Hi everyone! How do you usually copy GPX files, routes, tracks, or other data from the GPS to macOS? Are there any native methods that work well?
I also came across a forum where someone mentioned using Android File Transfer, but since it’s no longer maintained, I’m wondering if other apps like MacDroid/OpenMTP work with the GPSMAP 67 instead.
I’d try Finder first. Connect the GPSMAP 67 to your Mac with a USB cable that supports data, then open Finder and go to Go > Computer. If a Garmin drive shows up, open it and you should be able to browse the folders and manually copy supported files.
This depends on how the Garmin presents itself over USB. If it supports USB Mass Storage mode, macOS should treat it like a normal external drive and you won’t need another app. If it uses Media Transfer Protocol (MTP), Finder may not recognize it on its own.
I wouldn’t count on Android File Transfer since Google discontinued it. MacDroid looks like a reasonable replacement because the developer says it supports MTP devices and can mount compatible devices in Finder. I haven’t personally tested it with a GPSMAP 67, but reports suggest it makes file transfers work more like using an external drive.
For official maps, firmware updates, and device management, Garmin Express is probably still the safest choice. Garmin Explore is another option if you mainly want to sync routes, tracks, and waypoints through Garmin’s ecosystem.
Don’t install MacDroid until you’ve checked the GPS’s USB setting. Switch the device to Mass Storage mode if that option is available, reconnect it, then look under Finder’s Locations section. Your GPX files should be inside the Garmin/GPX folder. Copy files rather than editing them directly on the unit, and eject the Garmin before unplugging it. MacDroid is mainly the fallback if the 67 stays in MTP mode and Finder still refuses to show it.
If you only need routes, tracks, and waypoints, the workaround is fairly painless; if you need direct access to the Garmin/GPX folder, macOS is the problem. The GPSMAP 67 uses MTP and normally will not mount as a Finder drive. Its “Garmin” USB setting is not the same as Mass Storage mode, so I would not spend too long hunting under Locations.
For GPX data, pair the unit with the Garmin Explore mobile app. You can move a GPX from the Mac to your phone through AirDrop or iCloud Drive, import it into Explore, then sync it to the 67. Going the other direction, sync the handheld data to Explore, export it as GPX, and save or AirDrop it back to the Mac. Be aware that Explore may convert imported routes into courses and courses into tracks, which can change how they behave.
Garmin Express is useful for firmware and map updates, but it is not a normal file manager, and BaseCamp on Mac is unreliable with this particular model. MacDroid may provide MTP folder access if you specifically need manual copying, though Garmin officially treats direct folder access from a Mac as unsupported. I would keep a backup before deleting or replacing anything through a third-party MTP app.
The Mass Storage toggle people keep chasing isn’t really a thing on the 67. @its_tiger’s steps are solid for older Garmins that let you switch modes, but this unit talks MTP and stays that way, so you can dig through Finder Locations all afternoon and get nothing. @sir_falcon already flagged that, and I’d trust it.
Here’s how I’d actually decide. If you’re moving a handful of routes or waypoints now and then, don’t install anything. Push the GPX through the Garmin Explore app on your phone and let it sync to the unit. Yes, Explore likes to reclassify routes as courses and courses as tracks, which is genuinely annoying if navigation behavior matters to you, so check the imported item before you rely on it in the field. For a one-off, that quirk is livable.
If you’re doing bulk GPX work or want plain drag-and-drop into the Garmin folder, that’s the only spot MacDroid earns its keep, since it mounts the MTP device in Finder. Treat it as a folder bridge, not a magic fix, and copy a backup of your GPX folder before you start deleting or overwriting anything, because a third-party MTP mount plus a nervous connection is exactly where files go missing. Garmin doesn’t support direct folder access here, so if something breaks you’re on your own.
Short version: phone-and-Explore for light stuff, MacDroid only when you truly need manual file control.
Pick one transfer method for each batch of GPX files and keep the original copies on your Mac. Mixing Garmin Explore sync with manual MacDroid transfers is a fine way to end up with duplicate waypoints, mystery tracks, and routes that return after you delete them.
If you use Explore, let Explore own those items. If you copy directly over MTP, avoid syncing the same files through Explore afterward. Give test routes obvious names, disconnect cleanly, restart the GPS, and confirm they appear correctly before transferring the rest.
Garmin’s file handling is already quirky enough without asking two systems to manage the same data. Keep the Mac folder as your master archive and treat the GPS as the destination, not the only copy.
If you’re mainly loading GPX files onto the 67, a microSD card sidesteps the Mac/MTP mess. Put a card up to 32 GB in a Mac card reader, create Garmin/GPX, copy the files there, eject it, then insert it into the GPS.
That avoids Explore changing routes and avoids paying for an MTP utility.
It does not solve exporting tracks already stored in the unit’s internal memory. For those, you’re back to Explore or an MTP app. Not elegant, but Garmin did provide a card slot, so it might as well earn its keep.
A sync is not the same thing as a file copy.
Explore imports the data into Garmin’s system and may reinterpret routes, courses, symbols, or other Garmin-specific GPX details. Direct MTP access or @nova_hawk604’s microSD method preserves the original file byte for byte.
That distinction matters if you carefully build routes with shaping points or custom waypoint icons. For a basic recorded track where you only care about the line on the map, Explore is usually adequate. For files you may edit and reuse later, keep the untouched GPX on the Mac and transfer a copy manually.
I’d treat Explore as the convenient option and direct copying as the fidelity option. Neither is universally better; they solve slightly different problems.