Best Way to Transfer Files Between Devices (Mobile, Laptop, Tablet) - Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS

published 2024-09-30 · updated 2024-09-30 #how_to #android #grapheneos #transfer #localsend
We’ll explore an open-source app called LocalSend, which allows file transfers over a local Wi-Fi network without needing the internet. Whether you’re moving files between an Android, iPhone, or different operating systems like macOS or Windows, this app simplifies the process. No need for USB cables, sketchy third-party sites, or the cloud. LocalSend makes it easy to share files, folders, or even apps securely.

Transcript

Please excuse any grammatical errors. I used a tool to generate the transcript and haven't had a chance to read through it yet.

We you ever sitting there, wondering: how do I get these files from my phone to my computer, and vice versa? You could use a USB drive or cable to plug it directly into your computer, or you could use some sketchy third-party website to temporarily upload the file—but that’s all pretty inconvenient. What if you want to transfer something between an iPhone and an Android phone or between two Android devices? What do you do then?

If you have an iPhone and the other person has an iPhone, you can use something like AirDrop to transfer files. But if you want to transfer files to a computer, you need to make sure it's a Mac; otherwise, AirDrop doesn't work. That’s pretty inconvenient too. And you know what? Sometimes, there are just some files you don’t want to put in the cloud. That’s where LocalSend comes in.

LocalSend is an open-source, cross-platform local network transfer app. No internet connection is required, except to download the app. For this demo, I’ll be using my desktop computer along with my Android device running GrapheneOS.

Step 1: Download and Install On the desktop computer, head over to LocalSend.org, click download, and select the appropriate installer for your platform. I’m on macOS, so I downloaded the DMG. Once installed, you can open the app. The interface is super clean—I'm a big fan of nice interfaces!

On the other device, which in my case is my Android phone, go to LocalSend.org again. For Android, you can get it from Google Play, F-Droid, or download the APK directly. Use whatever method you prefer to install apps. For iOS, it’s on the App Store. LocalSend is available on Linux, Windows, macOS, and Android—pretty much all platforms.

Step 2: Setup and Transfer Once installed, open LocalSend on both devices. On my phone, the default screen shows a friendly, randomly generated device name. In my case, my phone is named "Patient Coconut," and my desktop is "Fantastic Tomato." It's fun how they name the devices like that.

For transferring files, on my Android device, I'm going to be receiving files, so I'm on the "Receive" tab. From the desktop, I'm going to be sending files. I go to the "Send" tab, where "Patient Coconut" appears, matching my Android device.

I have some test files here. The first one is an image, which is the cover art for my new podcast. If you want to check that out, head over to InTheHellPodcast.com. Dragging the file to the "Send" section, it shows a preview: one image, file size 2.5 MB. I select the receiving device (Patient Coconut), and now on my phone, it shows that "Fantastic Tomato" wants to send a file. I can either accept or decline. I accept, and boom—the file is transferred!

If we check the gallery, we can see the file is there. It’s really that simple.

Other Features LocalSend also allows you to easily send folders. If you’ve ever used Signal to send files to yourself, you’ll know you can’t send folders unless you zip them. With LocalSend, it's as simple as dragging the folder. I tested this with a folder containing four images. Just drag, select the receiving device, and accept. The transfer is done, and when I check my files, there’s the folder with all four images inside.

Another cool feature is the ability to send text to yourself. There have been times when I needed to send a URL to my phone while setting up a new device. Instead of emailing it to myself, you can just copy the text, go to the "Text" option in LocalSend, paste it, select the device, and send it. You’ll get a notification saying "Fantastic Tomato sent you a link," and you can copy or open it. It’s as easy as that.

For Android users, there’s also an app option where you can send APKs of your installed apps. This is super useful if you have another Android device without internet access and want to transfer apps.

Comparison to AirDrop One feature I missed from my iPhone days was the ability to send multiple photos to someone using AirDrop. With LocalSend, it’s very similar. You can select photos, select the receiving device, and send them over. It’s seamless and well-integrated into the system.

One Caveat The main caveat with LocalSend is that both devices need to be on the same Wi-Fi network to find each other and transfer files. If there’s no Wi-Fi around, a workaround is to create a hotspot on your device and let the other person connect to it. Once connected, you can launch LocalSend and start transferring files. It’s not as convenient as AirDrop, which uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, but it works.

How It Works If you're curious about the technical side of LocalSend, the receiving device sets up a web server, and the sending device sends files to it. The files are transferred over HTTPS, so they’re encrypted during transit. It’s a really elegant and simple solution, especially when dealing with different platforms and devices.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them down below. I'll see you next time!