What is LocalShare?
LocalShare is a free tool for moving files and text between devices that are on the same local network. It runs entirely in the browser, so there is nothing to install and no account to create. Files travel directly from one device to the other over an encrypted WebRTC connection — they are never uploaded to this site or to any cloud service along the way.
How to share a file
- Open www.local-share.com on both devices while they are connected to the same Wi-Fi or wired network. The device counter at the top goes up as each one joins.
- On the sending device, choose Share Files or Share Folder, or drag files onto the "Shared by You" box.
- On the receiving device, the files appear under "Shared by Others". Tick the ones you want and press Download.
- Keep both pages open until the progress bar finishes. The sending device has to stay on the page, because that is where the file is coming from.
The Text tab works the same way for links, notes, addresses or anything else you would otherwise email to yourself: type or paste it on one device and copy it on the other.
Why it is fast and private
A cloud service makes every file take two trips: up to a data centre, then back down to the other device. On most home connections the upload leg is the slow one. LocalShare skips both trips. Once two devices have found each other, the data only has to cross your own router, so speed is set by your Wi-Fi or Ethernet, not by your internet plan.
The server behind this page only does one job: it passes a short connection handshake between two browsers so they can find each other, and it only introduces devices that are on the same network. It never receives file contents and does not log file names. The privacy page lists exactly what is recorded.
What it works on
Any current browser on Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux or ChromeOS — which makes it handy for the combinations that have no built-in option, such as Android to Mac or iPhone to Windows. There is no enforced file size limit; very large files simply take longer and need both pages to stay open.
Guides
- Move photos and files from an Android phone to a Mac without a cable
- AirDrop alternatives for Windows, Android and mixed households
- Send a video without it being compressed
- Same Wi-Fi, but the devices can't see each other: what to check
- How a file gets from one browser to another without a server
- Getting faster transfers on your home network
Something not working? The FAQ covers the common cases.