LocalSend
Sends files between your phone and computer over your own wifi, with no account.
Our verdict
LocalSend is the app that replaces emailing photos to yourself. Open it on your laptop and your phone, pick the file, tap the device that appears, and it lands in the downloads folder.
It is the closest thing Linux has to Windows Nearby Sharing or AirDrop, and unlike those it works between every combination of platforms. Transfers are encrypted and go straight between the two devices, so nothing touches a company's server and there is no account to make.
The limit is right there in the name. Both devices must be on the same wifi. Some guest networks and office networks deliberately stop devices seeing each other, and on those it will find nothing. At home it almost always simply works.
What's good
- Nothing to sign up for and nothing goes near the internet
- Works between Linux, Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone in any combination
- As fast as your wifi allows, with no file size limit
What to know first
- Both devices must be on the same network, so it is useless for sending to someone elsewhere
- Some home and office networks block devices from seeing each other, which stops it working
- No history of past transfers to fall back on
The details
- Cost
- Free
- Open source
- Yes (Apache-2.0)
- How you install it
- App store (Flatpak), AppImage download, .deb installer, .rpm installer
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