Notes to copy files from phone to MacBook Air

These instructions at the link below are a good outline with the notes I have below;

https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/2840804

The key steps from this link are quoted below:

Your computer must be running Mac OS X 10.5 and up. Your Android device must be running Android 3.0 and up.

Move files by USB

1. Download and install Android File Transfer on your computer.
2. Open Android File Transfer. (The next time that you connect your device, it opens automatically.)
3. Unlock your Android device.
4. With a USB cable, connect your device to your computer.
5. On your device, tap the "USB for..." notification.
6. Select Transfer files.
7. An Android File Transfer window will open on your computer. Use it to drag files.
8. When you're done, unplug the USB cable.

Fred's Notes:

The moment the USB cable is connected a notification shows at the bottom of the drop down notification list on the phone's "desktop."

This notification will default report USB being used for charging. 

If you catch the notice fast enough it provides an option to select "use USB to copy files". Check this option.  If you miss the timing, unplug the USB, plug it in again and tap the notice as soon as it appears.

I tried the copy pictures option but it didn't work for me, ?, strange.

Then Open Android File Transfer application.  (If it is already open, close and reopen. Use the menu "Go|Open Folder" or Command-down arrow to find the photos on the phone. The photos may be in a top level folder path named 

"DCIM\Camera."

Open a Finder window and drag and drop the phone's Camera folder to target location on the Mac.  (/Users/fred/Downloads/Android_transfers/Amanda's_Phone)

Once the files are on the Mac they maybe either viewed or imported into Photos application.

Note the MacBook Air is very "cloud centric."  My most reliable way to store files on the Mac without them automatically transferring to the cloud is to use the Downloads folder.

I found that the MacBook Air keeps a cache of all my user files, such as perl programs, in a special cache so that they are available to me in the absence of connection to the Web.  I didn't know this, so the first time I went off line I had them all backed up to a thumb drive.  Pretty slick, but surprising.

Fred