By Kavita Mistry 
All the Chinese smartphone brands have decided to take on Apple this year. For years, Apple has dominated with its ecosystem by not letting others easily join the ecosystem.
I have been a long-time Apple user and also an Android user as part of my work, and faced all the struggles to share files, sync clipboard content, and much more. However, from now on, it’s going to be different.
If you are using a Vivo, Oppo, or OnePlus smartphone and a Mac, you can now easily share content, sync the clipboard, cast your screen remotely, and much more without reliance on third-party tools (you still need to download the app for macOS). For OnePlus devices, this can be done with O+ Connect.
How to Connect Your OnePlus Phone to a Mac
OnePlus has already officially announced Oxygen OS 16 based on Android 16 and will be rolled out starting this November.
We have been tracking the update. You can visit our OnePlus Oxygen OS 16 update tracker to know the supported devices list and all the latest updates. The update is already available as a beta for some devices.
I have been using it for more than a month, and here is everything that you need to know about how to connect and share content between OnePlus Oxygen OS 16 and your Mac. You can also share content between an iPhone and an Android.
All these features are also available for older OnePlus devices running on the OxygenOS 15 or lower. However, currently it only supports file transfers.
Download the O+ Connect App
Start by downloading the O+ Connect app on your Mac. You can visit this website: https://connect.oppo.com/ and click on the PC Download. It is free.
Once downloaded, open the file and install it on your device. Once done, follow the on-screen instructions and set up your device.
How to Connect Your OnePlus Phone to a Mac
Step 1: Open the O+ Connect app on your Mac and click on + Add device.
Step 2: And now you see a notification on your device; if not, the app will show a QR code. Now, using your OnePlus smartphone, scan the QR code.
Step 3: Tap on Allow to grant the connection, and your devices will be connected
How to Share Files Between OnePlus and Mac
To share files, you have to ensure both devices are connected. You can check the connection status in the Devices tab.
There are two ways to share files between devices.
1. You can directly browse the files on your mobile from a PC.
To do this, go to Files, tap on the O+ Connect app, and from here you can browse all the files located on your mobile.
To transfer files from your OnePlus phone to Mac, select the file and tap on it, and tap on the Save to PC.
To share files between a Mac and a OnePlus, click on Import files, then Save to PC, and click on Open. That’s it, you can view the files on your OnePlus phone right away.
2. Transfer files to devices using the Regular Method:
To share files using the regular method, first, to share a file from a OnePlus smartphone to a Mac, select the files and click on the share icon, and from here select iPhone or iPad and select Macbook, similar to how you transfer files between an iPhone and a Mac.
Next, to share a file from Mac to OnePlus, select the file on your Mac, drag and drop the file to the O+ Connect app. That’s it. The files will be sent to your OnePlus device.
This is how you can share files between your OnePlus smartphone and your Mac.
See your file Transfer History:
To see all your file transfer history, you can tap on Transfer History and see files you have received and sent from your device. You can also tap on Clear All History in the top right corner to delete file transfer history.
How to Share Clipboard Content Between Devices
Similar to Mac and Apple iPhone, now you can share your clipboard content between your Mac and your Android OnePlus smartphone without going through additional steps, which is often the common method with other third-party tools like KDE Connect, Clipcascade, and many more. To do this:
Step 1: And again, go to the Devices tab and ensure both your Mac and OnePlus are connected. You can check the status.
Step 2: Now, from right there, tap on the Clipboard Sync option (third option) and ensure it is turned on.
Step 3: Once it is turned on, copy and paste the text between devices. You can copy the text on Android and paste it on your device using the Control + C shortcut and vice versa.
How to Cast Your OnePlus Phone to Your Mac Remotely
You can also remote cast your OnePlus phone to your Mac, and to my surprise, it works better than iPhone casting that comes natively in macOS 26. You can even control your smartphone remotely from your Mac, and all the changes will appear on your device
Step 1: To do those again, go to the Devices tab and ensure both devices are connected.
Step 2: Now tap on the Screen Cast option in the sidebar and tap on Cast Now. Now, on your mobile, select the screen you want to cast. You can select to cast your entire screen or specific apps.
Step 3: That’s it, it will take a couple of minutes, and your devices will appear on your Mac. You can also cast specific apps to do this.
Step 4: At the bottom, select the app, and it will instantly appear on the screen.
