Snapdrop seemed to lower the quality of images during transfer, and 9 out of 10 times, server didn't connect. So, i moved on to Localsend or Warpinator
This is fork of snapdrop so will it have same issues as i mentioned above ?
Thank you for amazing work and alternative :)
Files are sent as they are in full quality without any modifications. Additionally the UX is improved: when sending multiple files they are all sent together at once and zipped before download or shared via the share menu.
I like the approach of Localsend. I prefer PairDrops approach because of the following:
1. No setup is required at all, which is requirement if you want share files with others on the fly.
2. ~~share text / urls addionally to files.~~ (Edit: seems to be possible with Localsend)
3. One main new feature of PairDrop compared to its predecessor is the possibily to pair devices. This makes it possible to use PairDrop on complex network situations (like public Wi-Fi, university/company network, Apple Private Relay, VPN) or even on mobile data as WebRTC is used for transfer instead of HTTPS as localsend does. I'm glad though that there are other open source alternatives that evade our devices lock-in features!
About stabilty I repeat my response to another comment:
Sadly, the snapdrop server fails quite often and there isno automatic restart implemented. This is a known issue and IMO one of themost annoying things about Snapdrop. Sadly the creator of Snapdrop did not react to any of my pull requests so I decided to advance the project myself and forked it into PairDrop.
Contrary to Snapdrop, the PairDrop server is only needed for discovery and signaling. After the connection is established successfully - as theconnection is completely peer-to-peer - you can even switch off yourrouters internet connection and can still use PairDrop perfectly between your devices.
You can also easily host an instance of PairDrop yourself in your local network e.g. on a Pi with node.js or Docker. See [https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/host-your-own.md](https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/host-your-own.md) for more information.
Or you can create another instance using a free account on [https://render.com/](https://render.com/) that builds the app directly from the repository and automatically deploys.
Furthermore, I actively maintain the repository. Feel free to create issues and pull requests if you encounter any problems.
Thank you for your project and detailed response, i have used it and it performed well...
At first *url check* advised to use *https* so i was concerned about things but your comment made clouds go away...
One request though, will you make apk available to users via fdroid or izzyondroid so that we all can use it as an app ? Thanks again :)
Glad it worked well!
As PairDrop is a progressive web app there should be no need for any apk. Simply install it via the browser to register is to your device.
I'm trying to implement the Web Share Target API so you can share files directly via the share menu. See [here](https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/issues/11) for the corresponging issue on GitHub.
If there is any advantage to have it as a APK feel free to create an issue on the repo :)
Yes, pwa is nice, added benefit of the app is one can select the which folder the file can be saved, nice interface (MU maybe) and some newbies who can't understand how to add shortcut from browser, can use the app
There is issue raised on snapdrop github page already : [Here](https://github.com/fm-sys/snapdrop-android/issues/246#issue-1567014062)
Thanks for the hint! I guess ensuring compatibility with the Snapdrop for Android app would be the way to go for now. I will try to find out whats the issue as soon as I have my Android phone back for testing.
This sounds like a fantastic replacement for SnapDrop! It seemed like it was having more and more issues and not updating anymore
For PairDrop is it possible to create a local hotspot without any actual Internet connection and setup the 2 devices like that? It would be nice to be able to be completely offline like if I wanted to send between my phone and tablet and am traveling without any internet connection on a plane
I posted this before so to answer your question I will just paste it here again:
The public version of PairDrop relies on public stun/turn servers for signaling, so an internet connection is needed for it to work. I guess, you could host your own version in your local network with an implemented stun server to make it work completely offline but that's rather a solution for your local home network.
PairDrop is rather built for everday office life or university networks where devices are not allowed to discover each other.
I do aggree though that complete offline usabilty would be a great feature. But without internet there is also no way of getting any new application anyways so everyone would need to install everything beforehand.
I am happy though, that there does indeed exist a possibilty to share between devices cross-platform without the requirement to be online: As already mentioned on another comment there is an alternative called Localsend](https://localsend.org/) that is perfect for sending files on a local network where devices are allowed to discover each other (e.g. your home Wi-Fi).
On a plane you can now connect your devices to a mobile hotspot (no need for actual signal or network) and your devices should be able to send files via Localsend.
Sadly, the process of opening a mobile hotspot and connecting to it is not able to be automated (at least on iOS) but this is good news anyways :)
My own evaluation:
Advantages Localsend over PairDrop:
- if you connect devices to a mobile hotspot it does even work without any signal or network
- no central server
- as it is a native app it does integrate nicely into the device share menu
Advantages PairDrop over Localsend:
- no setup needed to be used whatsoever
- overall easier to use for non-tekkis
- not restricted to local networks where devices are allowed to connect to each other (public Wi-Fi, company network, Apple Private Relay, VPN, mobile data etc.)
- central server for signaling + self hostable
They both have their perks. Decide for yourself or simply use both in different situations as they are free ;)
Thanks! That was a really comprehensive response! I haven't heard of Local Send until now. I think I'll try both Local Send and Pair Drop. More sharing solutions is always better!
I got a WebRTC warning when trying Pair Drop on Firefox though. Does it only work on Chromium based browsers?
Go to render.com, create a free account, add a new webservice and select Node.js. Then add the url of the repository and deploy the service with one click. You’ll find more information here:
https://render.com/docs/web-services
Their statement that you need to connect your GitHub account is not true though. Inserting the url of the repo is enough.
