Install LocalSend on both devices, place them on the same non-isolated Wi‑Fi or wired LAN, open the app, choose the receiving device, and accept the transfer. LocalSend sends files directly across that local network—no cloud account or internet connection is required for the file data.
What LocalSend does
LocalSend is a free, open-source application for sending files and messages between nearby devices. It supports Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and Fire OS. Transfers remain on the local network, so photos, videos, documents, folders, and text can move between otherwise different ecosystems without uploading them to a cloud service.
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The app does not require an account or login, and its official project description says it has no ads or trackers. Transfer traffic is protected with HTTPS. Each device creates its TLS/SSL certificate on the fly, and optional PIN verification adds another check before a device is trusted.
LocalSend is a local-network tool rather than a long-distance service. Both endpoints must be able to communicate on the same Wi‑Fi or wired LAN unless you use the project’s manual IP option on a network where routing between them is allowed.
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Compatibility and requirements
The LocalSend project’s 2026 compatibility table lists these minimum platform versions. Requirements can change, so check the current project documentation when deploying older hardware.
| Platform | Minimum version listed by the project | Installation options noted by the project |
|---|---|---|
| Android | Android 5.0 | Play Store, F-Droid, or another project-listed distribution channel |
| iPhone and iPad | iOS 12.0 | App Store |
| Windows | Windows 10 | Signed Windows build or a listed package |
| Mac | macOS 11 Big Sur | macOS build or App Store version |
| Linux | Not stated in the cited compatibility table | Flathub, Nix, Snap, AUR, or another package supplied by the project |
| Fire OS | Not stated in the cited compatibility table | Use a distribution channel listed by the project for your device |
- Install the same current LocalSend release, or at least compatible releases, on the sender and receiver.
- Use a main home or office network rather than a guest network that isolates clients.
- Have enough free storage on the receiving device for the selected files.
- Keep the receiving app open while discovery and acceptance are taking place.
How to transfer files between any two supported devices
1. Install LocalSend on both endpoints
Download LocalSend from the official project site or your platform’s app store or package manager. On Linux, select the format that matches your distribution—for example, Flathub, Nix, Snap, or AUR. On Android, use the Play Store, F-Droid, or another channel the project lists. Install the app on both the device that holds the files and the device that will receive them.
2. Put the devices on the same local network
Connect both devices to the same Wi‑Fi network, or connect one or both to the same wired LAN. The file payload does not need an internet route. A guest SSID, hotel network, or corporate wireless network may deliberately prevent devices from talking to one another even when their network names look similar; that condition is covered in the troubleshooting section.
3. Open LocalSend and check discovery
Launch LocalSend on both devices. When local discovery is permitted, the receiving device appears in the sender’s nearby-device list. The name shown is the app’s device name, so rename devices in LocalSend settings if several phones or computers would otherwise be difficult to distinguish.
4. Select what to send
On the sender, choose the action for files or photos, then select the items. LocalSend can handle individual files, multiple files, folders, and text messages. On a phone, grant the operating-system access requested by the file picker. Selecting a folder or a large group of items is useful when preserving a project or photo collection instead of sending each file separately.
5. Choose the destination device
Tap or click the recipient’s device in the nearby list. LocalSend creates a transfer request for that endpoint. Before sending sensitive material, read the displayed device name and confirm that it is the intended computer or phone.
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6. Accept on the receiver
The receiving device displays the request and the selected content. Review the sender and file list, then accept. Keep receive confirmation enabled on shared, hotel, conference, or other untrusted networks so an unexpected nearby device cannot silently place files on your machine.
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LocalSend saves received files in the Downloads folder by default. Open the completed transfer from the app or your file manager and verify that the expected number of files arrived. You can select a different destination in LocalSend settings; mobile operating systems may show a folder-permission prompt when you choose a custom location.
