Anyone has a fool proof method? Preferably that does not involve third party apps, or a Foss one.
PS at home I use mixplorer over my home WiFi, but on the go WiFi direct would be useful. I use a Samsung smartphone and lenovo tablet, both on android 14. I can easily connect them, but I never see any WiFi direct option in the share menu (nor Samsung’s quickshare)
EDIT: Enabling Quickshare on both devices then the quickshare icon shows up in the share menu.
Although:
it asks to deactivate WiFi direct (as Markaos says below, probably so it can decide the best connection type, and probably active WiFi direct on demand)
it relies on the contacts of the Google account. As I use a dummy and different gmail on both, and Foss apps for contacts, the only way to share is to “allow sharing with everyone for 10 minutes”
So my question remains as to how to use Wi-Fi direct well…directly.
Your opinion is moot, WiFi direct is a network without an intermediary (router/modem) for peer to peer applications. KDE Connect will work or any other network filesharing application
To share from where to where? For sharing with your own computer at home I just have a SMB share and I use Cx File Explorer to access it like I would on a PC. For direct phone to phone sharing… I haven’t had to do that in ages, so I wouldn’t know. I have a number of solutions for cloud file sharing that are platform agnostic, though.
Oh, gotcha. Yeah, direct phone-to-phone transfers have been rare and mostly replaced by cloud shares for me. It’s just easier to add the file in question to some cloud destination that allows link sharing instead.
This is why I only buy Androids with MicroSD. This problem was solved in the 1980s with the invention of floppy disks. Now it seems they have worked hard to “uninvent it” so your data needs to go through their servers before you are allowed to have a copy.
MTP* and if you don’t understand why plugging a chonker into USB-C might be a bad idea you probably haven’t had decades of repair experience and “accidents”.
You should see what people do to their DC-AC ports.
But since we’re here, I use an SSH server app worth about $3 on my phone to access it from other devices with an SFTP or SSHFS client. The app is literally called “SSH Server”. Once the server is active I can use an app like Solid Explorer (free with ads or paying for a license) on another Android device to connect to my phone on the same Wi-Fi network. Or from Windows I can just map a network drive using the format \\sshfs\user@ip. And on Linux just find the “Connect to server” option in your favorite file explorer to use SSHFS. Or any SFTP client of your choice.
I’m not familiar with Wi-Fi Direct since I’ve been using SSH for years now, and certainly much more work this way, but it works okay across all my devices.
Thanks, that’s an interesting option. It reminded me that I used primitive ftpd a long time ago, which is a Foss app to create a local ftp server, which you can then browse from other devices. I had forgotten as it was probably 6 or 7 years ago, and I’m happy to see it’s still being developed. This still relies on a local network of course, like yours. I don’t know if it could work over mobile data, I suppose you would need to run a full server and a domain name. Mind you it is feasible
The Quick Share option missing is weird - Nearby Share/Quick Share is supposed to be available on every Android 6 or newer device since roughly 2020. And it’s supposed to be able to automatically figure out a reasonable way to connect the devices (LAN if they are in the same network, Bluetooth or WiFi Direct otherwise).
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I use KDE Connect with my laptop and it just works (Linux with KDE required)
Or gnome with gsconnect. I think it’s actually even out on windows now…
Works wih bspwm too
Not true, it’s available for all major distros regardless of DE as well as Windows and Mac OS
https://kdeconnect.kde.org/download.html
when there is LocalSend one doesn’t even need to know what is wifi direct.
KDE connect
I tried this between the Samsung and my Debian laptop and none ever recognised the other. Also quite sure it relies on a local network?
And wifi direct isn’t a local network?
No, it is more peer to peer (imo)
Your opinion is moot, WiFi direct is a network without an intermediary (router/modem) for peer to peer applications. KDE Connect will work or any other network filesharing application
Not sure if it helps but i fixed this problem by connecting both devices using a cable. Works like a charm now, even over network
Even though KDE Connect came with Endeavour OS (arch BTW) I had to allow some firewall settings.
If you use a free VPN like Proton you’ll need to disconnect from it to be able to see devices on LAN.
localsend makes it easy.
i used it for android to android, android to mac, mac to ipad, &c
i as a fool can confirm that it’s “fool proof”
I read that pairdrop.net was 👍 too.
Relies on local network as the name says
hotspot works fine.
one connects to other’s hotspot and both can send/receive files. Helps when you’re out in the middle of nowhere
Could you explain the steps ?
i have an always on vpn, so i have to disable rules and conditions for localSend.
Warpinator works quite well for me
I use Superbeam. You can send to desktop too
To share from where to where? For sharing with your own computer at home I just have a SMB share and I use Cx File Explorer to access it like I would on a PC. For direct phone to phone sharing… I haven’t had to do that in ages, so I wouldn’t know. I have a number of solutions for cloud file sharing that are platform agnostic, though.
