Tool
LocalSend
Price
Free (Apache 2.0 licence)
Time
5 min
Level
Beginner, no terminal

Footage shot on your phone to the editing PC, a signed quote from your phone to your laptop, site photos to the office Mac: as soon as one device is not Apple, AirDrop is no longer enough, and going through email or a Drive takes time and leaves a copy online.

Install LocalSend

  1. On your phoneInstall LocalSend from the App Store or Google Play.
  2. On your computerOn a Mac, through the App Store or Homebrew. On Windows, through Winget, the Microsoft Store or the installer on the official page. The project recommends an app store or package manager, because the app does not update itself.
    Terminal (Mac)
    brew install --cask localsend

Send a file

  1. Put both devices on the same networkThe same Wi-Fi, then open LocalSend on both. No internet needed: everything goes over the local network.
  2. Choose what to sendOn the send screen, select files, a folder, photos or just some text (handy for a link or a Wi-Fi password).
  3. Tap the destination deviceIt shows up in the list of nearby devices. On the receiving device, accept the transfer: the receiver decides.

If the other device does not show up

  • On Mac and iPhone, check that LocalSend has the “Local Network” permission (Settings, Privacy & Security, Local Network).
  • On Windows, the network must be set to “private”, and the firewall must allow port 53317 (TCP and UDP).
  • Guest Wi-Fi networks often isolate devices from each other (“AP isolation”): switch to the main network.
  • An active VPN can block discovery: turn it off for the transfer.

On shared Wi-Fi. In a coffee shop or coworking space, other devices on the network can see yours and send you a request. Decline anything you are not expecting, turn on the PIN in the settings, or close the app after use. Only download it from the official stores or the project's GitHub page.

Sources

Do your clients' files arrive through ten different channels and end up badly filed? An automatic intake and filing flow is the kind of automation I set up.