You do not need a USB cable to share files between your mobile device and another mobile device or computer. All you need is a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection. You can transfer contacts, messages, music, photos, eBooks, and more. All you need is an Android app on your mobile device. You do not need any special software on your PC.

AirDroid is really easy to use. When you start AirDroid, the app displays the URL and password required to connect to the mobile device. Using any browser on your PC, you just need to enter the URL (for example, http://192.168.2.100:8888), and the password. AirDroid acts as a Web server. Consequently, you get a Web page that allows you to interact with the mobile device. With AirDroid, you can manage and install apps on your Android device. While you can install apps from the Google Play Store, the install does not happen immediately. The apps are downloaded and installed, the next time the Google Play Store app checks for updates. You can also you install apps directly from the PC. AirDroid does require a minimum screen size of 1024 x 768 pixels for the Web page. Thus, it works for file transfers to PCs, or tablets that meet the required screen dimensions.

WiFi File Transfer app is similar to AirDroid, without all the extra features. It is simply a file transfer app. Like AirDroid, the WiFi File Transfer app is a Web server, and all the work is done in the Web browser interface. Both the app and the Web page have a help link that is well worth reading. The Web page does not have a minimum page size requirement, so it should work on any device that has a Web browser. The free version has a 4mb file limit, while WiFi File Transfer Pro ($1.31 USD) removes this size restriction. These apps do one task, and do it right.

EZ Drop (File Sync) allows you to transfer files between an Android device and another device using a 3G or Wi-Fi connection. This app does nothing other than transfer files. To connect the two devices, you open the EZ Drop app on your Android device, and open any Web browser on the other device. In the Web browser, you need to enter http://ez.dropper.co as the URL. You then enter the pin number displayed in the Web browser in the EZ Drop app. This establishes the connection between the two devices. To send files from the Web device to the Android device, you need to change the download directory on the Android device, before you select the file on the Web device. You change the download directory by tapping the menu button, and then tapping Choose Save Folder, and selecting the folder in which to save the downloaded file. To send a file from the Android device to the Web device, tap the menu button and then tap Send file to PC. You will then get a file folder screen, from which you will navigate to the file that you wish to send. EZ Drop was designed to work with small screens. My only problem is that the files are routed through their server. While they say it is secure and temporary, I would never send sensitive files through an unknown server.

ES File Explorer works best as a file manager on your mobile device. ES File Explorer does support connections to shared files on your local network (LAN) using Microsoft Windows SMB. You can configure network file servers (NET), such as Dropbox, and connect to FTP servers. You can also create Bluetooth connections for file transfer. It even includes a music player. This app is not easy to use, as it requires a lot of configuration to transfer files to a PC, or network file service. There is no automatic configuration options for these connections.

The Bluetooth File Transfer app is just one of those apps that you need in your collection. While transferring files via a Bluetooth connection is slower, and more inconvenient, it is the only way to transfer files between an Android device and some mobile devices. By pairing two phones together, you can transfer information from your old phone to your new phone. If you are asked for a password, the default password is either 0000 or 1234.

There are a few conventions used on Android devices that you should you should know, when transferring files. The DCIM directory contains the photos and videos taken on your Android devices. The My Files directory contains subdirectories for Books, Documents, Magazines, Music, My Downloads, Newspapers, Pictures, Videos, and Wall Papers. You should place all files uploaded to your Android device in these directories. The DCIM and My Files directories exist on both the internal storage, under the emmc directory, and on the microSD card. I prefer to store uploaded files on the microSD card. All apps automatically search these directories for their content.