Help! I can't install the PWA!
if you are using a Chromium-based browser (Chrome, Edge, Vivaldi, Brave, etc.), you can easily install PairDrop PWA on your desktop by clicking the install-button in the top-right corner while on pairdrop.net.
On Firefox, PWAs are installable via this browser extensions
Self-Hosted Instance?
To be able to install the PWA from a self-hosted instance, the connection needs to be established through HTTPS.
See this host your own section for more info.
Shortcuts?
Shortcuts
- Send a message with
CTRL + ENTER - Close all "Send" and "Pair" dialogs by pressing
Esc. - Copy a received message to the clipboard with
CTRL/⌘ + C. - Accept file-transfer requests with
Enterand decline withEsc.
How to save images directly to the gallery on iOS?
Apparently, iOS does not allow images shared from a website to be saved to the gallery directly. It simply does not offer that option for images shared from a website.
iOS Shortcuts saves the day:
I created a simple iOS shortcut that takes your photos and saves them to your gallery:
https://routinehub.co/shortcut/13988/
Is it possible to send files or text directly from the "Context" or "Share" menu?
Yes, it finally is.
- Send files directly from the "Context" menu on Windows
- Send directly from the "Share" menu on iOS
- Send directly from the "Share" menu on Android
Is it possible to send files or text directly via CLI?
Yes.
Are there any third-party Apps?
These third-party apps are compatible with PairDrop:
- Snapdrop Android App
- Snapdrop for Firefox (Addon)
- Feel free to make one :)
What about the connection? Is it a P2P connection directly from device to device or is there any third-party-server?
It uses a WebRTC peer-to-peer connection. WebRTC needs a signaling server that is only used to establish a connection. The server is not involved in the file transfer.
If the devices are on the same network, none of your files are ever sent to any server.
If your devices are paired and behind a NAT, the PairDrop TURN Server is used to route your files and messages. See the Technical Documentation to learn more about STUN, TURN and WebRTC.
If you host your own instance
and want to support devices that do not support WebRTC,
you can start the PairDrop instance with an activated WebSocket fallback.
What about privacy? Will files be saved on third-party servers?
Files are sent directly between peers. PairDrop doesn't even use a database. If curious, study the server. WebRTC encrypts the files in transit.
If the devices are on the same network, none of your files are ever sent to any server.
If your devices are paired and behind a NAT,
the PairDrop TURN Server is used to route your files and messages.
See the Technical Documentation
to learn more about STUN, TURN and WebRTC.
What about security? Are my files encrypted while sent between the computers?
Yes. Your files are sent using WebRTC, encrypting them in transit.
To ensure the connection is secure and there is no MITM,
compare the security number shown under the device name on both devices.
The security number is different for every connection.
Transferring many files with paired devices takes too long
Naturally, if traffic needs to be routed through the TURN server because your devices are behind different NATs, transfer speed decreases.
You can open a hotspot on one of your devices to bridge the connection, which omits the need of the TURN server.
You can also use mobile hotspots on phones to do that.
Then, all data should be sent directly between devices and not use your data plan.
Why don't you implement feature xyz?
Snapdrop and PairDrop are a study in radical simplicity. The user interface is insanely simple. Features are chosen very carefully because complexity grows quadratically since every feature potentially interferes with each other feature. We focus very narrowly on a single use case: instant file transfer. Not facilitating optimal edge-cases means better flow for average users. Don't be sad. We may decline your feature request for the sake of simplicity.
Read Insanely Simple: The Obsession that Drives Apple's Success, and/or Thinking, Fast and Slow to learn more.
Snapdrop and PairDrop are awesome. How can I support them?
- Buy me a coffee to pay for the domain and the server, and support libre software.
- File bugs, give feedback, submit suggestions
- Share PairDrop on social media.
- Fix bugs and make a pull request.
- Do some security analysis and make suggestions.
- To support the original Snapdrop and its creator go to his GitHub page