this post was submitted on 26 Jul 2025
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5 Open Source Apps You Can use for Seamless File Transfer Between Linux and Android (itsfoss.com)
submitted 1 week ago by Agrajag@scribe.disroot.org to c/linux@lemmy.ml
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[–] ArsonButCute@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 1 week ago (3 children)

I've used all of these except packet and localsend.

Warpinator: your firewall is closed open it. It's a fine app, insecure mode is a bit like airdrop for Apple devices, send files to any unsecured warpinator instance on your network.

KDE connect: calling this a file transfer app is like calling a Corvette a radio. Like, yeah it does that but that's not the point. If ALL you want is file transfer, there are smaller apps. S'good shit though, check it out.

Syncthing: idk maybe I'm dumb but I didn't get it. Felt like it was for backups, could never access my files on the destination device after transfers despite verification that they are in fact where I put them. Maybe a weird permissions issue?

[–] JustEnoughDucks@feddit.nl 25 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Localsend is absolutely my go-to. It is awesome.

iOS, computer, android, whatever, it just always works and is fast and everything is extremely user friendly.

I essentially stopped using kdeconnect except for its automatic clipboard and notifications.

Syncthing is a bit more complicated to set up, but that is what I use for "file sync" which in my view is different than file sharing which is different than file hosting like next/owncloud.

[–] Red_sun_in_the_sky@hexbear.net 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Syncthing is for making backups from a source and keep copies in several devices. Its very solid to send large files. It syncs any changes to files in the source to the backup locations.

[–] ArsonButCute@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Ok so it shouldn't be on this list then, or should at least have a disclaimer that it isn't the greatest for user to user file transfers

[–] Red_sun_in_the_sky@hexbear.net 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

No its pretty good for both. You can transfer large files pretty well without any break. I don't know what your grievance is. It is solid for file transfer.

[–] ArsonButCute@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I think my grievance is in how "do it for me" I expected the app to be. Setup was simple enough, syncing files seemed to work fine. Sharing files between users I never figured out, and is why I got the application in the first place.

I guess when I hear file transfer, I assume that interuser transfers should be just as easy as system to system transfers.

I think I expected the app to do things it isn't for, easier than it does. Tbh I can't exactly remember, as I found it near the beginning of my selfhosting journey and my mind was swimming with new information at the time. It's possible I'm just a big dummy 😅

[–] Red_sun_in_the_sky@hexbear.net 1 points 1 week ago

You can do user to user transfer. I will try and simplify it.

  1. Make a folder with same name on two devices.
  2. Connect them using scanner code in web app or app.
  3. Make sure to keep source as sender and be able make changes. While receiver should only recieve and do no changes.
  4. Copy file to the folder and it will be sent to reciever.

Afterwards you can remove the file from folder and receiver can also move it elsewhere to view.

Once set up is very easy to send. Its ok ask away if you got any doubts.

[–] Tehhund@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Weird about Syncthing, it works for me on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android. But I find file permissions difficult so that could be it.

It's nice for my use case: I tend to download things on my phone but I often want them stored permanently on my computer, so I just dump them in a Syncthing folder and It takes care of the transfer automatically. Once it's on my computer my backup program (Backblaze) will back it up too. But not everyone has that particular use case so it's not for everyone.

[–] The_Grinch@hexbear.net 11 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I believe in the conspiracy theory that the reason connecting devices directly to each other anymore without doing a bunch of backflips through third parties is more or less intentional. If you could send a file to your friend sitting right next to you with some sort of wifi-direct or bluetooth or even just via usb-C cable that is seamless and actually works, it would impact every web service from facebook to onedrive. You also have a chilling effect on what kinds of data you're going to share as well.

That said, tailscale is the ticket for me. The client is BSD licensed, and there exists a self-hostable server which is floss (headscale). Works like airdrop but better.

[–] hobbsc@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I think it's probably less about restricting what you send and more about either making you use their cloud services so the data can be mined or a lack of desire to provide support for issues with local transfer.

either way, I believe it's intentional as well.

[–] The_Grinch@hexbear.net 2 points 1 week ago

That's exactly what I'm saying. The reasons all exist on the spectrum from "we have no reason to care" to "We have every reason to make this difficult for you"

[–] Scrath@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I miss the bluetooth option for sharing files :(

It's rare that I actually want to use it and it was never anywhere near fast but it was a nice thing to have in my opinion and I am disappointed that it was removed

Edit: Nevermind, it's still there. Maybe I was blind the last couple of times I looked for it

[–] Cyber@feddit.uk 11 points 1 week ago (2 children)

No Pairdrop?

This works for me, for any adhoc files I want to get to any device any time, any place...

For any regular file transfers, syncthing.

[–] LiveLM@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 week ago

PSA: For any folks that have used snapdrop.net before, switch to this one ⤴️
The old URL got bought by Limewire NFT company and they started sending all files through their sketchy ass service. Pairdrop remains peer to peer.

[–] DavidP@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Ah, thank you for this!

[–] Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 10 points 1 week ago (3 children)

I don't want an app to send files, I want to be able to rsync files to my phone like a normal computer.

