I have a Boox Palma 2 and I’m trying to figure out the best way to connect it to my Mac. Is there a native app for this, or do I need something else? Also, since I don’t have a Windows PC, only a Mac, will I run into any problems? I read somewhere that people use a USB cable with a third-party app like MacDroid to connect Boox devices to Mac. Does that actually work well?
You don’t need Windows. The Palma 2 already has BooxDrop, which lets you transfer files from your Mac through a web browser. Just make sure the Mac and Palma 2 are connected to the same network, since the transfer happens locally and they won’t detect each other otherwise.
LocalSend is another straightforward option. It works across platforms and is usually easy to set up.
MacDroid may work too. It uses MTP to mount Android devices so you can browse their files from macOS. I haven’t used it with the Palma 2 specifically, so I can’t confirm how reliable that combination is, but it should be compatible in theory.
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Finder does not support Android’s MTP file transfer by itself, so the Palma 2 may never appear there like a USB drive. Unlock it, tap the USB notification, and choose “File Transfer” or “MTP” instead of charging. Make sure the cable carries data, since many USB cables are charge-only. After that, use MacDroid or another MTP client on the Mac. If no USB notification appears, try a different cable or port before troubleshooting software.
Don’t expect it to appear in Finder even after choosing File Transfer. macOS still needs an MTP app, and you should fully unlock the Palma 2 before connecting it since Android may hide storage while the screen is locked. MacDroid is fine if you transfer files often, but for an occasional EPUB or PDF, BooxDrop is less hassle.
Changing the Palma 2’s USB mode will not make it appear as a normal drive in Finder. “File Transfer” enables MTP, which Finder does not understand on its own.
Connect the Palma while its screen is awake, then pull down the notification panel and tap the USB charging notification. Select “File Transfer” or “MTP.” If that menu is missing, the usual culprit is the cable. A cable can charge perfectly while having no data wires, so test a known data cable and connect it directly to the Mac rather than through a hub.
Once MTP is selected, open MacDroid and connect from there. You may need to approve an accessory or USB prompt on the Mac or Palma the first time. Don’t bother enabling USB debugging or changing developer options. Neither is required for ordinary file transfers, and the Palma may switch back to charging mode the next time you reconnect anyway.
For a handful of books, I’d skip the USB setup and use BooxDrop. For moving large folders regularly, MacDroid is the more practical route. Give transfers time to finish before unplugging, since MTP can still be writing even when a file already appears in the destination folder.
If the Palma appears in the Mac’s USB device list, you have a USB-mode or MTP-software problem. If it does not appear there at all, you have a cable, adapter, hub, or port problem. That distinction can save a lot of random troubleshooting.
Start with the Palma unlocked and its screen awake. Connect it directly to the Mac, then hold the Option key while opening the Apple menu and choose System Information. Select USB in the left column and look for BOOX, Palma, Android, or an unfamiliar portable device.
If nothing new appears, software will not fix it. Try these steps in order:
- Replace the cable with one known to transfer data.
- Remove any dock or USB hub.
- Try another port or USB adapter.
- Check whether macOS is waiting for you to approve the accessory.
- Restart the Palma with the cable disconnected, then reconnect after it finishes booting.
Once the Mac can see the device under USB, pull down the notification shade on the Palma and tap the USB notification. Choose File Transfer rather than Charging. Keep the Palma unlocked while opening MacDroid. Finder still will not show the storage as a normal disk because File Transfer uses MTP, not the same mounting method as a flash drive.
If MacDroid detects the Palma but shows an empty folder, disconnect it, unlock the Palma, reconnect, select File Transfer again, and accept any permission prompt on either device. Android devices often return to charging mode after being unplugged, so you may have to select File Transfer each time.
For occasional books, BooxDrop avoids this whole chain. For regular wired transfers, the important order is hardware detection first, File Transfer mode second, and the MTP app last. Installing or reinstalling an MTP app before the Palma appears in System Information usually just wastes time.
Don’t expect it to behave like syncing an iPhone. There is no required native Mac companion app, and simply connecting the Palma 2 will not give you Finder-style access.
BooxDrop is probably the safest starting point for DRM-free EPUBs, PDFs, and documents. It avoids cable and MTP issues, but it is basically file transfer, not a full device backup or reading-progress sync. After copying, you may still need to open the file from Storage or refresh the BOOX library.
For wired transfers, the advice above is right: use a data-capable cable, select File Transfer on the Palma, then access it through an MTP app such as MacDroid. I would copy a single test file before moving a large library, since MTP transfers can be less transparent than normal Finder copies.
The overlooked limitation is DRM. Books purchased through Apple Books, Kindle, or some library services may not work just because the file was transferred. For those, installing the relevant Android reading app on the Palma is usually cleaner than trying to copy protected book files from the Mac. You do not need a Windows PC for any of this.
Expect file transfer, not a polished Mac-to-Palma sync setup. You do not need Windows, and there is no essential BOOX Mac app.
BooxDrop is the least annoying choice for occasional books. For large batches, USB plus an MTP client works, but I would not treat MacDroid as mandatory until you know you actually need wired transfers.
The catch is that copying files does not back up reading progress, notes, or device settings. Keep the original library on your Mac, because neither BooxDrop nor MTP is a full sync system.
Skip the cable entirely and just install Dropbox or Google Drive from the Play Store on the Palma, since it runs full Android. Drop files in the folder on your Mac, open the app on the device, done. Wired MTP with MacDroid only earns its keep once you’re moving whole libraries at once.
If your books are mostly DRM-free EPUBs sitting on your Mac, wired transfer through an MTP app is overkill for what you actually do. If your books come from Kindle or Apple Books, no transfer method on this thread will help, because the file is locked to the app it was bought in. Those two cases pull you in completely different directions, and I think a few replies here blurred them together.
For the first case, @sam_react has the most sensible take. The Palma runs real Android, so a cloud app on the device beats fighting with cables and MTP modes. You drop a file into Dropbox or Drive on the Mac, open the app, pull it down, done. No unlocking rituals, no cable that turns out to be charge-only, no reselecting File Transfer every time you plug in. BooxDrop covers the same ground over local wifi if you’d rather not touch a third-party cloud.
MacDroid earns its place only when you’re moving a real library at once and want it to behave like folder-to-folder copying. For a book here and there it’s more setup than the job needs. The caveat nobody flagged clearly: MTP over USB tends to choke on very large batches, so even in the ‘regular wired transfers’ scenario, expect the occasional stalled copy where a file looks done but isn’t. Watch the transfer finish before yanking the cable.
The DRM point @real_owl raised is the one I’d repeat loudest. If your reading lives inside Kindle, install the Kindle app on the Palma and stop trying to shuffle files at all. Copying a protected book from your Mac just gives you a file that won’t open.
If your books already live in Calibre on the Mac, you can skip the MTP mess entirely. Start Calibre’s Content server, open its local address in the Palma 2 browser while both devices are on the same Wi-Fi, then download the titles you want. It is free and keeps the Mac as your master library, though it only transfers books, not BOOX notes, settings, or reading progress. Windows is irrelevant either way.
Try LocalSend instead. Install it on your Mac and Palma 2, connect both to the same WiFi, then send EPUBs or PDFs straight from your Mac. LocalSend supports macOS and Android. It works over your local network, with no cable, cloud account, or Windows PC.
Accept the transfer on your Palma, move the file into Books or Downloads if needed, then refresh the BOOX library. Test one EPUB first. It’s a cleaner setup for regular transfers, tho it still won’t sync notes, reading progress, settings, or DRM-protected books.