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Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Android device files via ADB

https://rajivm1991.github.io/DroidDock/

Hi HN,

I’m Rajiv, a software engineer turned Math teacher living in the mountains, where I like to slow down life while still building useful software.

I recently built DroidDock, a lightweight and modern macOS desktop app that lets you browse and manage files on your Android device via ADB. After 12 years in software development, I wanted a free, clean, and efficient tool because existing solutions were either paid, clunky, or bloated.

Features include multiple view modes, thumbnail previews for images/videos, intuitive file search, file upload/download, and keyboard shortcuts. The backend uses Rust and Tauri for performance.

You can download the latest .dmg from the landing page here: https://rajivm1991.github.io/DroidDock/ Source code is available on GitHub: https://github.com/rajivm1991/DroidDock

I’d appreciate your feedback on usability, missing features, or bugs. Thanks for checking it out!

— Rajiv

( 41 comments | 2 points | on HN )
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by dcreater on Sunday November 09, 2025 @09:00PM (#45871434)
Looks vibe coded?
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by brainless on Sunday November 09, 2025 @09:29PM (#45871679)
The CLAUDE.md file is right there, so they are probably using agentic coding.

But why does it matter? Does the app not work? I don't have a Mac, can't check.

Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by dinkelberg on Sunday November 09, 2025 @11:31PM (#45872452)
Counter question: How do you know it works?

A file manager better be rock solid, I don't want a bug to delete any files or do other shenanigans.

Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by brainless on Monday November 10, 2025 @03:44AM (#45873874)
That is a valid question.

But that would apply to any app that deals with files like this one does.

This one is open source and we can run some code analysis on it, compile locally, etc. I am not well versed in security checks but I guess you get the idea.

Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by VerifiedReports on Sunday November 09, 2025 @10:48PM (#45872209)
Ugh. This term can't die fast enough.
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by mhuffman on Monday November 10, 2025 @01:07AM (#45872939)
What term would you suggest instead? Agent-assisted slop?
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by VerifiedReports on Monday November 10, 2025 @03:15AM (#45873665)
Not bad; anything that actually mentions "AI" would be better than "vibe." That doesn't tell you anything.
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by ulfw on Sunday November 09, 2025 @11:12PM (#45872351)
Especially the 'design' which couldn't be less Mac-native if it tried
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by hackyhacky on Sunday November 09, 2025 @09:25PM (#45871651)
Why do you say that?
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by rvz on Sunday November 09, 2025 @10:45PM (#45872187)
Because it is true. Claude did almost all of it.
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by rvz on Sunday November 09, 2025 @10:44PM (#45872180)
Of course it is.

As usual, it is low quality and has zero tests.

Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by jeron on Sunday November 09, 2025 @10:45PM (#45872191)
agents should agentically create high quality unit tests
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by Egor3f on Monday November 10, 2025 @12:05AM (#45872622)
Agents are really good at writing unit tests, but only if you clarify exactly WHAT should be tested. Otherwise they generate slop which passes, but don't catch any bugs nor regression.
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by tonyedgecombe on Monday November 10, 2025 @03:47AM (#45873896)
This situation reminds me of the Visual Basic apps in the nineties. It was possible to write good quality software with VB and some people did. Nonetheless the majority was dross and the fact that an app was written in VB was a strong indicator of poor quality.
[dead]
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by sunaookami on Monday November 10, 2025 @12:47AM (#45872833)
Don't know why this comment was flagged, this is exactly what is going on here. AI is famous for these purple gradients and the website reeks "vibe-coded", this is 100% how Claude makes websites, including the already mentioned gradients, emojis, style, etc.

And of course every commit is Co-Authored by Claude Code with excessive commit descriptions also created by Claude. Is this really something we want to see on Hacker News? I wouldn't trust such an application.

Nothing against AI coding but letting AI take the wheel 100% of the time and not even mention it (like he coded it himself) is very dishonest.

Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by mhuffman on Monday November 10, 2025 @01:06AM (#45872932)
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by tgma on Sunday November 09, 2025 @09:56PM (#45871867)
Don't wanna be killjoy, but specifically since "sleek" and "native" is mentioned many times, I'd say that's not what one expects from a sleek macOS application to say the least.

I'd expect something like Cyberduck quality UI, as an example. The author should aim to mimic system UI in my opinion as closely as possible (or integrate inside Finder).

Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by manmal on Monday November 10, 2025 @03:54AM (#45873941)
Indeed, at first glance I thought the UI is a preliminary Electron one (there are nicer Electron apps for sure).
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by Klonoar on Monday November 10, 2025 @03:25PM (#45880491)
UI-wise it’s effectively the same, just built with the macOS specific webview underneath.
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by jaimehrubiks on Monday November 10, 2025 @04:59AM (#45874361)
Ah it would be awesome to have an adb explorer within Cyberduck
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by rajivm1991 on Monday November 10, 2025 @06:01AM (#45874723)
Appreciate your feedback! I hear you on the importance of a truly native macOS experience, improving the macOS native look and feel is definitely on my priority
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by coldtrait on Monday November 10, 2025 @10:28PM (#45883848)
That would require building this in Swift.
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by js2 on Sunday November 09, 2025 @10:47PM (#45872200)
> Important: Right-click the app and select "Open" (required for unsigned apps) Click "Open" in the security dialog that appears

Nope. Sign up for an Apple Developer account, then sign, notarize and staple it. You can notarize the dmg or a zip of the app bundle.