Platform-specific setup
Android
Install from the Play Store, F-Droid, or another project-listed source. Android may ask for access to files or media when you choose what to send. If you change the receive location from Downloads, the system can require permission for the selected folder. Keep LocalSend in the foreground during initial testing, especially on phones that aggressively restrict background activity.
iPhone and iPad
Install LocalSend from the App Store. When iOS asks for Local Network access, allow it; discovery can fail entirely when that permission is denied. If the prompt was dismissed, open the device’s privacy settings, find Local Network permissions, and enable LocalSend before trying again. The Photos picker may also ask which photos the app can access; select the items you intend to send.
Windows
Use the signed Windows build or another package listed by the project. Set the active network profile to Private for a trusted home or office LAN. When Windows Firewall prompts for access, allow LocalSend on the networks where you intend to transfer files. If you previously blocked it, open the firewall’s allowed-apps list and enable LocalSend, then restart the app and test discovery again.
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Mac
Install the macOS build or the App Store version. macOS can require explicit Local Network permission; approve it when prompted or enable LocalSend in the system’s privacy settings. If the app can send but cannot see a receiver, quit and reopen LocalSend after changing that permission.
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Linux
Choose a package that matches your distribution, such as Flathub, Nix, Snap, or AUR. Sandboxed packages can present their own file-access prompts, so approve access to the folders you need to send or use as a destination. If discovery or transfers are blocked by the host firewall, allow LocalSend’s documented TCP and UDP port 53317; outgoing traffic may use any port.
Fire OS
LocalSend supports Fire OS. Install it through a distribution channel listed by the project for your Fire device, grant the requested storage and network permissions, and follow the same same-network and acceptance steps used on Android.
When the other device does not appear
Work through these checks in order. Discovery problems are usually caused by network isolation, a permission, or a firewall rather than by the files themselves.
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Confirm the network path
- Check the Wi‑Fi name or wired network on both devices. They should be on the same LAN, not merely connected to the same internet service.
- Move both devices from a guest SSID to the main network. Guest Wi‑Fi commonly enables client or access-point isolation, which prevents peer-to-peer traffic.
- If you administer the access point, disable client isolation only where your security policy permits it. Otherwise use a trusted non-isolated network.
Check operating-system permissions
- On iPhone and iPad, enable Local Network access for LocalSend.
- On Mac, approve Local Network access in privacy settings.
- On Windows, use a Private network profile and allow LocalSend through Windows Firewall.
- On Android, iOS, and sandboxed Linux packages, approve file or folder access when selecting content or a destination.
Review firewall rules
The project documents incoming TCP and UDP port 53317 for LocalSend. Allow that port for the LocalSend application on the local interface. Outgoing connections are not restricted to a single documented port, so an outbound-only rule that permits just one port can still prevent a transfer.
Temporarily test without a VPN
A VPN can route the device away from the local interface or enable a kill switch that blocks LAN traffic. Allow local-network traffic in the VPN settings, or disconnect the VPN briefly while both devices are on a network you control. Reconnect it after the transfer if your policy requires continuous VPN use.
Use manual IP sending when discovery is blocked
If both devices can communicate but automatic discovery still fails, LocalSend documents manual sending by entering the receiver’s IP address directly. Find the receiver’s LAN address in its network settings, choose the manual or direct-address option in LocalSend, enter that address, and retry. This does not bypass a firewall or client isolation; those network controls must still allow the connection.
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Restart the smallest number of components first
- Close and reopen LocalSend on both devices.
- Toggle Wi‑Fi off and on, or reconnect the Ethernet cable.
- Recheck the firewall and permission changes.
- Only then restart the access point or devices if the receiver remains unavailable.
Security and privacy
What is protected
LocalSend’s project documentation says transfers use HTTPS, with each device generating its TLS/SSL certificate on the fly. The files travel directly across the local network rather than through a cloud storage account. Optional PIN verification provides an additional way to confirm a device before accepting a transfer.
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What you still need to control
Encryption does not make every local network trustworthy. A device that can reach the same network may be able to present itself in the nearby-device list. Keep receive confirmation enabled when working on a shared network, verify the recipient name before accepting, and use a network you control whenever possible. Network isolation and user confirmation are practical safeguards based on the app’s discovery and acceptance model.