I have data I want backed up so an rsync script sends it to a few different devices to keep multiple copies. I don't want to manually drag/drop files for that, I just want my script to take care of it.

[–] kurumin@linux.community 2 points 3 days ago

Syncthing

[–] monovergent@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It's really tragic and inelegant how we have to jump through hoops and bounce files around a wireless network when the USB cable is just sitting right there. What I had to do since rsync doesn't work with mtp file paths was to install android-file-transfer and run the following with my phone connected via USB, but not already mounted by the file manager:

aft-mtp-mount /path/to/mount/point
rsync -a --progress --exclude 'Android/' '/path/to/mount/point/Internal shared storage/' '/path/to/backup/'

You can also omit the --exclude 'Android/' part as needed, I just didn't want to copy over the quintillion tiny files under that directory.

[–] Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I would be sending files to the Android device, using it as a location to backup "important" data. Mostly Factorio saves.

Plugging in for that is impractical given its already on the same LAN.

[–] bonegakrejg@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I think you can do that with Termux on Android.

[–] Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Does that let you do it both ways? I want to run rsync from the desktop

[–] bonegakrejg@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Its basically a Linux terminal for your phone that can run rsync, so it should work both ways.

[–] Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 week ago

Just installed it now and this is so much better than the SSH app I used before. Now dumping like 40GB of backup data onto the tablets SD card. Got the tablet second hand, think the SD card cost more than the tablet did.

[–] LiveLM@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 week ago

You can run a SSH server on Termux, so yes, no reason you couldn't.
Though given how aggressive background app management has gotten on Android, you'll likely have to use the 'Wakelock' function which will keep a permanent notification on your status bar, and even then Termux might still not survive depending just how aggressive your OEM/ROM is.

[–] utopiah@lemmy.ml 10 points 1 week ago

KDE connect for me works very well. I even use it on my VR headset to share video recordings to my desktop then upload on my video server, really nice workflow.

[–] irotsoma@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I had a lot of trouble with keeping the connections stable and having to reatart services with both KDEConnect and Warpinator, but LocalSend has been perfect every time. I'm using a Fedora laptop with a Pixel 7 Pro running GrapheneOS.

[–] that_leaflet@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago (2 children)

The only issue I've had with LocalSend is that it's a bit buggy on iOS. If you leave the app open in the background and go back to it, it won't be able to receive files. I have to force quit it and open it again to fix it.

[–] irotsoma@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 week ago

Yeah iOS is weird about background processes and some versions are bad about killing parts of apps but not informing the app it was killed when restoring the state of the main process. One reason I personally don't develop my stuff for iOS. It requires a lot of extra code to deal with the disparate ways in various versions that coming back from being in the background requires. Since just restarting everything can be frustrating to users.

[–] FurryMemesAccount@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 week ago

Upgrade to grapheneos

[–] smeg@feddit.uk 8 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I rarely need to do it but what's wrong with just plugging in a cable?

[–] kurumin@linux.community 1 points 3 days ago

Convenience.

[–] Akanes@startrek.website 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

[–] smeg@feddit.uk 2 points 1 week ago

Well I can think of a few things wrong with Kryten's favoured method of plugging in his "cable"

[–] eldavi@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It's bizarre that you have to go through such lengths to do it w native Linux also like scp or rsync; they're both Linux!!!

[–] ArsonButCute@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Android run on top of Linux. Once upon a time it was a Java VM sitting on a Linux kernel, it's roots are still there though it's blown up quite a bit since then.

It's not entirely incorrect to say Linux is somewhere between a bootloader and a bios for Android.

[–] eldavi@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'm aware and I HATE it since you have to root it just to use scp/rsync effectively.

[–] xsoulp@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

With termux ,i can access my storage space,and use scp normally .no root.

[–] eldavi@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 week ago

i just tried it and i'm not able to access any of the files i created nor any of the files that already exist on my phone; what am i missing?

[–] tuna@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I've using localsend and it's great :)

I would normally use KDE Connect (iOS version) but I had some issues with it. The push local clipboard didn't work, and I think receiving files to my phone didn't work either. It also had a hard time reconnecting to my computer after pairing. It might be better now though, this was several months ago.

[–] Stalins_Spoon@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 week ago

It’s still pretty buggy on iOS, only the file sending still works reliably

[–] SaneMartigan@aussie.zone 4 points 1 week ago

I use ghost commander on the phone to access the file server.

[–] progandy@feddit.org 4 points 1 week ago

For quick transfers i quite like https://webwormhole.io/, no need to install anything

[–] dil@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I think the easiest way is sftp over tailscale, works over any distance, easy enough to setup, plenty of apps, ish for an iphoneterminal apk add openssh (idk how to dload there but you should be able to, can convert files locally using ffmpeg off an iphone, pretty great), termius/termix/neoserver for a more "modern" way to connect into the terminal and sftp. I prefer apps with a terminal jic I need to use it to convert something real quick on my pc.

[–] dil@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 week ago

love ssh, got me to appreciate and learn to use the terminal more, being able to use a pc without a de is such a good feeling

[–] Red_sun_in_the_sky@hexbear.net 0 points 1 week ago

Syncthing is the only decent one I used. Kde connect is wonky.

Localsend is pretty bad.