How To Quickly Send And Receive Files From A Mac Via FTP

How to send and recieve files and data on a Mac through FTP

If you want to send or receive files from your Mac on your local network, all you need is an FTP client. Apple's macOS has an option that allows you to exchange files between your Mac and other devices on the same network using FTP.

You just need to turn on the sharing option on your Mac, install an FTP client on your other device, and you’re ready to start sharing your files.

Here’s how you set it up.

1. Enable FTP Connections On Your Mac

macOS has a remote connection option that allows other devices to remotely connect to your Mac. This connection works over both SSH and FTP protocols.

Enabling this remote sharing option is easy:

1. Click the Apple logo at the upper-left corner and select System Preferences.
2. Select Sharing on the following screen.
3. Tick the box that says Remote Login on the left.
4. You will see your Mac’s IP address on the right. Make a note of this and keep it handy.

2. Connect To Your Mac Via FTP

Now that your Mac accepts incoming FTP requests, you can connect to it from your other device using an FTP client.

1. FileZilla is a good free FTP client and it's what we're using for our examples here. You’re free to choose any FTP client you like.
2. Make sure both your Mac and your other device are on the same network, then follow these steps:
3. Download and launch an FTP client on your computer. We’ll use FileZilla.
4. In the Host field, type the IP address of your Mac. This is the IP that you saw earlier when enabling Remote Login.
5. Enter your account’s username in the Username field. This is your Mac’s user account.
6. Type the password for your Mac’s user account in the Password field.
7. Enter 22 in the Port field and click Quickconnect.

You should now be able to browse your Mac’s files.

Like any other FTP connection, you can now send and receive files from your Mac on your other devices.

Say Goodbye To Complex Mac File Sharing Options

If you don’t want to set up any complex file sharing options on your Mac, use the above option to easily and quickly start sharing files with your Mac. All you need is a free FTP app and you are good to go.

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