Handling sensitive files
- Send only the files needed for the task and check the destination afterward.
- Do not accept unexpected requests, even when the sender name looks familiar.
- Remove received copies from Downloads when the device is shared and retention is not required.
- Use a PIN when you need an additional device-verification step.
Where received files are saved
Downloads is the default destination on supported platforms according to the official FAQ. To use another folder, open LocalSend settings and change the destination. Desktop operating systems generally let you select an existing directory directly. On mobile devices, the operating system may ask you to authorize that folder, and a later system update can revoke or narrow access.
If a transfer appears complete but you cannot find the files, search the device’s Downloads location by filename, inspect LocalSend’s selected destination, and check whether the mobile file picker placed them inside an app-specific folder. A successful request does not necessarily open the file automatically in another application.
Moving photos from an iPhone to a Windows PC without iCloud
- Install LocalSend from the App Store on the iPhone and install the Windows build on the PC.
- Connect both devices to the same non-isolated Wi‑Fi network.
- Allow Local Network access on the iPhone and allow LocalSend through Windows Firewall on a Private network.
- Open LocalSend on both devices, choose the photos on the iPhone, and select the Windows PC.
- Accept the request on Windows and open the Downloads folder or the destination you selected in LocalSend settings.
This workflow avoids iCloud storage and an Apple account for the transfer itself. It still depends on the two devices being able to communicate locally.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchChoosing LocalSend versus other transfer methods
LocalSend is most useful when the devices are nearby, you want direct local transfer, and the operating systems do not share a built-in handoff feature. The alternatives below have different prerequisites; none is universally fastest because throughput depends on Wi‑Fi band, congestion, device hardware, file mix, and encryption settings.
| Method | Internet or account | Cross-platform reach | Privacy model | Setup and large transfers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LocalSend | No account; file payload stays on the local network | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and Fire OS | HTTPS on the LAN; recipient confirmation and optional PIN | Install on both endpoints; supports files, folders, and text |
| Cloud storage | Usually an internet connection and an account | Broad, browser-based access | Files are uploaded to a provider before download | Convenient across distance; upload time and storage limits apply |
| AirDrop or Quick Share | Normally no cloud account for the local handoff | Best within their supported device ecosystems | Local wireless exchange with platform-specific controls | Very little setup inside a compatible ecosystem; cross-platform coverage varies |
| USB cable | No internet or account | Depends on cable, drivers, ports, and operating-system support | Direct physical connection | Good for large batches when the correct cable and permissions are available |
| USB drive | No internet or account | Works across systems that can read the drive format | Physical possession is the main control | Requires a drive and an extra copy step; folders and large files are supported |
Common failure modes and fixes
The sender sees no devices
Check that both apps are open, both devices are on the same non-isolated LAN, and iOS or macOS Local Network permission is enabled. Then inspect Windows or Linux firewall rules and test with the VPN disconnected or configured for LAN access.
The request appears but the transfer fails
Verify that the receiver has free storage, that the destination folder is still authorized, and that TCP and UDP port 53317 are allowed inbound. A network that permits discovery but blocks the transfer connection can produce this symptom.
The transfer was accepted but files seem missing
Look in Downloads first, then inspect LocalSend’s destination setting and search by filename. On a phone, check the folder that received operating-system permission rather than assuming the files went to the camera roll.
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That network may intentionally isolate clients. Move both endpoints to a network that permits peer communication, ask the administrator for an approved method, or use a cable or USB drive instead of weakening security controls.
Bottom line
For a nearby Android, iPhone, Windows, Mac, Linux, or Fire OS transfer, LocalSend’s practical recipe is simple: install it on both endpoints, use the same non-isolated LAN, select the destination, and accept the request. It avoids cloud storage and accounts while encrypting the local transfer. If discovery fails, investigate network isolation, Local Network permissions, firewall port 53317, and VPN LAN access before changing anything else.
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