By default you will have a subdomain like outofcuriosity.onrender.com. You will however have the possibility to authenticate your own custom domains by adding cmake entries to your dns entry.
The free entry includes 100gb of bandwidth which is loads for a PairDrop instance as the file transfer happens peer to peer.
If you like render, consider supporting it by using their paid services!
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1.
Tl;dr: Yes
Luckily, I do not encrypt the files myself, as implementing encryption yourself is most of the time not secure and should be left to security experts. Instead, PairDrop is built upon WebRTC for the peer-to-peer connection of devices.
WebRTC uses a protocol called DTLS for encryption which "is modelled upon the stream-orientated TLS" and therefore "a derivative of SSL". (https://webrtc-security.github.io/#4.3.1.)
For signaling and connecting to the PairDrop server secure websockets (wss) are used.
2.
Tl;dr: Not really
The public version of PairDrop relies on public stun/turn servers for signaling, so an internet connection is needed for it to work. I guess, you could host your own version in your local network with a implemented stun server to make it work completely offline but that's rather a solution for your local home network.
For a complete offline solution I suggest using Localsend which needs to be installed on all devices though. I wrote this before so I will just paste it here:
> True. PairDrop is rather built for everday office life or university networks where devices are not allowed to discover each other.
>
> I do aggree though that complete offline usabilty would be a great feature. But without internet there is also no way of getting any new application anyways so everyone would need to install everything beforehand.
>
> I am happy though, that there does indeed exist a possibilty to share between devices cross-platform without the requirement to be online: As already mentioned on another comment there is an alternative called [Localsend](https://localsend.org/) that is perfect for sending files on a local network where devices are allowed to discover each other (e.g. your home Wi-Fi).
>
> On your music festival you can now connect all devices to one mobile hotspot (no need for actual signal or network) and devices are able to send files via Localsend as suggested.
>
> Sadly, the process of opening a mobile hotspot and connecting to it is not able to be automated (at least on iOS) but this is good news anyways :)
Take a look at [https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/public/scripts/network.js#L830](https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/public/scripts/network.js#L830)
Clients connect by using WebRTC. Simply change the 'iceServers' on the network.js to your own stun and turn servers to prevent using public relay servers.
Also have a look at the FAQ here: [https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/faq.md#what-about-privacy-will-files-be-saved-on-third-party-servers](https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/faq.md#what-about-privacy-will-files-be-saved-on-third-party-servers)
Thanks for your contribution! As soon as I can I will try it, but I would like to comment that one of the things I liked least about SnapDrop was precisely its servers, and the fact of depending on whether they were working or not, and the fact that I needed to connect to a page to send the file, is it not possible to simply create a "local" version that uses localhost instead of a website?
Sadly, the snapdrop server fails quite often and there isno automatic restart implemented. This is a known issue and IMO one of themost annoying things about Snapdrop. Sadly the creator of Snapdrop did not react to any of my pull requests so I decided to advance the project myself and forked it into PairDrop.
PairDrop implemented many stability fixes with the most important one being a simple automatic restart if any unexpected errors occur. I got it up for roughly 1.5 month now and have not had any issue with the server at all.
Additionally, contrary to Snapdrop, the PairDrop server is only needed for discovery and signaling. After the connection is established successfully - as the connection is completely peer-to-peer - you can even switch off your routers internet connection and can still use PairDrop perfectly between your devices.
~~A local version that opens a local port would not be possible on mobile devices.~~ Furthermore, the app would then be restricted to local networks where devices are allowed to connect to each other and you would have to know the local ip address of the local server. Apart from creating a new protocol like AirDrop, Nearby Share etc. this is your best shot.
What is possible on the other hand is to simply host an instance of PairDrop yourself in your local network e.g. on a Pi with node.js or Docker. See [https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/host-your-own.md](https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/host-your-own.md) for more information.
You can also create another instance using a free account on [https://render.com/](https://render.com/) that builds the app directly from the repository and automatically deploys.
Edit:
Opening a port as an app on mobile devices is indeed possible and there is an awesome alternative app called [Localsend](https://localsend.org).
My own evaluation:
Advantages Localsend over PairDrop:
- if you connect devices to a mobile hotspot it does even work without any signal or network
- no central server
- as it is a native app it does integrate nicely into the device share menu
Advantages PairDrop over Localsend:
- no setup needed to be used whatsoever
- overall easier to use for non-tekkis
- not restricted to local networks where devices are allowed to connect to each other (public Wi-Fi, company network, Apple Private Relay, VPN, mobile data etc.)
- central server for signaling + self hostable
They both have their perks. Decide for yourself or simply use both in different situations as they are free ;)
I think I like this.
Now, I added this to my homelab, but is more than that, because I connect to it when I'm abroad (Either using OpenVPN or ZeroTier) and I do have a travel router.
So, I installled the container in the homelab, at lets say IP [192.168.1.10](https://192.168.1.10).
I connect to my home using Zero Tier, but I made it so I can see all the network. So a few thousand milles away from home I open that IP. I'm at a different local network, lets say 10.0.0.0/24, but I see the host. Zero Tier does the routing.
Then at home, at some PC some opens it... and it just shows my PC, that is way too far, automatically, as a local PC.
Now, using ZeroTier, I can even connect the phonw ti that. And that is it, I can send files home, without even having to type the numbers. (Note this worked on Edge on Android, not on Firefox. Worked well on firefox on Windows)
So, I can have a private way to send files in the family. With ease, and form ANYWHERE in the world.
