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Send files without a USB cable

Cables are the least reliable part of moving a file. The port is the wrong shape, the adapter is in another bag, the phone charges but doesn't show up, and on an iPhone you can't browse the file system anyway. If both devices are already on the same Wi-Fi, the cable is solving a problem you don't have.

The short answer

Install FileFly on both devices, put them on the same Wi-Fi or wired network, and send. Nothing gets plugged in and nothing gets uploaded. The file goes straight from one device to the other across the network you're already on.

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How it works

The same five steps for every combination of devices.

  1. Install on both ends

    Windows, macOS, Linux and iPhone are all supported, and every combination of them works. It's free on Windows 10 and 11, macOS 11 or later, Linux, and iOS 18 or later.

  2. Same network, no cable

    Wi-Fi or Ethernet, as long as it's the same router and the same subnet. No pairing, no Bluetooth, nothing physical between the devices.

  3. Allow the network permission

    iOS asks for local network access, and desktop firewalls may ask to allow FileFly. Both need a yes before the devices can find each other on port 23013.

  4. Pick a device and send

    Every device running the app on that network shows up in the list. Choose files, or a whole folder between computers, and send them.

  5. Accept on arrival

    The receiving device accepts the transfer. Files land in the Downloads folder on a computer, and in the photo library or Files app on an iPhone.

Why the iPhone case is the awkward one

Plugging an iPhone into a Windows PC gets you the camera roll and not much else, because iOS doesn't show its file system as a drive. That's why so much iPhone transfer advice ends up recommending either iTunes or a cloud service.

Sending over the network gets around that completely. The app on the iPhone has permission to write into the photo library and the Files app, so whatever you send lands where you'd expect it.

Usually faster than the cable it replaces

A wired gigabit connection between two computers moves data at about 110 MB/s in practice. Modern Wi-Fi is often in the same range. Both beat the time it takes to find a cable, and neither is limited by your broadband upload speed the way a cloud transfer is.

The real bottleneck is more often storage than network. A mechanical hard drive reads at around 100 to 150 MB/s, so on a fast connection it's the drive, not the Wi-Fi, setting the pace.

Nothing leaves your network

There's no upload, no server in the middle and no account. The two devices talk directly, every transfer is accepted by whoever receives it, and once the app is installed you don't need an internet connection. You just need both devices on the same local network.

Common questions

Does this use Bluetooth?

No. FileFly sends over your Wi-Fi or wired network, which is far faster than Bluetooth for files of any real size.

Do both devices need to be on Wi-Fi?

They need to be on the same local network. One can be on Ethernet and the other on Wi-Fi, as long as both go through the same router.

Does it need internet?

Only to install the app. After that, transfers use the local network and keep working with the internet down.

Is it really free?

Yes, on Windows, macOS, Linux and iPhone, with no account and no paid tier.

What if the devices don't show up?

Check that both are on the same network rather than a guest network, that local network permission is on for iOS, that a firewall isn't blocking port 23013, and that no VPN is running.

Related reading

Free on every platform

  • Windows, macOS, Linux and iPhone
  • No account and no sign-up
  • No file size limit
  • Nothing uploaded to a cloud service
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