How it works

From install to your first shared file, in a few minutes.

1. Set up the host

The host is the phone or computer that has the spare space.

Open the app and go to Settings (computers: the Share my storage tab).
Choose Shared storage limit: 5 GB, 10 GB, or a custom amount.
Choose Storage location. A visible folder is recommended: files keep their real names, so you can open them in your file manager. On a phone the app asks you to pick the folder the first time you share. On a computer it starts with Documents/Nearby Storage Share.
Choose Who can connect: private, ask each time, or open on this network. Set the default permissions for new devices.
Switch on Share my storage (Home on Android). The app shows an address such as 192.168.1.20:45820; keep it handy.

On the other device open Nearby (Android) or Use nearby storage (computers).
Tap Scan for devices. The host appears in the list. If it does not, tap Connect by address and type the host's address.
Both screens show the same 6-digit code. Check they match, tap Yes, the codes match on the guest and Allow on the host.

If the two codes differ, tap Cancel on both. A different code means someone or something is in the middle of the connection.

Browse folders and search. The bar at the top shows how much of your limit you have used and what you may do.
Upload with the Upload button; pick one or many files. Watch the progress or cancel.
Open a file to view it in the right app, or Save it to the device.
Manage folders and files, as far as the host allowed.
The next time, tap the host again: no code is needed.

Devices lists everyone who has connected, with usage and status.
Open a device to change its permissions, limit and expiry, or to revoke, block or re-pair it.
Received files shows everything guests uploaded. Open shows the file; Open location (visible folder) takes you to its folder in your file manager.
A pending request pops up on the host with its code, even when the window is hidden in the tray.

Pairing. Each device has its own key. The code is derived from both devices' keys and random values, and both sides commit to their values first, so nobody can pick a code that matches.
Encryption. The connection uses TLS. After pairing, each side remembers the other's certificate fingerprint and refuses a different one.
Permissions on the host. Every request is checked against the host's database: sharing on, device approved, not revoked or expired, permission granted, quota available.
Files. An upload is reserved, received into a temporary file, checked by size and SHA-256, and only then moved into place. If the connection drops, nothing half-written is left.
No cloud. There is no account system and no server of ours. See the Privacy Policy.

A phone's own hotspot is the most reliable network for phone-to-computer sharing.
Keep the host plugged in for long transfers; battery saver can pause background work.
On Android, allow the app to ignore battery optimisation if the host disappears when the screen is off.