PairDrop review: send a file in the browser

PairDrop is free open-source file sharing for moving a photo, a document, or a short note from one device to another.²⁶ You open it in a web browser, and the public site asks for no setup and no signup.¹² On the same local network, the file goes directly between the devices.³ When the devices are apart, you can pair your own machines or join a temporary room.²

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: Browser file sharing for nearby devices, paired devices, and short-lived rooms.²

Works on: Any device with a modern web browser. A separate Android client is listed on F-Droid.²⁸

Price: Libre, with optional donations for the domain and the server.²

Licence: GNU GPL version 3.⁶

Best for: Sending a file between your own devices, especially on the same Wi-Fi.

Official site: pairdrop.net

What PairDrop does (and how it protects your privacy)

PairDrop is local file sharing in the browser, a fork of Snapdrop, inspired by Apple’s AirDrop.² Devices on the same local network are shown to each other.² A file or a short text is sent peer to peer, meaning the two devices talk to each other.²

The transfer waits until the receiving device accepts it.² The FAQ says that, on the same network, none of your files are ever sent to any server, and that PairDrop does not use a database.³ WebRTC, the browser tool that carries the file, encrypts it in transit, so the contents are scrambled on the way.³

For devices that are not on the same Wi-Fi, pairing and temporary public rooms add an internet path.² The current release is v1.11.2, dated 24 February 2025.⁷

Key PairDrop features

Nearby sending: Images, documents, and text go by a peer-to-peer connection to devices on the same local network.²
A yes before the file moves: The transfer starts after the request is accepted, and several files can download as one ZIP archive.²
Pairing that sticks: A 6-digit code or a QR code lets known devices find each other again after you reopen the page.²
Short-lived rooms: A 5-letter code or a QR code joins a public room. Closing the page leaves the room.²
Names you choose: You can set a display name so your phone and laptop are easy to tell apart.²
Home-screen use: The FAQ explains adding PairDrop to a phone or computer home screen.³ The README also lists sending from the share menu, the context menu, or the command line.²
Your own server: The docs explain hosting with Docker or Node.js, and choosing your own STUN and TURN servers.²

PairDrop pros and cons

Pros

The public website needs no account, and the project describes PairDrop as libre, with donations as a choice.¹²
On one local network, the FAQ says your files are not sent to any server.³
The other person accepts the request before anything is transferred.²
The source is published under the GNU GPL version 3.⁶
You can run a copy yourself. The docs call Docker the easiest setup.⁵

Cons

The FAQ says you still have to trust the PairDrop server that introduces the devices.³ A stricter design, which the project calls zero trust, is described as a plan.³
Paired devices behind different routers may send traffic through a TURN relay, and that path is slower.³⁴ A relay passes the connection when the devices cannot reach each other directly.³⁴
A copy you host needs a TURN server before it can transfer between different networks.⁵
The FAQ points desktop Firefox to a browser add-on for an icon.³ On Windows, Firefox can pin the site to the taskbar as a web app, including Microsoft Store installs as of Firefox 150.⁹¹⁰ On iPhone, the documented steps use Safari.³
The separate Android app on F-Droid is marked as depending on a Google STUN server.⁸ STUN tells a device the address the outside world sees.⁴
The newest release tag is v1.11.2 from 24 February 2025.⁷

Is PairDrop safe and private?

The technical notes say encryption is mandatory for WebRTC connections and is done by the browser.⁴ After setup, only the receiver can decrypt the channel.⁴ The setup messages travel through the PairDrop server on secure websockets, a live link used so the devices can find each other.⁴ The FAQ says you have to trust that server.³ It describes a plan to encrypt that introduction and to check for a man-in-the-middle, someone sitting between the two devices.³

On the same network, the FAQ says files are never sent to a server.³ If paired devices are behind a NAT, a router that hides the device’s own address, the PairDrop TURN server routes the files and messages.³ The technical notes say a dishonest TURN server could see that a connection exists, and could not read what is sent.⁴ Pairing uses long secrets stored in the browser with IndexedDB, a small store the browser keeps.⁴ Those secrets are sent to the PairDrop server so paired devices can discover each other.⁴

The public site does not use the optional websocket fallback.⁵ On a server you run, that mode sends traffic through the server, and the server can read it.⁵ The notes say to use it only where you trust the operator.⁵ The README says the maintainer pays for the domain and the server.² The support notes ask people to do security analysis and send suggestions.³

How to get started with PairDrop

On each device, open pairdrop.net in a current browser.¹
Use the same local network, so those devices can see each other.²
Choose the other device and send a file or some text. The transfer starts after that device accepts. Several files can arrive as one ZIP.²
To repeat this later, pair with the 6-digit code or the QR code and set a display name. Pairing remains after you reopen the page.²
On different networks, share a public room’s 5-letter code or QR code. Closing PairDrop leaves the room.²
For a home-screen icon, use the FAQ’s steps: Chrome or Samsung Browser on Android, Safari on iPhone, and the install button in Chrome, Edge, Vivaldi, or Brave. The FAQ points desktop Firefox to an add-on.³ On Windows, Firefox can pin the site to the taskbar as a web app, including Microsoft Store installs as of Firefox 150.⁹¹⁰
To run a copy, follow the Docker or Node.js notes. Transfers between different networks need a TURN server.²⁵

Who should use PairDrop (and who might prefer something else)

PairDrop fits a phone and a laptop on the same Wi-Fi, or a one-time send to someone in the room who can accept the request. On that path, the FAQ says the file is not uploaded to a server.³

If you want the phone and the computer to stay linked for everyday tasks, not only a file, KDE Connect is the installed companion for that longer link. If you would rather type a short code into a small program on each computer, Magic Wormhole is the typed-code handoff. If you are sharing a note someone will open later, PrivateBin is an encrypted text paste.

Frequently asked questions

Is PairDrop free?

Yes. The project says PairDrop is libre and will stay that way, and the public site asks for no signup. Optional donations help pay for the domain and the server.¹²

Is PairDrop safe?

Files travel with WebRTC. The browser encrypts them, and on the same network they are not sent to a server.³⁴ You still trust the server that introduces the devices.³ A relay between different networks can see that a connection exists, and the notes say it cannot read the contents.⁴

Does PairDrop work on iPhone?

Yes. It runs in the browser, and the project describes sharing photos between Android and iOS.² To put an icon on the home screen, the FAQ says to use Safari, then Share, then Add to Home Screen.³ The README also lists sending from the iOS share menu.²

Does PairDrop keep a copy of my files?

The FAQ says files go directly between devices, PairDrop has no database, and on the same network none of your files are sent to a server.³ Between different routers, a TURN server routes the encrypted traffic.³⁴ The official site leaves off a fallback mode that, on a server you run, would let that server read the traffic.⁵