Can I connect an Onyx Boox Note Air 4 C to a Mac using a native app? I have read that connecting it with a USB cable and a utility like MacDroid is recommended. Does this method work properly for accessing files on the Boox?
The simplest option is probably the built-in BooxDrop file transfer utility. It runs through a web browser, so there is nothing to install on your Mac. Both devices need to be on the same local network, and client isolation must be disabled. Any modern browser should be fine. LocalSend is another option if you prefer a general-purpose file transfer app.
You may also be able to transfer files over USB with MacDroid. It supports MTP and can mount compatible Android devices in macOS. I have not personally tested it with the Note Air 4 C, though, so I cannot confirm how reliably that specific setup works.
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If the Boox only charges, suspect a charge-only cable; if the Mac detects it but Finder shows nothing, that is normal because macOS does not browse MTP devices natively. Use a data-capable USB-C cable, unlock the Note Air 4 C, tap the USB notification, and select File Transfer/MTP instead of Charging. You’ll then need an MTP app such as MacDroid to access the storage. BooxDrop is easier for occasional files, but USB is usually better for large transfers.
Changing Finder settings will not fix this because the Note Air 4 C does not mount as a normal external drive. First check whether the Mac can see the hardware at all. Connect it directly to the Mac, preferably without a dock, monitor, or USB hub, then open System Information and look under USB. If BOOX or an Android device appears there, the cable and port are working and the remaining problem is MTP access. If nothing appears, try another known data-capable cable and another port.
Keep the BOOX unlocked while connecting it. Pull down the notification shade, tap the USB connection notification, and change “Charging” to “File Transfer” or “MTP.” That choice may need to be made again after reconnecting. You do not need USB debugging or developer mode for ordinary file copies.
At that point MacDroid should be able to open the device storage even though Finder itself still shows nothing. Close any other Android transfer software before launching it, since two MTP programs can compete for the same connection. If MacDroid sees the BOOX but folders fail to load, disconnect it, restart both devices, and reconnect directly rather than through a hub.
There is a separate issue hidden in the word “syncing.” USB/MTP copies documents, but it does not automatically synchronize reading position, handwritten annotations, or notebooks with macOS. For quick document transfers, BooxDrop is usually less fiddly. For actual ongoing sync, configure the relevant BOOX account or supported cloud storage from the apps you use. Pick the method based on what you are moving rather than expecting the USB cable to handle every type of BOOX data.
MacDroid is a bridge, not a native BOOX integration. It can give you access to the Note Air 4 C over USB, but the experience is closer to copying files to an Android phone than mounting an external SSD. Finder will not suddenly manage the device on its own.
For PDFs, EPUBs, exported notes, and other ordinary files, MTP through MacDroid should be adequate once the BOOX is unlocked and set to File Transfer. The main caveat is workflow. I would copy a document to the Mac, edit it there, then copy it back rather than opening and repeatedly saving it directly on the BOOX storage. MTP connections are less predictable than normal mounted drives, especially with large folders or lots of small files.
Compared with BooxDrop, USB makes more sense for a large batch or when Wi-Fi is slow. BooxDrop is less effort for sending two or three documents. A cloud folder is better if you want the same working files available on both devices over time. None of those methods automatically makes BOOX notebooks and annotations behave like native Mac documents.
So yes, MacDroid is a reasonable answer for file access, provided your cable carries data and the tablet is in MTP mode. Just set your expectations correctly: it solves manual file transfer, not full device management or seamless synchronization.
Don’t assume USB access means you can browse or back up everything on the BOOX. MacDroid can expose the shared storage over MTP, so PDFs, EPUBs, downloads, exported notes, and similar files should be accessible, but Android’s protected app data and some BOOX notebook files may remain hidden.
There is no real native Mac-style BOOX device manager here. MacDroid is a third-party workaround, and Finder still will not treat the Note Air 4 C like an external drive. It is reasonable for manual copying once the tablet is unlocked and set to File Transfer, but I would not rely on an MTP connection for editing files in place or maintaining a complete backup.
For normal documents, use USB if you have a large batch and BooxDrop if you only need to move a few files. If your actual goal is preserving handwritten notes, export them from the BOOX first or use the appropriate account/cloud sync. That distinction matters more than which cable utility you choose.
Honestly the USB route is more trouble than it’s worth for most people. Everyone here is right that MacDroid can get you MTP access once the cable actually carries data and the BOOX is set to File Transfer, but MTP on macOS drops connections at the worst moments, usually mid-copy on a big folder. If you’re only moving a handful of PDFs or EPUBs, BooxDrop over the browser is faster to set up and less likely to stall. I’d keep MacDroid in your pocket for the occasional bulk dump and nothing more. And like @smartforge7235 said, don’t expect your handwritten notebooks to come across as real files, export those from the device first or you’ll think something’s broken when it isn’t.
Don’t assume a successful USB copy means the book will immediately appear in the BOOX library. That was the confusing bit for me when reading about this setup. MacDroid can access the shared storage, but it is a third-party MTP tool, not a native BOOX app or normal Finder-mounted drive.
Once the tablet is unlocked and set to File Transfer, copy PDFs or EPUBs into a sensible folder such as Books rather than dropping them somewhere random. If the file does not appear afterward, open it through the BOOX file manager or refresh the library so the device scans that folder.
So yes, the cable method should work for ordinary files, provided the cable supports data. Just remember that MacDroid handles the connection, while the BOOX still decides where and how copied documents appear. For a couple of files, BooxDrop sounds simpler.
The free route people forget is Android File Transfer, and the reason nobody’s mentioning it is that Google basically abandoned it and it’s flaky on recent macOS. So the ‘do I have to pay for MacDroid’ question has a slightly annoying answer: not strictly, but the free option is worse and half-broken now.
That aside, I think @binarylynx_10 has the right read. For a Note Air 4 C, USB/MTP is the tool you reach for when you’re dumping a big pile of files, not your everyday method. BooxDrop over the browser handles the two-or-three-PDF case with less fuss and no cable roulette. MacDroid is fine as your bulk-transfer fallback, just don’t expect it to feel like a mounted drive.
The one thing worth stressing that’s easy to miss: check your cable first. Half the ‘it only charges’ posts turn out to be a charge-only USB-C cable, and no software fixes that.
No, there is no native BOOX macOS app that automatically handles the tablet over USB. MacDroid is simply an MTP bridge. It should let you copy ordinary files once the Note Air 4 C is unlocked and set to File Transfer, but it will not expose protected app data or turn the device into a normal Finder drive.
For hundreds of small files, consider putting them into a ZIP first, transferring that single archive, then extracting it on the BOOX. MTP tends to waste time or fail on folders containing thousands of individual items. For a few PDFs, BooxDrop remains the less irritating option.
So the cable method works for basic storage access. “Native Mac integration” and complete BOOX backup are still a no.