I Found The Easiest Way To Send Files Between My Android Phone And Desktop - And It's Free

4 weeks ago

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

Localsend makes sharing files connected Android a breeze.
You tin stock and person files.
Localsend useful pinch Android, Linux, MacOS, and Windows.

Android is my mobile OS of choice. As acold arsenic nan desktop is concerned, I switch backmost and distant betwixt Linux and MacOS (depending connected what I'm doing). Often, I request to transportation files betwixt Android and my 2 desktop operating systems, but uncovering nan easiest method of doing truthful has been a spot of a chore.

Until I recovered Localsend.

Also: I recovered a amended measurement to transportation files betwixt Android and Linux - and it's free

Localsend makes transferring files betwixt Android and Linux/MacOS/Windows astir arsenic easy arsenic it gets. If your phone/tablet and desktop/laptop are connected nan aforesaid network, Localsend automatically finds each lawsuit of nan app, truthful you don't person to manually adhd them.

In different words, unfastened Localsend connected your telephone and your desktop, and nan app will auto-discover immoderate different lawsuit of nan app connected nan network. Once discovered, you tin nonstop aliases person files/folders, text, aliases moreover paste from your clipboard. It's arsenic easy arsenic it gets... and it's free. Let maine show you really to usage Localsend truthful you don't person to cobble together a solution connected your own.

How to instal Localsend

What you'll need: The only things you'll request are an Android telephone (or tablet) and a desktop computer. I'm going to show this connected Linux, because installing connected MacOS and Windows is arsenic easy arsenic opening nan app store, uncovering Localsend, and installing.

Also: My 6 favourite open-source Android apps from nan Google Play Store

There are 3 ways to instal Localsend: source, Flatpak, and .deb. Since I usage Pop!_OS (which is based connected Ubuntu), I'll show installing pinch nan .deb package. Head complete to nan Localsend download site and download nan .deb record to your ~/Downloads directory.

Open your terminal model and instal Localsend pinch nan command:

sudo dpkg -i ~/Downloads/LocalSend*.deb

The installation should spell disconnected without a hitch.

If you're utilizing a non-Ubuntu distribution that supports Flatpak installations, you tin instal Localsend pinch nan pursuing command:

flatpak instal flathub org.localsend.localsend_app

If, aft installing Localsend from Flatpak, you don't spot nan app successful your desktop menu, log retired and log backmost in, and it should appear.

How to usage Localsend

Using Localsend is incredibly easy. All you person to do is unfastened nan app connected some your Android instrumentality and your desktop. Each instrumentality will get a random name. For example, my Android telephone was fixed nan sanction Energetic Pumpkin, my MacBook was named Neat Raspberry, and my Pop!_OS desktop was named Gorgeous Blueberry.

1. Send nan record from your desktop

Let's opportunity you want to nonstop a record from your desktop to your phone. For that, click Send connected nan desktop type of Localsend and click File. Navigate to nan record you want to nonstop and prime it. Next, prime nan instrumentality that is to person nan file.

Also: I've utilized virtually each Linux distro, but this 1 has a caller perspective

2. Receive nan record connected your telephone

On your Android device, nan incoming record will appear. All you person to do is pat Accept, and nan record is saved.

The Localsend person model connected Android.

One point you mightiness see is changing nan default files for redeeming files connected Android. I've recovered nan default location doesn't activity truthful well. To do that, spell to Settings > "Save to folder." I urge creating a Localsend files wrong Downloads to make things easy.

Also: How to commencement utilizing nan caller Linux terminal connected your Android device

That's it. This process is nan aforesaid sloppy of what desktop OS you are using, which makes Localsend 1 of nan champion options, particularly for those who usage aggregate operating systems.