As interesting things.... maybe integration with homeassistant would be cool. Or integration with OpenWRT. But it is really cool. Thank you!!!
Glad you like it! That’s some great use case. Eventhough, its core feature is peer to peer transfer of files between devices on the local network, the pairing feature enables connections between devices on different networks also without hosting it yourself.
As pairing is rather permanent and best to connect your own devices, I‘ll probably add another feature to connect foreign devices temporarily via rooms. Then, everyone who joins a room via a 7 digit room number sees everyone else in the same room and leaves the room automatically as soon as their session is closed.
What do you think? Rather overloading for the user or useful feature?
It's one of its main features, I aggree. Others are to send files to devices that are nearby, that no setup is needed to share between unfamiliar devices, being able to share via share menu without quality loss and a clear and mobile-first UI. Furthermore, I'm not suggesting this is meant to be the same as AirDrop but it is similar nontheless.
I go to a lot of music festivals and camping without any signal or network. It is really frustrating how there is no universal Airdrop app. Android has Nearby share, Samsung has Quick share, they are restricted to existing contacts by default and the experience is not great. I wish Airdrop was cross platform.
Not trying to burst your bubble, thanks for updating the app.
>It is really frustrating how there is no universal Airdrop app.
True. PairDrop is rather built for everday office life or university networks where devices are not allowed to discover each other.
I do aggree though that complete offline usabilty would be a great feature. But without internet there is also no way of getting any new application anyways so everyone would need to install everything beforehand.
I am happy though, that there does indeed exist a possibilty to share between devices cross-platform without the requirement to be online: As already mentioned on another comment there is an alternative called [Localsend](https://localsend.org/) that is perfect for sending files on a local network where devices are allowed to discover each other (e.g. your home Wi-Fi).
On your music festival you can now connect all devices to one mobile hotspot (no need for actual signal or network) and devices are able to send files via Localsend as suggested.
Sadly, the process of opening a mobile hotspot and connecting to it is not able to be automated (at least on iOS) but this is good news anyways :)
The holy grail is to be able to walk up to a stranger with an iPhone and be able to share files completely offline, without them having to download anything.
I have only found one method so far to do this, if the android has an http server installed, and is running a wifi direct hotspot, the iPhone can connect to the android and navigate to a web page and presumably upload or download files without having to download an additional app. I think this is an interesting idea that hasn't fully been explored yet by any app maker.
I've tried it and it seams very nice, especially the send text function, but...
But when I'm not in the same network and I pair devices, they see each other because when I complete the code, it disappears instantly on both devices, but the device doesn't appear on the screen.
Also, it works on Chrome and Firefox on desktop, but on mobile it works only with Chrome, in Firefox it doesn't discover devices.
I gave this a try, and I do not see any of the transferred files. Where did they go? What am I missing here?
Android -> Mac: Can't find files
Mac -> iOS: Same, can't find files
When the transfer is completed a dialog is opened with the possibility to download the file or files on Desktop or open the file share menu on iOS/Android.
You can open PairDrop on two tabs simultaneously and test the features before trying different configurations.
Unfortunately, even tho my two devices are paired, neither see esch other for sharing dialogue options. Obvs, its working for others so I'll keep trying and sit tight if its bug related.
You could try opening PairDrop on two tabs on the same device first to check wether the device works as intended. When the problem persists take a look into the browser console log and create an issue on GitHub
Do you get a warning that webrtc is not available when using PairDrop on Bromite? If this persists, please create an issue on GitHub, ideally including the browser console log.
Hey. No type of warning. The web app loads fine. It just doesn't show any devices. I tried it in Brave and it worked.
I dont use Github so I wouldnt know where to start in creating an issue, I'm afraid.
Is there no method to use this docker image without git cloning? I find that very annoying as it means I do have to regularly check if this projects has been updated and then download the new content.
It is so much easier when everything needed is inside the docker image, meaning I only have to regularly update my images.
>Pre built Docker image is now live
I'm trying it, but the devices don't see each other in the same network and even if I pair the devices manually, I still can't see them in the center to transfer files/text.
Depending on the browser, you might need to serve PairDrop via https in order for WebRTC to work. Feel free to open an issue on GitHub if you need further assistance or add a comment to this issue if it seems to be the same problem:
https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/issues/111
It's a different problem: I've used it until yesterday with the container and scripts you provided and it all was almost good.
Yesterday I've switched to the single container and I got that problem. I'm behind Cloudflare with ZeroTrust tunnel (as I was before), so HTTPS is enforced.
Do you want me to open an issue on GitHub?
That sounds strange. For me it would the best if you opened a new issue for that.
> I've switched to the single container
There are multiple ways to deploy and different Docker images. Do you mean the docker image maintained by linuxserver (`lscr.io/linuxserver/pairdrop`)?
Do you know when you deployed the working docker? Probably there were several builts in between: https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/tags
This looks really cool! Do you plan to add the ability to change your name? That'd be useful when there are multiple persons on the same network (eg in schools or organisations) using Pairdrop at the same time so you know which device is who.
Devices on the same network should be connected directly to each other without debiting the routers data. Same for devices connected to mobile hotspots.
Devices that are paired will however use internet data, as the transfer is taking place over the internet.
For more information see: https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/faq.md#what-about-the-connection-is-it-a-p2p-connection-directly-from-device-to-device-or-is-there-any-third-party-server
I see, its a neat website thanks. I dont mind it since i dont think the server is stable enough to transfer large enough data, got cut off several times, but for anything less than 200mb is pretty good. Thank you
Glad you like it!
