How can I backup Android phone to Mac?

For a Galaxy S24 Ultra and a Mac, I’d probably avoid relying on a simple file-transfer connection if you want a complete backup. USB file transfer is useful for photos, videos, and documents, but it usually doesn’t give you a full backup of apps, settings, and other Android data.

Samsung’s Smart Switch is worth checking first. It can back up supported data from a Galaxy phone to a computer, and you can connect the phone by USB rather than uploading everything to the cloud.

For an extra layer of protection, I’d also keep important photos and documents synced to a cloud service. That way, if the phone is lost or damaged, you’re not depending on a single local backup.

One thing to keep in mind is that Android doesn’t generally allow a Mac desktop app to make a complete, bit-for-bit backup of everything on the phone, so some app data and system information may still need to be restored through your Google/Samsung account.