Consider using Sparkle to distribute updates.

Agree with other comment that the UI also doesn't look anything like a native app.

Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by dinkelberg on Sunday November 09, 2025 @11:27PM (#45872434)
For those who want to use Google's Android File Transfer app for Mac, which for some reason isn't regularly available from Google anymore, it's still available by direct download: https://dl.google.com/dl/androidjumper/mtp/current/AndroidFi...
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by seam_carver on Monday November 10, 2025 @12:11AM (#45872652)
What really grinds my gears is that I have devices that only work with AFT and not OpenMTP. Like my Hisense A9. Because AFT will crash if you try to transfer hundreds of files. I wish I could get rid of AFT but I can't

I also have a usb-c flash drive for copying as well.

Amazon has a great MTP app but it only works with Kindles.

Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by cosmotic on Sunday November 09, 2025 @11:51PM (#45872551)
Does the app itself still work?
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by dinkelberg on Monday November 10, 2025 @12:06AM (#45872625)
I have used it a year ago with macOS 14 or 15 and it worked. I've had problems copying too many files at once (don't remember the problem exactly), that's why I only copy about 100 at a time.

Your mileage may vary.

Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by oneandonley1 on Friday November 14, 2025 @10:15AM (#45927579)
Thank you, i've been looking for this for years
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by jeroenhd on Monday November 10, 2025 @01:02AM (#45872905)
I must admit I haven't really tried it, but what's wrong with hooking up an Android phone to a Mac? Can't you browse files like you can on other computers?

I don't think using ADB is the right way to go about it. Normalizing elevated shell permissions just to copy files just feels like going the wrong way about it. Unless that's the only way to get decent Android file management done on Mac, of course.

Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by seam_carver on Monday November 10, 2025 @02:25AM (#45873350)
No, you can't. You need a special app to browse a recent android phone or kindle on a mac
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by jeroenhd on Monday November 10, 2025 @02:49AM (#45873505)
That's pretty annoying. I swear you used to be able to, what changed?

Edit: I thought Apple supported MTP but I guess they never did? That's a weird limitation for an OS to have.

Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by Crestwave on Monday November 10, 2025 @04:16AM (#45874088)
It makes a lot more sense when you consider that Apple's business model relies heavily on keeping customers locked into their ecosystem.

Clearly a Mac user should also have an iPhone, or face the repurcussions for using a non-Apple device.

Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by jaimehrubiks on Monday November 10, 2025 @05:00AM (#45874366)
MTP is slower than adb in my experience
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by rajivm1991 on Monday November 10, 2025 @09:07PM (#45883331)
macOS has limited support for MTP.. native browsing of Android devices is very limited or broken. Using ADB is admittedly a workaround, but it provides broader device compatibility and control, especially on newer Android versions
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by rand17 on Monday November 10, 2025 @01:34AM (#45873055)
I wouldn't dare to call an app with a webview approach (be that tauri or electron), react, typescript and the whole frontend Pandora's box "sleek", but each to his own. I find using the adb bridge for such operation a bit of an overkill, but fortunately I don't own Apple made devices this year so I don't face such problems; maybe drastic times call for drastic measures: Apple's and Google's hatred towards end users is palpable these days. I took a quick look at the source and the naming convention is not "conventional" and the lack of eslint/prettier made me raise my eyebrows (raised it high enough to not want to touch this project with a ten foot pole), just like the 2452 line main App.tsx and the rampant useEffect abuse in it - but again, I'm not the target audience, maybe this is super useful for the poster and aesthetics have always been subjective.
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by rajivm1991 on Monday November 10, 2025 @08:59PM (#45883268)
Appreciate the code review eyes and honesty . Yeah the current App.tsx is admittedly dense.. refactoring and adding linting/prettier is next on the list. The choice of React and Tauri was pragmatic to move fast with technologies I’m comfortable with, but I’m open to suggestions to improve code quality and maintainability.
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by rand17 on Saturday November 15, 2025 @02:07AM (#45935602)
The general consensus around here is that web and sleek/native will not mix, Swift probably is the way to go if we are talking about modern, appealing MacOS applications, but that may be outside your comfort zone with or without the help of AI tools.
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by luckydata on Monday November 10, 2025 @02:59AM (#45873562)
Not exactly what beautiful looks like on a Mac.
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by rajivm1991 on Monday November 10, 2025 @09:08PM (#45883343)
appreciate your honest comments.. I want DroidDock to be both beautiful and functional, balancing modern design trends with macOS idioms. yes, feedback like this helps me iterate toward a better experience
Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by zmmmmm on Monday November 10, 2025 @05:27AM (#45874514)
What we really need is someone to implement this using FUSE so we can just mount the phone directly and treat its file system like .... a file system.

EDIT: ok - it exists

https://github.com/JasonFerrara/jmtpfs

Re:Show HN: DroidDock – A sleek macOS app for browsing Andro... by coldtrait on Monday November 10, 2025 @10:29PM (#45883850)
For those who want a simpler way to do this wirelessly, PlainApp has been great for me:

https://github.com/ismartcoding/plain-app