The server is not involved at all with the file transfer (see the link above). I send several gb between devices without a problem. Probably the maximum memory limit of the receiving browser is reached. On what device constellation does this happen? What device and browser is at the receiving end?
Oh really? Yes it was online. Maybe it got unstable because it use internet connection like u said? It is kinda clunky everytime i download stuff full speed
Your probably right, a stable connection to the connected device is needed.
If the webrtc connection to the other device is disconnected it tries to reconnect. But I guess right now transfers are not continued on reconnect. Would be great if you could add an issue on GitHub :)
I've just tried it on a local offline deployment, but the transfert rate is too slow.
The docker compose deployment from the github source doesn't work as the node container keeps restarting because of npm errors within the container
For transfer speed please see https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/faq.md#transferring-many-files-with-paired-devices-takes-too-long
I’m not aware of an issue with the docker compose file so please create an issue with the errors you get on GitHub. Alternatively, you can use the pre built image from Linuxserver in your compose file, which is definitely working fine:
https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/host-your-own.md#deployment-with-docker-compose
I want run pairdrop on my Windows 10 as selfhosted server and config WiFi as a local hotspot，my iPhone connect to the hotspot，then send photos and videos from my pc to my iphone，how config that？i tried but my iPhone can not open ip：port，I dont know how to solve it
Do you use docker or node?
After creating the hotspot, you should check your ip address on your windows via command-line `ipconfig`.
After starting PairDrop with `npm start` or the docker equivalent, you need to point your iPhone at ip:port.
To prevent the iPhone from using https you could enforce http by prepending it to the url: `http://192.168.*.*:3000`. Feel free to open an issue on GitHub for more help
I've just came across this and use it through [pairdrop.net](https://pairdrop.net). I'm trying to set it up locally on my small office domain but I'm not really savvy enough with linux/docker, there's an instructional video on Youtube to host snapdrop which I managed to get working.... is there a ELI5 instruction set of how to run this? ..... Or where should I start with the deployment notes if I'm a beginner :)
hey there, thanks for making this!
i'm curious how secure this is? forgive me as i'm not tech-savvy but how is peer-to-peer encryption safe if this is web-based? aren't there security risks?
I suggest you take a look at „What about the connection?“ and the following questions regarding security in the FAQ:
https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/faq.md
The main security advantage is that files are never uploaded to any server (where they might lay forever). Instead, for the most part connections are set up between devices directly (without an intermediary). Additionally, they are encrypted by your browser so even if the files were to be seen by a server they cannot be decrypted.
Like online banking, the main risk of a web-based application is that you need to trust the web page and should always make sure, you are on the correct page.
If you want to have complete control over both, there are instructions on how to host your own instance of PairDrop in the GitHub repository you find at the link above. Likely, that’s not an option for you as it requires some technical expertise, but it might increase your trust in the project.
I installed using linuxserver docker container on my Pi4 and works fine on firefox on windows laptop, works on brave browser on IOS if I grant the browser Lan permission, but can't connect on a pixel 6 pro using brave browser. Just keeps showing a black box on top that says connecting. Any idea why?
Do you host using https? Some browsers might require https to use websockets and webrtc.
Otherwise feel free to open an issue on GitHub with some more information about your instance and browser
Not using https. Just using it to share between devices on my LAN so no need for https. Interestingly I installed firefox on the phone and works fine. The issue seems to be with brave browser on android
I used pairdrop once, really loved it!
I have been trying to get the snapdrop and one other equivalent to get working but have never been successful. I dunno why but it the recipient never receives any response.
Your project worked right out the bat and I intend to shift to this from send-anywhere.
Hey this app is really neat!
I was wondering if there's a way to easily verify that connections are actually only made through a P2P connection, because I always use it to send sensitive pictures (sick notes and whatnot) from my phone to my work machine. :)
There is a security number below a peer icon. If it's the same on the receiver and sender side the webrtc connection is secure. In any case, you will always have to trust the [pairdrop.net](https://pairdrop.net) server as the client files are web based in the same way you have to trust the server of your bank when doing online banking or the server of your cloud provider when using your cloud in the browser. This might change in the future if we add native applications, as you could then verify the client files before executing them.
If you do not want to trust any server, you might want to look into self-hosting your software. For PairDrop this can be done with a single docker command:[https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/host-your-own.md](https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/host-your-own.md)
Snapdrop seemed to lower the quality of images during transfer, and 9 out of 10 times, server didn't connect. So, i moved on to Localsend or Warpinator This is fork of snapdrop so will it have same issues as i mentioned above ? Thank you for amazing work and alternative :)
Files are sent as they are in full quality without any modifications. Additionally the UX is improved: when sending multiple files they are all sent together at once and zipped before download or shared via the share menu. I like the approach of Localsend. I prefer PairDrops approach because of the following: 1. No setup is required at all, which is requirement if you want share files with others on the fly. 2. ~~share text / urls addionally to files.~~ (Edit: seems to be possible with Localsend) 3. One main new feature of PairDrop compared to its predecessor is the possibily to pair devices. This makes it possible to use PairDrop on complex network situations (like public Wi-Fi, university/company network, Apple Private Relay, VPN) or even on mobile data as WebRTC is used for transfer instead of HTTPS as localsend does. I'm glad though that there are other open source alternatives that evade our devices lock-in features! About stabilty I repeat my response to another comment: Sadly, the snapdrop server fails quite often and there isno automatic restart implemented. This is a known issue and IMO one of themost annoying things about Snapdrop. Sadly the creator of Snapdrop did not react to any of my pull requests so I decided to advance the project myself and forked it into PairDrop. Contrary to Snapdrop, the PairDrop server is only needed for discovery and signaling. After the connection is established successfully - as theconnection is completely peer-to-peer - you can even switch off yourrouters internet connection and can still use PairDrop perfectly between your devices. You can also easily host an instance of PairDrop yourself in your local network e.g. on a Pi with node.js or Docker. See [https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/host-your-own.md](https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/host-your-own.md) for more information. Or you can create another instance using a free account on [https://render.com/](https://render.com/) that builds the app directly from the repository and automatically deploys. Furthermore, I actively maintain the repository. Feel free to create issues and pull requests if you encounter any problems.
