Send Files from a Windows PC to a Mac

Windows has no built-in equivalent to AirDrop, and Macs don’t support it either when the sender is a PC. Nearsend connects the two directly through the browser instead.

The usual problem

Moving a file from a Windows PC to a Mac usually falls back to a USB flash drive, a shared network folder that takes setup on both machines, or uploading to cloud storage and downloading again, more steps than it should take between two computers on the same desk.

How Nearsend solves it

Open nearsend.app in the browser on the Windows PC and on the Mac, pair them with a QR code, PIN, or voice phrase, and send files or whole folders directly between them; no flash drive, no cloud upload, and nothing to install on either machine.

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
No flash drive, shared network folder, or driver setup required

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to install anything on the Mac?

No, just open nearsend.app in a browser, same as on the Windows PC.

Can I send a whole folder of files?

Yes, whole folders are supported with their structure preserved.

Does this work on a locked-down work computer?

Usually yes, since Nearsend needs only a browser tab and no admin rights to install anything.

Is there a size limit?

There’s no server-side size limit; files stream directly between the two computers.

Is it free?

Yes, Nearsend is free to use.

Can this move files from a Windows PC to a Mac running an older macOS version?

Yes, as long as the Mac's browser is reasonably current, the exact macOS version underneath doesn't matter.

Is there a risk of a virus transferring along with the file?

Nearsend moves whatever bytes you select without scanning them, the same caution about opening unexpected files from any source applies here as with any transfer method.

Does this work for sending files to a Mac used by multiple people?

Yes, since there's no account tied to the transfer, it doesn't matter which macOS user account happens to be logged in when the file arrives.

Can I send a folder of work documents from Windows to a Mac without a NAS or shared drive set up?

Yes, that's exactly the scenario this solves. No network share configuration is needed on either machine; opening nearsend.app on both is the entire setup.

Does this handle file names with special characters or accents correctly?

Yes; files transfer with their original names intact, including accented characters and most special characters, since the file itself isn't being renamed or re-encoded anywhere in the process.

Is there anything different about sending from a Windows laptop versus a desktop?

No, a laptop and a desktop behave identically here, since only the browser matters, not the physical form factor of the Windows machine.