4 ms·

I think its a bit of a stretch to think that an app would be able to send a file to someone elses phone without them installing an app to manage the file storag

by alt227 3y ago

I think its a bit of a stretch to think that an app would be able to send a file to someone elses phone without them installing an app to manage the file storage and security.

tasuki 3y ago
The sending person needs an app, sure. But the receiving one, shouldn't it be theoretically enough to use a web browser to download the shared file?
- PinguTS 3y ago
  But you still need to be able to send the link, so the receiving party needs some way to be able to receive the link. It is then either some form of local messenger or ... an app. So, yeah, the receiving party needs an app, if the app is not build-in into the OS like Airdrop in iOS.
  - bn-usd-mistake 3y ago
    QR Code
  - latexr 3y ago
    The receiving person can be sitting next to you so you can share via the sound of your voice or showing them your phone. Technically they will still need an app to download the file (even if just a web browser) but there’s a gulf of difference between using an app you already have or installing a new one, especially if you need to do all the due diligence of “do I trust this?”
  - prmoustache 3y ago
    https://f-droid.org/fr/packages/com.example.flutter_http_server/ https://f-droid.org/fr/packages/com.example.flutter_http_ser...
  - arghwhat 3y ago
    The URL is an IP and a port, so it can be typed by hand. Each connecting client needs explicit approval in the app, and then gets the list of the specific files that have been shared using this method.
    - pizzafeelsright 3y ago
      Imagine in the year 2023 with internet connected phones and still each phone doesn't have its own web server?
    - psnehanshu 3y ago
      It's ridiculous to think people will find it easy type out URLs and that too IP addresses along with a port. It maybe fine for HNerds, but definitely not for others. Shows hows much people in this site live inside a bubble.
      - tjoff 3y ago
        QR code.
        psnehanshu 3y ago
        Yes, QR codes, and that's what most apps do.
        arghwhat 3y ago
        ... including this one.
        psnehanshu 3y ago
        Sorry?
        arghwhat 3y ago
        This app also uses a QR code when you want to send files to someone without the app. The IP and port is just also shown, which is very useful when the target device doesn't have an easy QR code scanner - say, a desktop.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
sofixa 3y ago
Bluetooth file sharing was around before smartphones were.
- Almondsetat 3y ago
  Bluetooth file sharing didn't magically materialize inside phones, it had to be implemented in the OS by the programmers
lambda_garden 3y ago
Maybe something clever could be built into a web app?
- PhilippGille 3y ago
  Like https://www.sharedrop.io/ https://www.sharedrop.io/? It finds devices on the same network automatically but also works across networks when using the plus button on the top right.
- psnehanshu 3y ago
  There's https://toffeeshare.com/nearby https://toffeeshare.com/nearby
- JaneLovesDotNet 3y ago
  https://pairdrop.net https://pairdrop.net I've tried all the options in this thread but only discovered pairdrop 20 minutes ago (thanks to this thread) and it's by far the best option.
arghwhat 3y ago
Not really, it's fully supported: https://github.com/localsend/protocol#5-reverse-file-transfer-http-%E5%8F%8D%E5%90%91%E6%96%87%E4%BB%B6%E4%BC%A0%E8%BE%93http https://github.com/localsend/protocol#5-reverse-file-transfe...
- tjoff 3y ago
  That is nice. I'd probably just use python to share a directory from termux instead. Problem is that you both need to be on the same network for this to work. Sure, I could quickly start a hotspot and share that with a qr-code and then share my ip+port with another qr code. Whole setup is like 6 clicks, but... The receiving side needs to join a wifi (and implicitly disconnect from something they might be using, and then have to switch back afterwards) and scan ² qr codes. All in all, too cumbersome.
  - j1elo 3y ago
    Not many other ways to do it... not relying on a common network is a desirable thing if you ask me (say to share photos with friends while camping without Wifi). At that point, a hotspot wifi network is the only solution I can think of. Being in the same network, of course, lowers the difficulty bar because now the peers don't need to perform an initial step of creating their own network link between phones.
    - tjoff 3y ago
      Apple has airdrop and android has nearby-share or whatever it is called. And many apps are running their own direct wifi-wifi, tons of ways to do it. No real reason for why it couldn't be native to all devices that exist. The problem is that airdrop only works with apple devices so that is utterly useless. Nearby-share is equivalently useless. Hotspot works, but only in some cases. About as convenient as unpacking a laptop and sharing thumb-drives. Which is a pretty embarrassing state of affairs in 2023.

by alt227 3y ago

I think its a bit of a stretch to think that an app would be able to send a file to someone elses phone without them installing an app to manage the file storage and security.

tasuki 3y ago

The sending person needs an app, sure. But the receiving one, shouldn't it be theoretically enough to use a web browser to download the shared file?

