What it is

PairDrop is open-source JavaScript web app for file sharing. It lives in browser PWA ecosystem, using WebRTC, WebSockets, IndexedDB, Node.js. It is fork of Snapdrop. It is inspired by Apple AirDrop. It is listed as Productivity & Utilities / File Management & Sync. License is GPL-3.0. GitHub metadata lists 11390 stars and 690 forks.

PairDrop solves cross-device transfer friction. Users can send images, documents, text between phone, laptop, desktop on same local network. No setup, no signup. It also supports internet transfers through paired devices or temporary public rooms. This helps when devices are not on same LAN, are behind NAT, or are on public Wi-Fi, company network, VPN, mobile hotspot, iCloud Private Relay.

Key capabilities

• Local peer-to-peer transfer sends images, documents, text to devices on same local network through modern web browser.
• Persistent pairing connects devices over internet using 6-digit code or QR-code; shared secrets let paired devices find each other independently of local network.
• Temporary public rooms use 5-letter code or QR-code; devices in same room see each other, rooms end when PairDrop closes.
• NAT traversal uses PairDrop TURN server to auto-connect devices outside local network.
• Multi-file transfer accepts request, shows overall progress, downloads multiple files as ZIP, auto-downloads completed files when possible.
• Share-menu and CLI workflows send files from Android, iOS, Windows context menu, Ubuntu Nautilus, command-line interface.
• Web-app features support multiple tabs, paste files/text then choose recipient, video/audio preview, display name editing, theme switching, sleep prevention during transfer, warning before closing during transfer.

Who uses it and how

• Users move files between phone and laptop on local network, company network, or mobile hotspot without setup.
• Users pair devices, then transfer documents, photos, text over internet even when devices are on different networks.
• Users join temporary public rooms for transfers in complex networks or without persistent pairing.
• Self-hosters run PairDrop on local network, including Raspberry Pi, for LAN file sharing.
• Linux, Windows, Android, iOS users send files through context menu, share menu, or CLI workflows.

Getting started

Open hosted PairDrop at https://pairdrop.net in modern web browser, or deploy Node-only implementation on local network such as Raspberry Pi. Provided facts mention no Docker image name or package manager.

When to use it — and when not to

Use PairDrop for browser-based, no-signup local and internet file transfer when devices have modern web browsers. Avoid if require Docker image name, package manager; provided facts only mention Node-only hosting and hosted web app. Check metadata before use: lists 0 contributors and 111 open issues; internet transfers depend on PairDrop TURN server for devices behind NAT.