The Easiest Way to Transfer Files between Android and Ubuntu Desktop

Are you tired of finding and plugging in your USB cable just to transfer files between Android and Ubuntu desktop? In this quick tutorial, we will show you how to easily share files between the two. This is the easiest way.

Transfer Files between Android and Ubuntu Using FTP

First install a FTP server on your android device. There’s a lot of FTP servers for Android such as this good one.

android ftp server

Click the Install button on that webpage and Google Play store will automatically download and install it on your Android device.

Once the FTP server is installed on Android, open the app then press the red power button to start FTP server.

android ftp server transfer file ubuntu

Once it’s started, it will give you the FTP server address, username and password of your android device. It also tells you that anonymous user is enabled and where the home directory is located.

transfer files between android and ubuntu

Now open nautilus file manager on your Ubuntu desktop, go to File > Connect to Server.

ubuntu nautilus file manager ftp access

Enter the FTP server address of your Android device. Then click Connect.

nautilus ftp client

In the next window, select the default Anonymous option and click Connect.

nautilus file manager anonymous ftp access

And now nautilus will take you to the home directory of your Android FTP server.

anroid ftp server ubuntu

If a SD card is inserted to your Android phone or tablet, then the default home directory will be your SD card.

Using FTP, you can transfer any files be it mp3 file, e-book, video, picture etc from Ubuntu desktop to your Android device or vice versa. It’s like another hard drive partition is mounted.

You can also configure the FTP port, home directory, anonymous access, read and write permission etc for your Android FTP server.

Do you know other ways to transfer Files between Android and Ubuntu? Leave your comments below and as always, if you found this post useful, please subscribe to our free newsletter or follow us on Google+, Twitter or like our Facebook page

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12 Responses to “The Easiest Way to Transfer Files between Android and Ubuntu Desktop

  • Craig Jones
    8 years ago

    Try Dukto – easistest way to transfer files. This only works for Wlan-Local Networks and no Passwords required. Works on Windows, IOS, Mac, Linux, and Android

  • Adi Prasetyo
    3 weeks ago

    Thanks, it’s work

  • Is it possible to make a bootable image of the os from this connection? If so could you explain how to go about doing it.

  • linux snob
    5 years ago

    kdeconnect or gsconnect are actually simpler for setup, allow more stuff and are even secure (unlike ftp).

  • Akuma-kun
    5 years ago

    Thanks for the hint. This works great.

  • Its android to ubuntu transfer. I want ubuntu to android…!

  • OpesMagnum
    5 years ago

    Thank you so much. USB has not been working for me, and this was mega easy.

  • Mike Mikowski
    5 years ago

    OMFG, this is a life saver. MTP is a POS, been struggling with this for hours, and I’ve been using Android for 12 years now and a professional senior developer. But I can’t keep up with every little nit to get just simple file control on android to just work without hassle – Android is not the center of my life. Thank you. Bought the app.

  • Scott Stensland
    4 years ago

    this used to work on earlier releases of ubuntu … it fails on Ubuntu 20.04

    after launching the ftp server on android 9 phone (which works on earlier pre 20.04 ubuntu)
    then on ubuntu nautilus when I enter ftp://myip:myport this address appears in red and does not connect

  • Now what do you do to send files from android to your Ubuntu PC after you have been directed to the home directory of your Android FTP server.? How do I send it?

  • Thanks, works fine

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