[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":234},["ShallowReactive",2],{"en-post-136":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":12,"extension":227,"meta":228,"navigation":229,"path":230,"seo":231,"stem":232,"__hash__":233},"content/post/136.md","136",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":215},"minimark",[9,13,18,21,25,59,63,88,91,95,147,150,154,157,161,186,190,193,197,200],[10,11,12],"p",{},"Want to move photos, videos, and documents between a phone and a PC, or between two PCs, without routing them through WeChat or a cloud drive that eats your bandwidth? LocalSend is a free, open source local network transfer tool that sends files directly over Wi-Fi, with zero configuration, no account, and no cloud. This guide explains what it is, how to use it, and why it is called the open source AirDrop, plus the few network settings that make it reliable.",[14,15,17],"h2",{"id":16},"what-is-localsend","What Is LocalSend",[10,19,20],{},"LocalSend is a free, open source local network file transfer tool for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. Released under Apache-2.0 and built with Flutter, it has over 70k stars on GitHub and is known as the open source AirDrop. Its core idea is to let nearby devices send files and text directly over the local Wi-Fi, with no internet, cloud server, or third-party relay, and no account or configuration. It suits quick transfers of photos, videos, documents, and installers between phones and PCs or between PCs, especially where privacy and offline use matter. Unlike platform-specific sharing built into Windows or Android, one LocalSend app covers every OS, so the same workflow works on both ends. It also never uploads a single byte to a server, which is why many privacy-minded users keep it installed. The app is small enough to sit on every device you own without a second thought.",[14,22,24],{"id":23},"features","Features",[26,27,28,32,35,38,41,44,47,50,53,56],"ul",{},[29,30,31],"li",{},"Cross-platform transfer. One app covers Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS with no barriers between devices.",[29,33,34],{},"Local and offline. Communicates directly over REST API and HTTPS encryption, so data stays on the local network and never reaches the cloud.",[29,36,37],{},"End-to-end encryption. All transfers use HTTPS, with optional PIN verification to prevent misreceipt or eavesdropping on the LAN.",[29,39,40],{},"Zero configuration. A built-in discovery mechanism scans the same subnet automatically, with no manual pairing or IP entry.",[29,42,43],{},"Any file type. Send photos, videos, documents, or plain text; the receiver saves to the downloads folder by default.",[29,45,46],{},"Portable and silent. Windows has a portable ZIP and supports --hidden to start in the tray.",[29,48,49],{},"No ads, no tracking. Completely free and open source, with no ads or user tracking.",[29,51,52],{},"Selective sending. Pick individual files or whole folders, and cancel a transfer mid-flight without corrupting the rest.",[29,54,55],{},"Theme and language options. A clean light interface with many translations, so non-English teammates feel at home.",[29,57,58],{},"Transfer history. Review what you sent and when, handy when you need to resend the same folder.",[14,60,62],{"id":61},"how-to-use","How to Use",[64,65,66,76,79,82,85],"ol",{},[29,67,68,69,75],{},"Install. Open ",[70,71,72],"a",{"href":72,"rel":73},"https://localsend.org",[74],"nofollow"," and download the Windows installer (for example LocalSend-x.y.z-windows-setup-x86_64.exe) or the portable ZIP. Or run winget install localsend.localsend. The Microsoft Store version updates automatically.",[29,77,78],{},"Launch. Open LocalSend on both devices and make sure they share the same Wi-Fi with AP isolation off.",[29,80,81],{},"Send. On the sender tap Send and choose photos, videos, documents, or text.",[29,83,84],{},"Pick device. The app lists online devices on the subnet; tap the target avatar.",[29,86,87],{},"Receive. The receiver taps Receive and the file lands in the downloads folder. Enable PIN Requirement to require a PIN for extra security.",[10,89,90],{},"If Windows Firewall prompts on first launch, allow LocalSend for private networks so discovery works.",[14,92,94],{"id":93},"supported-platforms","Supported