PinguTS 3y ago
But you still need to be able to send the link, so the receiving party needs some way to be able to receive the link. It is then either some form of local messenger or ... an app. So, yeah, the receiving party needs an app, if the app is not build-in into the OS like Airdrop in iOS.
- bn-usd-mistake 3y ago
  QR Code
- latexr 3y ago
  The receiving person can be sitting next to you so you can share via the sound of your voice or showing them your phone. Technically they will still need an app to download the file (even if just a web browser) but there’s a gulf of difference between using an app you already have or installing a new one, especially if you need to do all the due diligence of “do I trust this?”
- prmoustache 3y ago
  https://f-droid.org/fr/packages/com.example.flutter_http_server/ https://f-droid.org/fr/packages/com.example.flutter_http_ser...
- arghwhat 3y ago
  The URL is an IP and a port, so it can be typed by hand. Each connecting client needs explicit approval in the app, and then gets the list of the specific files that have been shared using this method.
  - pizzafeelsright 3y ago
    Imagine in the year 2023 with internet connected phones and still each phone doesn't have its own web server?
  - psnehanshu 3y ago
    It's ridiculous to think people will find it easy type out URLs and that too IP addresses along with a port. It maybe fine for HNerds, but definitely not for others. Shows hows much people in this site live inside a bubble.
    - tjoff 3y ago
      QR code.
      - psnehanshu 3y ago
        Yes, QR codes, and that's what most apps do.
        arghwhat 3y ago
        ... including this one.
        psnehanshu 3y ago
        Sorry?
        arghwhat 3y ago
        This app also uses a QR code when you want to send files to someone without the app. The IP and port is just also shown, which is very useful when the target device doesn't have an easy QR code scanner - say, a desktop.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

sofixa 3y ago

Bluetooth file sharing was around before smartphones were.

Almondsetat 3y ago
Bluetooth file sharing didn't magically materialize inside phones, it had to be implemented in the OS by the programmers

lambda_garden 3y ago

Maybe something clever could be built into a web app?

PhilippGille 3y ago
Like https://www.sharedrop.io/ https://www.sharedrop.io/? It finds devices on the same network automatically but also works across networks when using the plus button on the top right.
psnehanshu 3y ago
There's https://toffeeshare.com/nearby https://toffeeshare.com/nearby
JaneLovesDotNet 3y ago
https://pairdrop.net https://pairdrop.net I've tried all the options in this thread but only discovered pairdrop 20 minutes ago (thanks to this thread) and it's by far the best option.

arghwhat 3y ago

Not really, it's fully supported: https://github.com/localsend/protocol#5-reverse-file-transfer-http-%E5%8F%8D%E5%90%91%E6%96%87%E4%BB%B6%E4%BC%A0%E8%BE%93http https://github.com/localsend/protocol#5-reverse-file-transfe...

tjoff 3y ago
That is nice. I'd probably just use python to share a directory from termux instead. Problem is that you both need to be on the same network for this to work. Sure, I could quickly start a hotspot and share that with a qr-code and then share my ip+port with another qr code. Whole setup is like 6 clicks, but... The receiving side needs to join a wifi (and implicitly disconnect from something they might be using, and then have to switch back afterwards) and scan ² qr codes. All in all, too cumbersome.
- j1elo 3y ago
  Not many other ways to do it... not relying on a common network is a desirable thing if you ask me (say to share photos with friends while camping without Wifi). At that point, a hotspot wifi network is the only solution I can think of. Being in the same network, of course, lowers the difficulty bar because now the peers don't need to perform an initial step of creating their own network link between phones.
  - tjoff 3y ago
    Apple has airdrop and android has nearby-share or whatever it is called. And many apps are running their own direct wifi-wifi, tons of ways to do it. No real reason for why it couldn't be native to all devices that exist. The problem is that airdrop only works with apple devices so that is utterly useless. Nearby-share is equivalently useless. Hotspot works, but only in some cases. About as convenient as unpacking a laptop and sharing thumb-drives. Which is a pretty embarrassing state of affairs in 2023.