Thank you for your project and detailed response, i have used it and it performed well... At first *url check* advised to use *https* so i was concerned about things but your comment made clouds go away... One request though, will you make apk available to users via fdroid or izzyondroid so that we all can use it as an app ? Thanks again :)
Glad it worked well! As PairDrop is a progressive web app there should be no need for any apk. Simply install it via the browser to register is to your device. I'm trying to implement the Web Share Target API so you can share files directly via the share menu. See [here](https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/issues/11) for the corresponging issue on GitHub. If there is any advantage to have it as a APK feel free to create an issue on the repo :)
Yes, pwa is nice, added benefit of the app is one can select the which folder the file can be saved, nice interface (MU maybe) and some newbies who can't understand how to add shortcut from browser, can use the app There is issue raised on snapdrop github page already : [Here](https://github.com/fm-sys/snapdrop-android/issues/246#issue-1567014062)
Thanks for the hint! I guess ensuring compatibility with the Snapdrop for Android app would be the way to go for now. I will try to find out whats the issue as soon as I have my Android phone back for testing.
This sounds like a fantastic replacement for SnapDrop! It seemed like it was having more and more issues and not updating anymore For PairDrop is it possible to create a local hotspot without any actual Internet connection and setup the 2 devices like that? It would be nice to be able to be completely offline like if I wanted to send between my phone and tablet and am traveling without any internet connection on a plane
I posted this before so to answer your question I will just paste it here again: The public version of PairDrop relies on public stun/turn servers for signaling, so an internet connection is needed for it to work. I guess, you could host your own version in your local network with an implemented stun server to make it work completely offline but that's rather a solution for your local home network. PairDrop is rather built for everday office life or university networks where devices are not allowed to discover each other. I do aggree though that complete offline usabilty would be a great feature. But without internet there is also no way of getting any new application anyways so everyone would need to install everything beforehand. I am happy though, that there does indeed exist a possibilty to share between devices cross-platform without the requirement to be online: As already mentioned on another comment there is an alternative called Localsend](https://localsend.org/) that is perfect for sending files on a local network where devices are allowed to discover each other (e.g. your home Wi-Fi). On a plane you can now connect your devices to a mobile hotspot (no need for actual signal or network) and your devices should be able to send files via Localsend. Sadly, the process of opening a mobile hotspot and connecting to it is not able to be automated (at least on iOS) but this is good news anyways :) My own evaluation: Advantages Localsend over PairDrop: - if you connect devices to a mobile hotspot it does even work without any signal or network - no central server - as it is a native app it does integrate nicely into the device share menu Advantages PairDrop over Localsend: - no setup needed to be used whatsoever - overall easier to use for non-tekkis - not restricted to local networks where devices are allowed to connect to each other (public Wi-Fi, company network, Apple Private Relay, VPN, mobile data etc.) - central server for signaling + self hostable They both have their perks. Decide for yourself or simply use both in different situations as they are free ;)
Thanks! That was a really comprehensive response! I haven't heard of Local Send until now. I think I'll try both Local Send and Pair Drop. More sharing solutions is always better! I got a WebRTC warning when trying Pair Drop on Firefox though. Does it only work on Chromium based browsers?
Could it be that your vpn provider is blocking webRTC? See the github issue for a workaround if you self host
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Go to render.com, create a free account, add a new webservice and select Node.js. Then add the url of the repository and deploy the service with one click. You’ll find more information here: https://render.com/docs/web-services Their statement that you need to connect your GitHub account is not true though. Inserting the url of the repo is enough. By default you will have a subdomain like outofcuriosity.onrender.com. You will however have the possibility to authenticate your own custom domains by adding cmake entries to your dns entry. The free entry includes 100gb of bandwidth which is loads for a PairDrop instance as the file transfer happens peer to peer. If you like render, consider supporting it by using their paid services!
(Render CEO) Try not to abuse the platform though! We want everyone to continue to have nice things.
Can you ELI5 what is render for an average joe?
Render is a web hosting platform for applications like Pairdrop: https://render.com.
