Guide
You cannot AirDrop to an Android phone
AirDrop has no Android implementation, so the share sheet on your iPhone simply will not offer it. Bluetooth pairing usually fails or stalls on the first try. What works is opening one page in both browsers, reading out a four-character room code, and sending — the file goes straight from one phone to the other, with no app, no account and no copy on a server.
How to send from iPhone to Android
- On the iPhone, open this page and pick the Send tab. A four-character room code appears, for example 4821.
- On the Android phone, open the same page in Chrome and pick Receive.
- Type the code from the iPhone and join the room.
- Back on the iPhone, choose the file, or drag it onto the page.
- The Android phone receives it directly from the iPhone's browser. Chrome asks you to allow downloads the first time.
Going the other way
- On the Android phone, pick the Send tab and read out the room code.
- On the iPhone, pick Receive and type that code in.
- Choose the file on Android, send, and accept it in Safari.
Why not AirDrop, Bluetooth or a cable
AirDrop is the obvious answer and it is not available: it is Apple's proprietary protocol, and while an AirDrop target can be turned on from a third-party app on Android, the sender still has an iPhone and the setup is not one tap. Bluetooth pairing between an iPhone and an Android phone fails often enough that people give up on it. A cable works and is the right answer for a large video, but you need the right adapter, and the socket on the phone may already be charging. All of the remaining options are apps you install on both devices. This one needs a browser, which both phones already have.
What each option actually costs you
| AirDrop | Bluetooth | Cable | This page | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone to Android | No | Unreliable | Yes, with an adapter | Yes |
| Nothing to install | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Needs both devices on one network | Yes | Yes | No | No, it works across networks |
| File left on a third party's machine | No | No | No | No |
| Best for very large files | Yes | No | Yes | Yes, over a cable |
Where this is the wrong answer
- With no network at all, nothing here works. A cable is the only option that needs none.
- For a multi-gigabyte video, a cable is faster. A direct link is limited by the slower of the two upload speeds, and when a relay is needed its shared uplink becomes the ceiling. Every gigabyte a relay forwards also costs bandwidth we pay for.
- Some workplace and school networks block WebRTC. If the two devices never finish connecting, that is why.
- The room code is four characters by default, so in principle someone could guess it and join the transfer. Fine for two people in the same room. For anything genuinely confidential, tap the toggle on the send screen to use a 36-character id instead.
FAQ
- Can you AirDrop to an Android phone?
- No. AirDrop is Apple's own protocol and has no Android implementation, so the iPhone share sheet never offers it and an Android phone never appears in the list. Some third-party Android apps can expose an AirDrop target, but the sender still needs an iPhone and the pairing is not one tap.
- How do I send a file from iPhone to Android without AirDrop?
- Open this page in both browsers, pick Send on the iPhone and read out the room code, then type that code under Receive on the Android phone and join. Choose the file on the iPhone and it goes straight across. There is no app to install and nothing is uploaded to a server.
- Can I AirDrop from an Android phone to an iPhone?
- Not with AirDrop either, because the receiving side is what has to speak Apple's protocol and the iPhone is the only device here that does. This page works in both directions: whichever phone holds the file sends, the other receives.
- Why does Bluetooth file transfer fail between iPhone and Android?
- They use different pairing stacks, so the two phones often fail to negotiate a profile or stall once connected. A cable works, but finding the right adapter on a locked work laptop is the part people usually give up on.
- Can I send from iPhone to Android without the internet?
- Only if both devices are on the same local network. PrivyDrop needs a network to introduce the two browsers, even though the file itself never travels over the internet. For a truly offline transfer, use a cable.
- Do both phones need an app?
- No. Safari on the iPhone and Chrome on the Android phone is the entire setup. There is no account, no pairing code, and nothing left behind afterwards.
- Is the file uploaded anywhere?
- No. The backend has endpoints for opening a room, checking whether one exists and counting anonymous usage. None of them accepts a file, and none can tell you who is in a room. The complete list is in backend/src/routes/api.ts in the MIT licensed repository.
- Will it work for a 4K video?
- It will work, but a cable is the faster answer for anything that large, particularly across networks. Use this for documents, photos and anything where you would rather not hand a copy to a server.