Local network · Browser AirDrop · Same WiFi
The browser AirDrop. For every device, on any network.
Send files between phones, laptops, and tablets on the same WiFi — straight from the browser, no app to install. Cross-platform: iPhone ↔ Android ↔ Windows ↔ Mac ↔ Linux. And unlike AirDrop, Snapdrop, or LocalSend — it keeps working when devices leave the network.
Why it's fast
When both devices are on the same WiFi, your data doesn't even leave the building.
WebRTC's ICE protocol always picks the shortest network path between two peers. If your phone and laptop are both on the same router, that path is your router — not the internet.
That means transfer speeds limited only by your router and WiFi: typically 100-300 Mbit/s on modern WiFi 6, vs the 10-30 Mbit/s upload bottleneck you'd hit on most cloud upload tools. 5-10x faster, easily.
A 10GB file that would take 30+ minutes to upload-then-download via the cloud transfers in 4-5 minutes directly device-to-device on the same WiFi.
vs. the alternatives
AirDrop. Snapdrop. LocalSend. And what we do differently.
They all work for LAN. None of them keep working when devices switch networks — but yours might. So FileTransferNow handles both.
| Tool | Works on | Range | Install | Cross-network? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple AirDrop | Apple devices only (iPhone ↔ Mac) | ~30m Bluetooth + WiFi peer | Built-in (iOS / macOS only) | No — same room / Bluetooth range |
| LocalSend | Cross-platform | Same WiFi only | Native app install on every device | No — LAN only |
| Snapdrop / PairDrop | Cross-platform browser | Same WiFi only (mDNS discovery) | None (browser PWA) | No — drops when devices switch network |
| FileTransferNow | Cross-platform browser | Same WiFi AND remote (WebRTC + STUN/TURN) | None (browser PWA, optional install) | Yes — keeps working when receiver leaves the network |
AirDrop, Snapdrop, and LocalSend are all great LAN tools — but they stop the moment one device leaves the network. FileTransferNow is the only one that handles both, with the same UX, no extra setup.
Real situations where the LAN-first design helps.
📷 Phone photos → laptop
200 vacation photos from your phone to your laptop. AirDrop needs both to be Apple. Bluetooth is glacial. Cable means digging for one. Browser-to-browser on the same WiFi: drop and done in 90 seconds.
🎬 Video file → friend's iPad
5 GB video you want to show them. Cloud upload would crawl on your home internet's upload speed. Same WiFi, browser-to-browser: minutes, not hours.
💼 Presentation → client's laptop
Meeting room, both on guest WiFi. AirDrop won't help (mixed Apple + Windows). Snapdrop sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. Browser → browser: a QR scan and go.
📥 Download from your other device
File on your work laptop, you need it on your personal phone. Pair the two devices once — next time, it's a single tap. No QR, no link sharing, no email-to-self.
🛜 Hotel WiFi between rooms
Same hotel WiFi between you and your partner's room. Most hotel networks block peer-to-peer, but our TURN fallback kicks in automatically. Other LAN tools just fail silently.
🏠 Family on the same router
A document for your parents on the next floor. No need to install LocalSend or teach them what AirDrop is. Open URL, scan QR, file appears.
Same WiFi or across the world.
One app for both. Open FileTransferNow, scan a QR, drop a file. Faster than AirDrop on LAN. Still works after they leave.
Open the app →