You can also adjust the smoothness and resolution. To do this in the Screencast tab, click on the three-dot menu, and from here you can select the screen resolution and audio output. The best part is that I haven’t faced any issues, even setting the resolution to UHD.
Access Your Mac Remotely When You Are Away From Home
There are times when you want to access your computer when you are away from home, whether to access an important file that you forgot to transfer or to use tools on your Mac remotely. There is a lot of software that can help you do that already, but O+ Connect also offers the same feature.
To do this:
Step 1: Open the O+ Connect on your macOS and go to the Remote Control tab.
Note: Ensure both your Mac and OnePlus are connected to the internet, and also connected for now, and allow the remote control option to be turned on.
Now, there are two ways you can remotely access your MacBook when you are away from home
You can access your MacBook remotely by signing in with the same account on your Mac O+ Connect app or by connecting your Mac directly using a password.
However, you need to know the password and remember it whenever you want to connect your device. You can easily change and reset it whenever you need, which can be time-consuming and also not the recommended method.
So, first, let’s try connecting your Mac using the same account method. To do this, you need to sign in with the OnePlus account on both of your devices
Step 2: Now, click on the Sign In option, select OnePlus, and sign in with your account.
Step 3: To sign in, you can enter your email address and get a code. However, if you don’t have a OnePlus account, go to Settings on your OnePlus smartphone and click on Sign In, and from here you can create your new OnePlus account.
Step 4: Now, come back to the O+ Connect app on your Mac, enter your email, and tap on Get Code.
Step 5: Now, enter the code you have received in your email and tap Continue. That’s it, now you have successfully signed in to your OnePlus.
Step 6: Now go to Settings on your Android smartphone, scroll down, and tap on Cross Device Connection.
Step 7: From here, select the option that says PC and tap on the option that says Remote PC Control. And from there you can see your MacBook tap on it.
Now, from here, go to the Remote Control tab. So, from here, you can remotely access your files on a Mac or even remotely control your MacBook.
To do this, ensure your MacBook screen is visible and turned on. You can disable the auto sleep settings from the Settings on your MacBook. To access it remotely, tap on the Remote Access option on your OnePlus phone. From here, you can connect your MacBook to your OnePlus phone
You can also directly access all your MacBook files remotely, without controlling your Mac. You can tap on File Management, and from here, you can get access to all the files located on your Mac. To download files, long-press on the file and click on the Download option to save it on your device.
So those are the different ways you can use to share files, sync clipboard content, screen cast your mobile screen on your PC, and control it, and also remotely access your device.
Everything you need to know about using O+ Connect with your OnePlus and Mac
These features can be very useful and handy for people who are using an Apple ecosystem and also an Android smartphone. The biggest restriction, which has also limited other devices from joining the Apple system, has now finally been solved with this feature. Not just that, you can also remotely access your Windows PC, and connect to other platforms, like you can get notifications on your Android smartphone from your Apple Watch.
While there are plenty of methods before, like Windows Phone apps, this method works well and is also one of the best methods that is equal to Apple ecosystem features that I have seen in a long time.
I hope you find this kind helpful. Oxygen OS 16 will be out starting this November, as soon as we update new Oxygen OS 16 features, and also use some hidden features. Also, if you are using a Mac, you can also try the O+ Connect app to directly connect your OnePlus smartphone to your MacBook.
FAQs on Connecting Your OnePlus Phone to Mac
1. Does O+ Connect work with iPhones, too, or only Android phones like OnePlus and Oppo?
O+ connect app also works with iPhone. I have a detailed guide on how to share files between OnePlus and iPhone.
2. Is the O+ Connect app available for Windows PCs as well as macOS?
Yes, the O+ Connect app for Windows follows the same steps to transfer files and sync clipboard content between the devices. You can use this link to download for Windows.
3. Can I use O+ Connect to receive phone notifications on my Mac?
Yes, you can also use the O+ connect app to receive phone notifications on your Mac from your OnePlus phone. To do this, ensure that your devices are connected. Go to devices and tap on the Cliboard sync option, and then turn on the Sync Notifications option.
4. Are there any file-size limits when transferring large videos?
Currently, there are no file limits; however, you might not be able to transfer files that are too large.
5. Why won’t my Mac detect my OnePlus device even though both are on Wi-Fi?
If you are having issues while connecting your device, the best fix is to restart the O+ Connect app on your Mac. It fixed the issue most of the time.