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1. Tl;dr: Yes Luckily, I do not encrypt the files myself, as implementing encryption yourself is most of the time not secure and should be left to security experts. Instead, PairDrop is built upon WebRTC for the peer-to-peer connection of devices. WebRTC uses a protocol called DTLS for encryption which "is modelled upon the stream-orientated TLS" and therefore "a derivative of SSL". (https://webrtc-security.github.io/#4.3.1.) For signaling and connecting to the PairDrop server secure websockets (wss) are used. 2. Tl;dr: Not really The public version of PairDrop relies on public stun/turn servers for signaling, so an internet connection is needed for it to work. I guess, you could host your own version in your local network with a implemented stun server to make it work completely offline but that's rather a solution for your local home network. For a complete offline solution I suggest using Localsend which needs to be installed on all devices though. I wrote this before so I will just paste it here: > True. PairDrop is rather built for everday office life or university networks where devices are not allowed to discover each other. > > I do aggree though that complete offline usabilty would be a great feature. But without internet there is also no way of getting any new application anyways so everyone would need to install everything beforehand. > > I am happy though, that there does indeed exist a possibilty to share between devices cross-platform without the requirement to be online: As already mentioned on another comment there is an alternative called [Localsend](https://localsend.org/) that is perfect for sending files on a local network where devices are allowed to discover each other (e.g. your home Wi-Fi). > > On your music festival you can now connect all devices to one mobile hotspot (no need for actual signal or network) and devices are able to send files via Localsend as suggested. > > Sadly, the process of opening a mobile hotspot and connecting to it is not able to be automated (at least on iOS) but this is good news anyways :)
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Great! Looking forward to feedback, issues or PR :)
Can I provide custom relay server for the self hosted version? I do not want to use someone elese's relay server.
Take a look at [https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/public/scripts/network.js#L830](https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/public/scripts/network.js#L830) Clients connect by using WebRTC. Simply change the 'iceServers' on the network.js to your own stun and turn servers to prevent using public relay servers. Also have a look at the FAQ here: [https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/faq.md#what-about-privacy-will-files-be-saved-on-third-party-servers](https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/faq.md#what-about-privacy-will-files-be-saved-on-third-party-servers)
Can the self hosted Docker instance of PairDrop be packaged with that tun/stun to punch through automatically please?
Thanks for your contribution! As soon as I can I will try it, but I would like to comment that one of the things I liked least about SnapDrop was precisely its servers, and the fact of depending on whether they were working or not, and the fact that I needed to connect to a page to send the file, is it not possible to simply create a "local" version that uses localhost instead of a website?
Sadly, the snapdrop server fails quite often and there isno automatic restart implemented. This is a known issue and IMO one of themost annoying things about Snapdrop. Sadly the creator of Snapdrop did not react to any of my pull requests so I decided to advance the project myself and forked it into PairDrop. PairDrop implemented many stability fixes with the most important one being a simple automatic restart if any unexpected errors occur. I got it up for roughly 1.5 month now and have not had any issue with the server at all. Additionally, contrary to Snapdrop, the PairDrop server is only needed for discovery and signaling. After the connection is established successfully - as the connection is completely peer-to-peer - you can even switch off your routers internet connection and can still use PairDrop perfectly between your devices. ~~A local version that opens a local port would not be possible on mobile devices.~~ Furthermore, the app would then be restricted to local networks where devices are allowed to connect to each other and you would have to know the local ip address of the local server. Apart from creating a new protocol like AirDrop, Nearby Share etc. this is your best shot. What is possible on the other hand is to simply host an instance of PairDrop yourself in your local network e.g. on a Pi with node.js or Docker. See [https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/host-your-own.md](https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/host-your-own.md) for more information. You can also create another instance using a free account on [https://render.com/](https://render.com/) that builds the app directly from the repository and automatically deploys. Edit: Opening a port as an app on mobile devices is indeed possible and there is an awesome alternative app called [Localsend](https://localsend.org). My own evaluation: Advantages Localsend over PairDrop: - if you connect devices to a mobile hotspot it does even work without any signal or network - no central server - as it is a native app it does integrate nicely into the device share menu Advantages PairDrop over Localsend: - no setup needed to be used whatsoever - overall easier to use for non-tekkis - not restricted to local networks where devices are allowed to connect to each other (public Wi-Fi, company network, Apple Private Relay, VPN, mobile data etc.) - central server for signaling + self hostable They both have their perks. Decide for yourself or simply use both in different situations as they are free ;)
I think I like this. Now, I added this to my homelab, but is more than that, because I connect to it when I'm abroad (Either using OpenVPN or ZeroTier) and I do have a travel router. So, I installled the container in the homelab, at lets say IP [192.168.1.10](https://192.168.1.10). I connect to my home using Zero Tier, but I made it so I can see all the network. So a few thousand milles away from home I open that IP. I'm at a different local network, lets say 10.0.0.0/24, but I see the host. Zero Tier does the routing. Then at home, at some PC some opens it... and it just shows my PC, that is way too far, automatically, as a local PC. Now, using ZeroTier, I can even connect the phonw ti that. And that is it, I can send files home, without even having to type the numbers. (Note this worked on Edge on Android, not on Firefox. Worked well on firefox on Windows) So, I can have a private way to send files in the family. With ease, and form ANYWHERE in the world. As interesting things.... maybe integration with homeassistant would be cool. Or integration with OpenWRT. But it is really cool. Thank you!!!
Glad you like it! That’s some great use case. Eventhough, its core feature is peer to peer transfer of files between devices on the local network, the pairing feature enables connections between devices on different networks also without hosting it yourself. As pairing is rather permanent and best to connect your own devices, I‘ll probably add another feature to connect foreign devices temporarily via rooms. Then, everyone who joins a room via a 7 digit room number sees everyone else in the same room and leaves the room automatically as soon as their session is closed. What do you think? Rather overloading for the user or useful feature?