Platforms",[96,97,98,111],"table",{},[99,100,101],"thead",{},[102,103,104,108],"tr",{},[105,106,107],"th",{},"Platform",[105,109,110],{},"Support",[112,113,114,123,131,139],"tbody",{},[102,115,116,120],{},[117,118,119],"td",{},"Windows",[117,121,122],{},"10 and above, portable and Store builds",[102,124,125,128],{},[117,126,127],{},"macOS",[117,129,130],{},"Native installer",[102,132,133,136],{},[117,134,135],{},"Linux",[117,137,138],{},"AppImage and other formats",[102,140,141,144],{},[117,142,143],{},"Android and iOS",[117,145,146],{},"Mobile apps",[10,148,149],{},"LocalSend provides a native build for every listed platform, and the Windows portable ZIP means you can run it from a USB drive on a borrowed machine. The Android and iOS apps are functionally identical to the desktop versions, so a phone and a laptop discover each other without any setup. There is no web client because the whole point is to avoid the internet.",[14,151,153],{"id":152},"pricing","Pricing",[10,155,156],{},"LocalSend is completely free under Apache-2.0, with no paywall, in-app purchase, or ad. What you download from the official site, GitHub, or app store is the full version, maintained by community donations. There is no premium tier to unlock features, and no account to subscribe to. The project publishes its roadmap openly, so you can see what the community is building next.",[14,158,160],{"id":159},"use-cases","Use Cases",[26,162,163,166,169,172,175,178],{},[29,164,165],{},"Phone and PC transfer. Send fresh photos and videos to the PC without a cable or WeChat compression.",[29,167,168],{},"Large temporary files. Installers and videos travel over the LAN, saving cloud quota and bandwidth.",[29,170,171],{},"Multi-device collaboration. Pass documents between PCs more smoothly than unplugging a USB drive.",[29,173,174],{},"Privacy first. Data stays on the local network, ideal for contracts and IDs.",[29,176,177],{},"Quick sharing at a meeting. Hand a slide deck to a colleague across the table without email or a chat app.",[29,179,180,181,185],{},"Cautions. It works only on the same LAN and cannot cross the internet. Windows Firewall must allow local communication on port 53317, or devices will not appear. Turn off AP isolation on routers. The last build for Windows 7 is v1.15.4. For sharing whole folders, see ",[70,182,184],{"href":183},"/post/17/","Windows File and Printer Sharing on a Local Network",".",[14,187,189],{"id":188},"how-it-works","How It Works",[10,191,192],{},"LocalSend is a community-driven open source project under Apache-2.0 on GitHub, maintained by volunteers. It depends on no central server, with discovery and transfer happening between devices, so there is no account system, no cloud, and no data collection. Devices announce themselves on the local network with mDNS and then exchange files over an HTTPS channel, which is why discovery is instant and the link stays encrypted. This decentralized, local-first design is exactly why it achieves zero configuration and strong privacy. Because there is no server in the middle, there is also no server to go down, which is why transfers keep working even offline. It also means it earns nothing from subscriptions or ads, so it stays free.",[14,194,196],{"id":195},"conclusion","Conclusion",[10,198,199],{},"If you often move files between a phone and a PC but dislike cloud speed limits or privacy worries, LocalSend is worth installing. It is cross-platform, configuration-free, and cloud-free, close to the system AirDrop. Keep it next to your other essentials and you will reach for it weekly. It is the fastest way to move a file when a cable is not within reach. Download and official resources below.",[10,201,202,203,206,207,211,212],{},"Website ",[70,204,72],{"href":72,"rel":205},[74],"\nGitHub Releases ",[70,208,209],{"href":209,"rel":210},"https://github.com/localsend/localsend/releases",[74],"\nDownload ",[70,213,72],{"href":72,"rel":214},[74],{"title":216,"searchDepth":217,"depth":217,"links":218},"",2,[219,220,221,222,223,224,225,226],{"id":16,"depth":217,"text":17},{"id":23,"depth":217,"text":24},{"id":61,"depth":217,"text":62},{"id":93,"depth":217,"text":94},{"id":152,"depth":217,"text":153},{"id":159,"depth":217,"text":160},{"id":188,"depth":217,"text":189},{"id":195,"depth":217,"text":196},"md",{},true,"/post/136",{"description":12},"post/136","6SJdHcp7OlBnwpp4_tjhdcXHlAW-zsjrmX7kZoRnHPM",1794378304794]