Transfer Files from Your Phone to a PC

Getting photos, videos, or documents off your phone and onto a PC is one of the most common, and most annoyingly fiddly, things people do with their devices. Nearsend does it directly in the browser, with no cable, no app, and no account.

The usual problem

The usual options all have a catch. A USB cable means finding the right one, waiting for driver installs, and navigating a clunky file-explorer window. Cloud storage means uploading first, waiting for it to sync, then downloading again on the other end, plus a storage quota. Email attachments cap out around 25MB. And most "wireless transfer" apps want you to install something and create an account before you can send a single file.

How Nearsend solves it

Nearsend skips all of that. Open nearsend.app in the browser on your phone and on your PC, pair them with a QR code, PIN, or spoken phrase, and your files stream directly between the two devices over an encrypted WebRTC connection; nothing is stored on a server in between.

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
Send whole folders with their structure preserved, not just individual files

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to install an app to send files from my phone to a PC?

No. Nearsend runs entirely in the browser on both devices; nothing to download or install.

Does this work with any PC?

Yes, Windows, Mac, and Linux all work, since all you need is a modern browser.

Can I send more than one file at a time?

Yes, you can select multiple files, or send an entire folder in one go.

Is there a file size limit?

There’s no server-side size limit; files stream directly between your devices in encrypted chunks. Very large files just take as long as your two devices’ own network connection allows.

Do I need an account?

No account, email, or phone number is required.

What if my phone and PC aren't on the same Wi-Fi network?

That's fine. Nearsend pairs the two devices through nearsend.app itself, not local network discovery, so they don't need to share a Wi-Fi network or even be in the same building. Each just needs its own internet connection.

Can I send from the PC to the phone as well, not just phone to PC?

Yes, once paired, the connection works in both directions. Either device can select and send files to the other, and you can switch roles mid-session if needed.

Why does my PC not show my phone after pairing?

Check that both devices are online, turn off any VPN or private relay, and generate a fresh PIN, because pairing codes last about three minutes. If you use a browser with strict privacy settings, such as Brave with Shields on, turn them off for nearsend.app or try Safari or Chrome.

Why did my transfer stop halfway?

The usual cause is the phone screen locking or the browser moving to the background, which can pause the page. Keep the screen on and the browser in the foreground until the transfer finishes, and use Retry Failed Files for anything that did not arrive.