They're free, they're easy, they're open source, and they generate funny names. //

One is LocalSend, a cross-platform app with an open source client and protocol that I install wherever I can. The other lower-friction tool that's especially handy for guests and rarely used devices is SnapDrop, a website or web app you open on both devices and then send files through, entirely on your local network. It, too, has its code out there for anybody to view.

Neither of these apps is new, which is good. They've been around long enough to garner good reviews and trust from their users. Beyond sharing files between two humans, I've also leaned on them when setting up headless systems or other quirky devices. //

roo82
roo82 Ars Tribunus Militum
23y
2,137
Subscriptor++
I've been using PairDrop https://pairdrop.net/ instead of SnapDrop. It's a fork of SnapDrop with more features, and can also be self-hosted. That being said, I didn't know about LocalSend before this article, and might just switch to it instead.