I was specifically asking for what you haven’t done in ages
Oh, gotcha. Yeah, direct phone-to-phone transfers have been rare and mostly replaced by cloud shares for me. It’s just easier to add the file in question to some cloud destination that allows link sharing instead.
I just use syncthing but not sure outside of home wifi.
+1 for Syncthing
Yeah love it. I use it to share files between Linux, Android, Windows, Steam Deck, and MacOS. Best OS agnostic sync tool I’ve used.
@stardust @muhyb LocalSend for simple file transfer is quite nice
Seems pretty useful. Thanks for sharing.
Looks simpler to set up than syncthing. Nice find.
Localsend has never failed me. You can find it on F-Droid for android and their website for installation options for desktop.
The description says it is over the local WiFi though, so not what I’m looking for
Doesn’t this require the devices to be connected to the same wifi?
Edit: OP already replied so nvm
This is why I only buy Androids with MicroSD. This problem was solved in the 1980s with the invention of floppy disks. Now it seems they have worked hard to “uninvent it” so your data needs to go through their servers before you are allowed to have a copy.
You know that you can use a cable or a flash drive right? Fiddling with microSD cards seems annoying.
Cable + MPV is the precise nightmare that lead me to be prejudice of these “non-solutions”.
And plugging in a big ackward fat USB-C in the bottom of the phone sounds like a hazard way to break your USB port.
Avoiding phones without 3.5mm AUX and without MicroSD is easier. Problem averted.
Edit: Also, phone suddenly dead? No problem pull the MicroSD for your data.
Uh, so I guess I should stop “plugging in a big awkward fat USB-C” every day to charge my phone then…
That must be why my phones have a broken port … checks motes … zero times in the last many years.
BTW a USB key with USB-C on one side and a classic USB-A on the other side is great for transferring stuff between a phone and a PC IMO.
Not sure what you mean by MPV.
But why the hell would a flash drive break your USB-C port? What are you doing with your phone?
I wasn’t suggesting you keep in there 24/7 only when you need to transfer a file. So like, max a few minutes each time.
Also you can buy small USB-C flash drives. I have this one which is fairly nice: https://www.samsung.com/us/computing/memory-storage/usb-flash-drives/usb-type-c-256gb-muf-256da-am/
MTP* and if you don’t understand why plugging a chonker into USB-C might be a bad idea you probably haven’t had decades of repair experience and “accidents”.
You should see what people do to their DC-AC ports.
I suggest you are more careful with your phone.
I suggest you re-read my postulate and stop acting in bad faith.
USB-C really isn’t that fragile.
microSD is fairly fragile though
I like LocalSend because it can send folders without zipping them, but it did fail for me once when I was sending a folder with 7000 pics.
But LocalSend isn’t a direct option like airdrop, devices need to be connected to a same hotspot.
WIFI file transfer, downloaded from pure apk:
https://m.apkpure.com/wifi-file-transfer/com.smarterdroid.wififiletransfer
You have to allow third party apps to install it but then you’re good to go.
I use localsend, if I need to share between devices while out and about I just turn on hotspot to create a local Wi-Fi network.
All the sharing tools built into android are garbage, none work properly.
EDIT: In my excitement to share a way to do this I didn’t realize you don’t want FOSS or other apps so I deleted my original comment.
EDIT2: See my reply to OP.
Yeah bring back the comment! Even if OP didn’t want it, some of the rest of us might benefit from it :)
Sorry if it is misunderstanding. I meant no app if possible, but a Foss app would be OK if unavoidable
It is I that misunderstood the whole thing.
But since we’re here, I use an SSH server app worth about $3 on my phone to access it from other devices with an SFTP or SSHFS client. The app is literally called “SSH Server”. Once the server is active I can use an app like Solid Explorer (free with ads or paying for a license) on another Android device to connect to my phone on the same Wi-Fi network. Or from Windows I can just map a network drive using the format \\sshfs\user@ip. And on Linux just find the “Connect to server” option in your favorite file explorer to use SSHFS. Or any SFTP client of your choice.
I’m not familiar with Wi-Fi Direct since I’ve been using SSH for years now, and certainly much more work this way, but it works okay across all my devices.
Thanks, that’s an interesting option. It reminded me that I used primitive ftpd a long time ago, which is a Foss app to create a local ftp server, which you can then browse from other devices. I had forgotten as it was probably 6 or 7 years ago, and I’m happy to see it’s still being developed. This still relies on a local network of course, like yours. I don’t know if it could work over mobile data, I suppose you would need to run a full server and a domain name. Mind you it is feasible
I’m interested!
The Quick Share option missing is weird - Nearby Share/Quick Share is supposed to be available on every Android 6 or newer device since roughly 2020. And it’s supposed to be able to automatically figure out a reasonable way to connect the devices (LAN if they are in the same network, Bluetooth or WiFi Direct otherwise).
You are right that it is workable, I will edit my post. I thought quickshare was a Samsung thing only