Learning Center
Beginner5 min read
File sharing, without the cloud
Moving a file between your own devices shouldn't mean uploading it to someone's server. Local file-sharing apps send it directly over your WiFi — faster, private, and free.
How local sharing works
Apps like LocalSend find your other devices on the same WiFi network and send files straight to them, device to device. Nothing goes to the internet, so a 2GB video moves in seconds and never sits on a server.
- Both devices run the app and join the same WiFi.
- Transfers are encrypted between the two devices.
- No account, no size limits, no upload quota.
Which tool for which situation
The tools split by how much setup you can do on the receiving device and whether the two devices share a network.
- Your own devices, regularly → LocalSend (install once, done).
- Someone else's device, one-off → ShareDrop (just a browser tab).
- Different networks / across the internet → Send Anywhere's 6-digit key.
- Whole folders that should stay mirrored → Syncthing.
Why this is the private option
Cloud sharing means your file is stored, scanned and retained per the provider's policy. Local sharing means it exists only on your two devices — there's nothing to leak, delete or subpoena.
- Local-only transfers can't be intercepted from outside your network.
- Open-source tools (LocalSend, Syncthing) can be publicly audited.
- For sensitive documents, local transfer is the sane default.