A cable
this post was submitted on 30 Jan 2025
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I usually use kde connect.
Yeah, me too. It is quick and easy. I use SyncThing for things I want to keep synced.
KDE Connect also works on Gnome, Windows and Android. I can't recommend it enough. Transfering a single image from phone to PC is instantaneous
And having a unified clippboard is just so convenient
I'm not sure if there's one the best tool, depending on a case, I use mix of
- scp
- localsend
- croc
- https://github.com/dutchcoders/transfer.sh
- https://github.com/stonith404/pingvin-share
- pbcli (pastebin)
- I also have a script that sends me mail with files attached
SFTP or Matrix
I love localsend.
Works on Linux, Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac. It is basically an OS agnostic Airdrop.
It's FOSS, so you can go to the Github and build from source for OpenBSD, but I have no idea if that would work.
Dart (the language it's written in) doesn't work on BSD, so sadly that's out of the question for now.
Dang, that's too bad. Hopefully one day!
Here are a bunch of local services I’ve used at one point or another from phone to PC or PC to PC. Not sure if any links are out of date.
KDE Connect
Wormhole (Closed Source)
- Site: https://wormhole.app/
LocalSend
- Site: https://localsend.org/
- Source: https://github.com/localsend/localsend
SnapDrop
- Site: https://snapdrop.net/
- Source: https://github.com/RobinLinus/snapdrop
ShareDrop
- Site: https://www.sharedrop.io/
- Source: https://github.com/szimek/sharedrop
FilePizza
- Site: https://file.pizza/
- Source: https://github.com/kern/filepizza
Original Wormhole
- Site: https://webwormhole.io/
- Source: https://github.com/saljam/webwormhole
PeerTransfer
JustBeamIt
- Site: https://justbeamit.com
- Source: https://github.com/justbeamit/beam
Send Visee
- Website: https://send.vis.ee/
- Source: https://github.com/timvisee/send
- List of instances at: https://github.com/timvisee/send-instances
+1 for LocalSend. Well worth checking out.
Another +1 for it here. Use it multiple times a day between Linux, MacOS, android, and iOS.
+1 KDE Connect. File transfer works great on Android, Linux, and even on Windows 10/11! Clipboard sync is also a game changer; super easy to copy and paste across devices.
+1 Love LocalSend!
PairDrop is a fork of SnapDrop, which at one point had more features and active development. Don't know, how it is nowadays though.
Syncthing is fast. I have an IPv6 setup too which seems to help.
I have my downloads directory on my desktop linked to a downloads directory on my Android; you can't link to the real Android downloads directory anymore so I use another.
When the file is removed from the desktop downloads directory it disappears from mobile.
I tried using Bluetooth between them but it's more fiddly than Syncthing with my config. Switch Bluetooth on on desktop, connect to desktop, send file, disconnect, move file. Whereas Syncthing is always on.
However, before I started using Obsidian notes I used to transfer URLs using Signal's Note-to-self thing. Signal on both desktop and mobile.
Obviously, I sync between mobile and desktop Obsidian using Syncthing.
Kdeconnect. Alternatively NextCloud or sending an email to myself.
open source, can be self hosted or you can use the official instance.
Personally I have been using KDE connect most of the time when I am at home.
Pairdrop I use more when sharing with other people across the internet.
Never heard of that tool. Thank you for sharing it!
pairdrop
I like this a lot.
A question. Docs say:
Your files are sent using WebRTC, encrypting them in transit. Still you have to trust the PairDrop server. To ensure the connection is secure and there is no MITM there is a plan to make PairDrop zero trust by encrypting the signaling and implementing a verification process. See issue #180 to keep updated.
Does this mean if you self-host on your LAN for personal use without https, then nothing is encrypted, or does WebRTC negotiate its own crypto?
Does your PC have Bluetooth? Definitely quick and sort of self hosted.
As I have basically all devices connected to my Nextcloud instance, I simply use that. I don't have any "time-critical" file transfers though.
Well my transfers aren't "time critical" either, but life feels easier if I don't have to jump through hoops to solve a task that involves copy files around.
Re: next cloud, looking for something more lightweight than that.
For more manual stuff; Ssh and X-Plore File Explorer.
Internal, sd card, ssh, ftp(s), google drive, dropbox, and a bunch of other cloud providers; treats it all like one big file system that I can casually copy/move files between.
For just syncing files between folders: FolderSync. The 'downloads' folder on my phone is setup as a 2-way sync with a folder on my server. Drop a file in either side, click sync, file is in both places. I use this to keep most of the files on my phone backed up, not just syncing the download folder.
I was a dedicated xplore user for years until I saw all the advertising cookies that they stuffed into it. That made me sad and I uninstall it.
I just paid the whole 4$ for the pro version and to support an otherwise free app I've quite enjoyed.
No ads/tracking anymore.
Devs gotta eat.
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FX File Explorer has a local web-access feature. Start it on your phone and access via local IP, then just turn it off when you're done.
Don't use on public wifi, it's http-only.
I use pairdrop. I don't personally self host it, but that option is available. It's better suited to more one-off situations, as there's no history kept anywhere.
Selfhost: https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/pairdrop
Open instance: pairdrop.net
Not heard of this one. Thanks.
I've tried LocalSend for this, but I usually end up using more reliable ways like Syncthing (not instantly transfered, but at a decent speed) or sending myself the file on Element for Matrix (as good as instantaneous).
I use Cx file explorer and mount my PC via sshfs in there. It's closed source but it supports a whole bunch of protocols including samba, ftp and webdav. And it can launch a webserver on your phone to offer the phone's files. But sshfs is the most convenient for me.
And for links and other small texts I use either KDEConnect's copy and paste sync or just send myself the text in Signal.
I'd use anything else that is based on rsync over Syncthing
I often spin up a quick python http server. Just go to the folder which has the files you want to transfer and run the following command: python3 -m http.server. This will server the folder content Serving HTTP on 0.0.0.0 port 8000 (http://0.0.0.0:8000/) .... On your phone you can then browse to http://PC_IP:8000 and download what you want/need.
Too much typing, especially if transferring from phone to computer.
Thanks though.
I use SyncMe which synchronizes smb shares to your phone. It's great once you have it set up, but it does take a little setup. Gotta have shares and whatnot.
Signal
Yah if it's not to big I use the note to self option in signal
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