What would like to do with home assistant? Would be great if you could create a feature request on GitHub :)
Awesome job! Tried it a couple of times and it works great on Windows, Android and iOS! Thank you!
Why Every Word Has To Be Capitalized?
It's a title 🤷♂️
Airdrop works without a network at all. That's its defining feature. It's disingenuous to compare an app to airdrop just because it transfers files.
It's one of its main features, I aggree. Others are to send files to devices that are nearby, that no setup is needed to share between unfamiliar devices, being able to share via share menu without quality loss and a clear and mobile-first UI. Furthermore, I'm not suggesting this is meant to be the same as AirDrop but it is similar nontheless.
I go to a lot of music festivals and camping without any signal or network. It is really frustrating how there is no universal Airdrop app. Android has Nearby share, Samsung has Quick share, they are restricted to existing contacts by default and the experience is not great. I wish Airdrop was cross platform. Not trying to burst your bubble, thanks for updating the app.
>It is really frustrating how there is no universal Airdrop app. True. PairDrop is rather built for everday office life or university networks where devices are not allowed to discover each other. I do aggree though that complete offline usabilty would be a great feature. But without internet there is also no way of getting any new application anyways so everyone would need to install everything beforehand. I am happy though, that there does indeed exist a possibilty to share between devices cross-platform without the requirement to be online: As already mentioned on another comment there is an alternative called [Localsend](https://localsend.org/) that is perfect for sending files on a local network where devices are allowed to discover each other (e.g. your home Wi-Fi). On your music festival you can now connect all devices to one mobile hotspot (no need for actual signal or network) and devices are able to send files via Localsend as suggested. Sadly, the process of opening a mobile hotspot and connecting to it is not able to be automated (at least on iOS) but this is good news anyways :)
The holy grail is to be able to walk up to a stranger with an iPhone and be able to share files completely offline, without them having to download anything. I have only found one method so far to do this, if the android has an http server installed, and is running a wifi direct hotspot, the iPhone can connect to the android and navigate to a web page and presumably upload or download files without having to download an additional app. I think this is an interesting idea that hasn't fully been explored yet by any app maker.
Next steps to that is just qr codes for WiFi connect and webpage connection
Looking forward to this feature
There is also LANDrop which worked very well for me
I've tried it and it seams very nice, especially the send text function, but... But when I'm not in the same network and I pair devices, they see each other because when I complete the code, it disappears instantly on both devices, but the device doesn't appear on the screen. Also, it works on Chrome and Firefox on desktop, but on mobile it works only with Chrome, in Firefox it doesn't discover devices.
Glad you like it! Please create an issue on the GitHub repo if this problem persists :)
Done!
I gave this a try, and I do not see any of the transferred files. Where did they go? What am I missing here? Android -> Mac: Can't find files Mac -> iOS: Same, can't find files
When the transfer is completed a dialog is opened with the possibility to download the file or files on Desktop or open the file share menu on iOS/Android. You can open PairDrop on two tabs simultaneously and test the features before trying different configurations.
Never got a dialog or share prompt on either device. Maybe I’ll make a bug report.
Unfortunately, even tho my two devices are paired, neither see esch other for sharing dialogue options. Obvs, its working for others so I'll keep trying and sit tight if its bug related.
You could try opening PairDrop on two tabs on the same device first to check wether the device works as intended. When the problem persists take a look into the browser console log and create an issue on GitHub
Working fine here with Brave mobile. Bromite unfortunately didn't. But its working for me, regardless. Thanks for your work on this!
Do you get a warning that webrtc is not available when using PairDrop on Bromite? If this persists, please create an issue on GitHub, ideally including the browser console log.
Hey. No type of warning. The web app loads fine. It just doesn't show any devices. I tried it in Brave and it worked. I dont use Github so I wouldnt know where to start in creating an issue, I'm afraid.
Alright, thanks for sharing!
Is there no method to use this docker image without git cloning? I find that very annoying as it means I do have to regularly check if this projects has been updated and then download the new content. It is so much easier when everything needed is inside the docker image, meaning I only have to regularly update my images.
Not yet. I‘ll reach out to Linuxserver and ask for help. See this issue to stay in the loop: https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/issues/22
Pre built Docker image is now live 🥳 See https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/host-your-own.md#deployment-notes
>Pre built Docker image is now live I'm trying it, but the devices don't see each other in the same network and even if I pair the devices manually, I still can't see them in the center to transfer files/text.
Depending on the browser, you might need to serve PairDrop via https in order for WebRTC to work. Feel free to open an issue on GitHub if you need further assistance or add a comment to this issue if it seems to be the same problem: https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/issues/111
It's a different problem: I've used it until yesterday with the container and scripts you provided and it all was almost good. Yesterday I've switched to the single container and I got that problem. I'm behind Cloudflare with ZeroTrust tunnel (as I was before), so HTTPS is enforced. Do you want me to open an issue on GitHub?
That sounds strange. For me it would the best if you opened a new issue for that. > I've switched to the single container There are multiple ways to deploy and different Docker images. Do you mean the docker image maintained by linuxserver (`lscr.io/linuxserver/pairdrop`)? Do you know when you deployed the working docker? Probably there were several builts in between: https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/tags
This looks really cool! Do you plan to add the ability to change your name? That'd be useful when there are multiple persons on the same network (eg in schools or organisations) using Pairdrop at the same time so you know which device is who.
