions but this one was the simplest and the best one of for me.

I dragged the Android File Transfer icon to Trash.

Lol

Best idea, so tired ✌️

@wukongiii
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@krischik Fixed the missing check for ${HOME}/Library/Application Support/Google/Android File Transfer/Android File Transfer Agent.app.

The updated script

#!/bin/zsh

typeset PID=$(ps -fe | grep "[A]ndroid File Transfer Agent" | awk '{print $2}')

if [[ -n ${PID} ]]; then
    kill ${PID}
fi

for AFT in								\
    "/Applications/Android File Transfer.app"				\
    "/Applications/Sync/Android File Transfer.app"			\
    "${HOME}/Library/Application Support/Google/Android File Transfer"
do
    echo "### Look for agents in “${AFT}”"

    if test -e "${AFT}"; then
	for AFTA in							\
	    "${AFT}/Contents/Resources/Android File Transfer Agent.app" \
	    "${AFT}/Contents/Helpers/Android File Transfer Agent.app" \
	    "${AFT}/Android File Transfer Agent.app"
	do
	    echo "# Look for agent “${AFTA}”"

	    if test -e "${AFTA}"; then
		mv -v "${AFTA}" "${AFTA}.DISABLE"
	    fi
	done; unset AFTA
    fi
done; unset AFT

osascript -e 'tell application "System Events" to delete every login item whose name is "Android File Transfer Agent"'

Smooth

@ballo
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ballo commented Oct 28, 2025

Is there any way to copy/sync all data while preserving creation dates

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