Send Files Between HarmonyOS and iPhone

A Huawei phone and an iPhone share almost nothing when it comes to wireless transfer. AirDrop only talks to Apple devices and Huawei Share is built mainly for Huawei hardware. If you are switching phones, or just handing someone a file, Nearsend works between the two in the browser.

The usual problem

The usual routes are awkward here. There is no common built-in feature, so people fall back to messaging apps that shrink photos and videos, or to a cloud service that needs an upload, a download, and an account on both sides. A computer in the middle works too, but it means two cable transfers for one file.

How Nearsend solves it

Open nearsend.app in the browser on the HarmonyOS device and in Safari on the iPhone. Pair them with a QR code, a PIN, or a spoken phrase, then pick files on one and send. They stream directly to the other, encrypted and at their original quality, with no app and no account.

How to do it

Open Nearsend on both devices, Go to nearsend.app in any modern browser on the sending and receiving device; no app to install.
Pair them, Scan the animated QR code, enter the 6-digit PIN, or say the voice phrase to connect the two devices directly.
Send your files or folder, Drop files or a full folder onto the page, or pick them from the file browser. They stream straight to the other device.

Why it works well here

No app to install, runs in the browser on both devices
No account or sign-up required
Works across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, ChromeOS, and HarmonyOS
Files stream directly device-to-device; nothing is stored on a server
Works in both directions between the two phones
No Apple ID, Huawei ID, or Google account needed

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I send from HarmonyOS to an iPhone directly?

Yes, through Nearsend in the browser on both devices. There is no built-in feature that does this between the two.

Do I need an app on either phone?

No. Nothing needs to be installed.

Where do files land on the iPhone?

Nearsend works in Safari, so files are saved through the browser, typically to the Downloads location in the Files app. Photos and videos can then be added to your library from there.

Can I use this to move to a new phone?

For a handful of files and folders, yes. It is not a full backup or migration tool, so contacts, messages, and app data need their own migration route.

Do both phones need to be on the same Wi-Fi?

No. Pairing goes through nearsend.app, so each only needs its own connection.

Will photos and videos lose quality?

No. Files are sent exactly as they are.

Does the iPhone screen need to stay on?

Keep the Nearsend tab open and the screen awake during the transfer, because iOS can pause background tabs.

Is it encrypted?

Yes. Transfers use DTLS-encrypted WebRTC data channels and are never stored on a server.

Can I send from the iPhone to the HarmonyOS device?

Yes. Once paired, either phone can send to the other.

Is there a size limit?

Nearsend sets none, but received data is held in memory until it is saved, so very large files can strain a phone.