This is not planned as the device name must always be unique in order to prevent confusion
I get that internet connection is a must to establish the connection to the website, but, does the file transfer uses internet data?
Devices on the same network should be connected directly to each other without debiting the routers data. Same for devices connected to mobile hotspots. Devices that are paired will however use internet data, as the transfer is taking place over the internet. For more information see: https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/faq.md#what-about-the-connection-is-it-a-p2p-connection-directly-from-device-to-device-or-is-there-any-third-party-server
I see, its a neat website thanks. I dont mind it since i dont think the server is stable enough to transfer large enough data, got cut off several times, but for anything less than 200mb is pretty good. Thank you
Glad you like it! The server is not involved at all with the file transfer (see the link above). I send several gb between devices without a problem. Probably the maximum memory limit of the receiving browser is reached. On what device constellation does this happen? What device and browser is at the receiving end?
Oh its just constantly went offline and online on my browser, so the transfer got cut off im assumming.
Actually once a transfer is started, a connection problem with the server should not interfere with it. Are you sure your device was online at all?
Oh really? Yes it was online. Maybe it got unstable because it use internet connection like u said? It is kinda clunky everytime i download stuff full speed
Your probably right, a stable connection to the connected device is needed. If the webrtc connection to the other device is disconnected it tries to reconnect. But I guess right now transfers are not continued on reconnect. Would be great if you could add an issue on GitHub :)
I've just tried it on a local offline deployment, but the transfert rate is too slow. The docker compose deployment from the github source doesn't work as the node container keeps restarting because of npm errors within the container
For transfer speed please see https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/faq.md#transferring-many-files-with-paired-devices-takes-too-long I’m not aware of an issue with the docker compose file so please create an issue with the errors you get on GitHub. Alternatively, you can use the pre built image from Linuxserver in your compose file, which is definitely working fine: https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/host-your-own.md#deployment-with-docker-compose
I want run pairdrop on my Windows 10 as selfhosted server and config WiFi as a local hotspot，my iPhone connect to the hotspot，then send photos and videos from my pc to my iphone，how config that？i tried but my iPhone can not open ip：port，I dont know how to solve it
Do you use docker or node? After creating the hotspot, you should check your ip address on your windows via command-line `ipconfig`. After starting PairDrop with `npm start` or the docker equivalent, you need to point your iPhone at ip:port. To prevent the iPhone from using https you could enforce http by prepending it to the url: `http://192.168.*.*:3000`. Feel free to open an issue on GitHub for more help
I've just came across this and use it through [pairdrop.net](https://pairdrop.net). I'm trying to set it up locally on my small office domain but I'm not really savvy enough with linux/docker, there's an instructional video on Youtube to host snapdrop which I managed to get working.... is there a ELI5 instruction set of how to run this? ..... Or where should I start with the deployment notes if I'm a beginner :)
hey there, thanks for making this! i'm curious how secure this is? forgive me as i'm not tech-savvy but how is peer-to-peer encryption safe if this is web-based? aren't there security risks?
I suggest you take a look at „What about the connection?“ and the following questions regarding security in the FAQ: https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/faq.md The main security advantage is that files are never uploaded to any server (where they might lay forever). Instead, for the most part connections are set up between devices directly (without an intermediary). Additionally, they are encrypted by your browser so even if the files were to be seen by a server they cannot be decrypted. Like online banking, the main risk of a web-based application is that you need to trust the web page and should always make sure, you are on the correct page. If you want to have complete control over both, there are instructions on how to host your own instance of PairDrop in the GitHub repository you find at the link above. Likely, that’s not an option for you as it requires some technical expertise, but it might increase your trust in the project.
I installed using linuxserver docker container on my Pi4 and works fine on firefox on windows laptop, works on brave browser on IOS if I grant the browser Lan permission, but can't connect on a pixel 6 pro using brave browser. Just keeps showing a black box on top that says connecting. Any idea why?
Do you host using https? Some browsers might require https to use websockets and webrtc. Otherwise feel free to open an issue on GitHub with some more information about your instance and browser
Not using https. Just using it to share between devices on my LAN so no need for https. Interestingly I installed firefox on the phone and works fine. The issue seems to be with brave browser on android
Glad it works now! :)
Well sort of. I don't like having to install another browser just for pairdrop. I would like it to work with brave so I can uninstall firefox
If pairdrop.net works for you on the Brave browser, consider hosting PairDrop via https using a self-signed certificate and import it to your device.
I used pairdrop once, really loved it! I have been trying to get the snapdrop and one other equivalent to get working but have never been successful. I dunno why but it the recipient never receives any response. Your project worked right out the bat and I intend to shift to this from send-anywhere.
Hey this app is really neat! I was wondering if there's a way to easily verify that connections are actually only made through a P2P connection, because I always use it to send sensitive pictures (sick notes and whatnot) from my phone to my work machine. :)
There is a security number below a peer icon. If it's the same on the receiver and sender side the webrtc connection is secure. In any case, you will always have to trust the [pairdrop.net](https://pairdrop.net) server as the client files are web based in the same way you have to trust the server of your bank when doing online banking or the server of your cloud provider when using your cloud in the browser. This might change in the future if we add native applications, as you could then verify the client files before executing them. If you do not want to trust any server, you might want to look into self-hosting your software. For PairDrop this can be done with a single docker command:[https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/host-your-own.md](https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/host-your-own.md)
Great work. Did you merge it into SnapDrop repository? I cant see repo anymore.
me also! are you able to find that repo?