LocalSend is a free, open-source file-sharing app that sends photos, documents, folders, and text between devices on the same local network. It needs no account, no cloud service, and no internet connection, and every transfer is encrypted over HTTPS.
LocalSend is a cross-platform app that transfers files between nearby devices over the local Wi-Fi network instead of the internet. Install it on both ends, open the app, pick the photos, documents, or folders you want, and choose the receiving device from the list that appears; the recipient confirms and the transfer runs at whatever speed the network allows. No account, login, or server sits in the middle, and nothing is uploaded anywhere. It works with an ad-hoc hotspot when there is no router at all, which makes it useful on planes, in workshops, or anywhere the connection is unreliable.
Security is built around the local link rather than a remote service. Each device generates its own TLS certificate, transfers are encrypted end to end, and an optional PIN can be required before anything is received, so a stranger on the same café network cannot quietly pull files. Discovery relies on the local network, which means the two devices must be able to see each other; a guest network that isolates clients or a strict corporate firewall can block that. Transfers are peer to peer, so there is no quota or bandwidth throttle to hit. For publishing files to people who are not on your network, something like HFS is the better fit.
The reason LocalSend earns a permanent place on a machine is that it removes the setup cost of every other transfer route. There is no cable to find, no cloud account to sign into, no upload step before the download can start, and no compression that quietly degrades a video or photo. Large folders move at the speed the network can carry, which on a modern router is usually far quicker than a home broadband upload, and the process still works when the internet connection is down entirely. Because transfers are peer to peer and encrypted, nothing sensitive lingers on a third-party server waiting to expire. The apps look and behave the same way on every platform, so sending a file from a phone to a laptop, or between two laptops, uses exactly the same three steps every time.
Key capabilities and highlights.
LocalSend runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS with the same layout and the same short flow, so moving a file between a phone and a desktop never requires two different tools. Learning it once covers every device you own.
The transfer never touches the internet. Devices find each other on the local network, so nothing is uploaded, no login screen appears, and no third-party service holds a copy of your data. It keeps working when the broadband connection drops.
Each device generates a certificate on the fly and speaks to its partner over HTTPS, so the payload is encrypted end to end for the duration of the transfer. LocalSend also offers optional PIN verification, adding a second check before a device accepts what is being offered.
Photos, videos, documents, whole folders, and text snippets all travel through the same interface, and there is no fixed size ceiling or bandwidth throttle. Throughput is limited only by the router and the two devices, which beats most cloud uploads on a home connection.
Sending a URL or a block of text works exactly like sending a file, which is quicker than emailing a note to yourself. That makes LocalSend handy for moving a long password, an address, or a snippet of code from a phone to a computer.
Received files land in the Downloads folder by default, and you can point that elsewhere per device or per session, keeping downloads in the directory you actually use. On mobile, the app can also save media straight into a photo library.
If there is no shared network, a phone hotspot provides one: connect the second device to it and LocalSend behaves exactly as it does on a normal LAN. That covers hotels, client sites, and any network that blocks peer-to-peer traffic.
Communication uses a documented REST API over HTTPS, and the source is open for inspection, so organizations can verify what the app does with their data instead of trusting a claim. Independent implementations of the same protocol exist for specialist setups.
Browse historical releases and previous builds.
Common questions about LocalSend.
No. Transfers happen over the local network, so the app works with no outside connection at all, and your data never leaves that network. The only requirement is that both devices can reach each other, either through a router or a hotspot.
LocalSend encrypts transfers end to end over HTTPS, with a certificate generated on each device, and you can require a PIN so nothing is accepted without confirmation. Each device stays in control of what it receives.
Nothing. It is fully open source and free to use, with no advertisements, no tracking, and no paid tier that unlocks basic transfers. The project is supported by donations and community contributions.
By default they go to your device's Downloads folder, and you can change that location in the settings. On phones, transferred media can also be saved directly to the photo library if you prefer it there.
The usual causes are devices joined to different networks, guest Wi-Fi that isolates clients from one another, and firewall rules blocking local connections. Putting both devices on the same hotspot usually resolves it immediately.
Yes. LocalSend is not limited to phones; any two devices running it can exchange files, so a desktop and a laptop, or two laptops, can pass data without a cable or a shared network drive.
LocalSend is a free, open-source file-sharing app that sends photos, documents, folders, and text between devices on the same local network. It needs no account, no cloud service, and no internet connection, and every transfer is encrypted over HTTPS.
KDE Connect links a phone and a computer into one working environment: files, links, notifications, and the clipboard move between them, and the phone doubles as a trackpad, keyboard, or presentation remote. It is free, open source, and pairs over the local network.
Microsoft .NET Windows Desktop Runtime 8.0 provides the shared components required to run compatible Windows Forms and WPF desktop applications without installing the complete .NET software development kit.
Microsoft .NET Runtime 8.0 provides the execution engine and core libraries needed to run compatible .NET applications, especially framework-dependent console programs, without installing the complete software development kit.
Ekiga is a free, open-source softphone and video conferencing client for Linux and Windows that places audio and video calls over SIP or H.323, with contacts, presence, chat and call forwarding built into one desktop app.
Comments