Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop • Hacker News Board

Re: Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

#81

Post by kalleboo » Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 1:53 PM UTC

lorenzohess wrote: post #44

eigenspace wrote: post #28

My problem is that all these alternatives require the devices to be on the same local network. One beauty of Airdrop is that it creates and handles that local network automatically under the hood (as far as I understand). So you could be out on a hike with friends and Airdrop something. The workaround I've found after switching to an Android device has been to teather my connection to my friend's device, which ends u…

If you're on a hike you can get on the same network by joining your friend's phone WiFi hotspot.

I'm honestly surprised that WiFi Hotspot doesn't isolate hosts, after companies like Meta have been caught running servers inside their apps and connecting to those to track users.

Re: Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

#82

Post by chasil » Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 1:53 PM UTC

Xantier wrote: post #42

eigenspace wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can't QuickShare cross-platform. My wife has an iPhone and my desktop and laptop are linux, so QuickShare is a non-solution for me.

Which alternatives are you using for AirDrop on Linux? I haven't been able to find a good one for this yet.

I used to use Nitroshare, but Localsend has supplanted it.

Re: Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

#83

Post by tnelsond4 » Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 1:54 PM UTC

I end up just opening a web server in termux on my phone and having the other side download from my hotspot every time i want to transfer a file because all the other android solutions really really suck.

Re: Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

#84

Post by Gigachad » Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 1:54 PM UTC

neilalexander wrote: post #71

gregoriol wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AWDL is such an amazing technology, it's understandable that Apple wants to keep it only for their devices as it gives them a noticeable advantage for quick stuff sharing.

They didn't. Apple contributed the core logic to the Wi-Fi Alliance to build Wi-Fi Aware, which they now also support.

Kind of. When I looked, they added the api for devs to use on iOS, but it isn’t on macOS yet, and nothing uses it as far as I could see.

It’s a future promising tech though. A much better version of Wi-Fi Direct.

Re: Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

#85

Post by Gigachad » Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 1:55 PM UTC

infogulch wrote: post #78

neilalexander wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's precisely what Wi-Fi Aware (NaN) is and it is heavily based on AWDL. It's even built into recent versions of iOS and Android.

I've never heard of Wi-Fi Aware, thanks for sharing. Are there any devices/chips that support it today?

iOS 26 supports it. I tried looking in to it and I couldn’t find anything using it yet though.

Re: Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

#86

Post by ohuc » Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 1:55 PM UTC

Using it works perfectly for me!

Re: Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

#87

Post by davsti4 » Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 1:55 PM UTC

eigenspace wrote: post #37

simonmales wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think nowadays on Android it's called QuickShare, and it works. But I believe the fragmentation and awareness is a part of the problem for Android.

Can't QuickShare cross-platform. My wife has an iPhone and my desktop and laptop are linux, so QuickShare is a non-solution for me.

rquickshare works on Linux and is 99% reliable for me, but I don't have a suggestion for iOS devices since I don't use them. https://github.com/Martichou/rquickshare/releases

Re: Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

#88

Post by jmarchello » Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 1:56 PM UTC

Localsend is awesome! My team and I use it all the time for safely transmitting vpn configs, ssh keys, etc... It works flawlessly. The auto-generated names are pretty fun too.

Re: Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

#89

Post by Gigachad » Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 1:56 PM UTC

vrganj wrote: post #41

eigenspace wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can't QuickShare cross-platform. My wife has an iPhone and my desktop and laptop are linux, so QuickShare is a non-solution for me.

QuickShare is compatible with AirDrop these days, thanks to EU regulations: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/11/the-eu-made-apple-ad...

I don’t think this article is actually accurate. It seems like Google just reverse engineered airdrop rather than Apple changing the tech they use. Because quickshare works with all airdrop devices now. Not just ones recently updated.

Re: Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

#90

Post by 3form » Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 1:57 PM UTC

SingleSourceAI wrote: post #40

eigenspace wrote: post #28

My problem is that all these alternatives require the devices to be on the same local network. One beauty of Airdrop is that it creates and handles that local network automatically under the hood (as far as I understand). So you could be out on a hike with friends and Airdrop something. The workaround I've found after switching to an Android device has been to teather my connection to my friend's device, which ends u…

[flagged]

>It uses a time-sliced channel-hopping mechanism so the radio can serve both infrastructure WiFi and the direct peer link simultaneously.

This seems like such a basic solution that I'm surprised that it isn't required by any of the mainstream standards before WiFi Aware. I wonder if this was some sort of a patent issue or similar.