How to Send Files Between iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows — Free, No App

· 4 min read

Every platform has its own sharing tool, and none of them talk to each other. AirDrop is Apple-only. Quick Share covers Android and Windows but not the iPhone or the Mac. Emailing files to yourself shrinks photos, cloud drives make you upload everything first, and cables need the right adapter.

DirectFileTransfer runs in the browser you already have — Safari, Chrome, Edge or Firefox — so the same three steps work whichever two devices you hold.

The three steps

  1. On the device that has the files, open directfiletransfer.com and choose Send Files. Pick the photos, videos or documents.
  2. Choose Continue. A code, a link and a PIN appear.
  3. On the other device, receive them. A phone points its camera at the code (or opens the link) and accepts. A computer opens directfiletransfer.com and types the PIN, which works for 15 minutes.

Keep the page open on the sending device until the files have arrived.

Which way are you sending?

Two phones or two computers work the same way: a phone always scans, a computer always types the PIN.

Do both devices need the internet?

Yes — the website needs the internet on both devices to connect them. When both are on the same Wi‑Fi or home network, the files themselves travel over that network and never leave your home, which is also the fastest way. If one of them is on mobile data, the files go over the internet and use data.

Is it private?

The files are end-to-end encrypted and go directly between the two devices. They are not uploaded to a cloud drive, and our servers never see what is inside them. The sender approves who receives before anything is sent.

Do I need an account or an app?

No. Both devices use the website — nothing to install and no sign-up to start. If you use it often, you can add directfiletransfer.com to your home screen so it opens like an app.

Tips for big files

More Articles