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How to send Videos, Photos, Files to and from your smartphone and computer for free

by Felix Omondi
xender

Technology has made life simpler, at the same time, it has made it complicated! Ever had to send a video, photo, or any type of file between your smartphone and computer for free? If you are an impatient person, you probably hate the ‘processes’ involved.

The Bluetooth option

Most recent computers and smartphones come with Bluetooth connection as a standard feature. If you want to share files between your devices the cheapest way, then Bluetooth will be the first recommendation.

You simply pair device A to device B and start sharing files, right! Well, the actual experience is not that simple. First, the ‘processes’ involved during the pairing and sometimes the devices fail to see each other. And if they do, they fail to pair, and if they pair, when you want to share files, they fail to send and/or receive.

For that reason, I usually avoid Bluetooth connection unless I have no other option completely.

The Xender app

This app, I would highly recommend, and you probably already know it given its popularity. Xender allows you to share files between your Android device and computer. Be it a Mac, Windows, Linux, and ChromeOS computer.

If the computer has a browser, Xender can probably share files with it via Wi-Fi. Please note, you do not necessarily have to have an internet connection. Neither do you need a router in the first place, as Xender can create a hotspot on your Android phone, to which the two devices can both connect and exchange files.

Also, you do not need to install any software on your computer end. As long as you have Xender installed on your phone, that is all the installation you will ever need to share files between your computer and your Android phone. The app is also free and does not contain any in-app purchases or pester you with ads.

SHAREit

Another great Wi-Fi based file transfer app is SHAREit. Once you connect two devices, the sender and receiver can browse through each other’s library; the receiver will simply grab what they need from the sender’s phone without any further need for approval.

File transfer can be up to speeds of 20Mbps. This app also has a nifty feature – CLONEit – that copies data from the sender device. I only have a problem with it in one way; you need to install software on your PC to share files with your mobile device.

Portal

This app (by Pushbullet) allows you to share individual files, multiple files, and even whole folders at one go. It uses Wi-Fi to share files, so the sender and receiver devices must be connected to the same wireless local network.

Portal does not require you to install any software on your computer to share files with your mobile device. That is a big deal especially for folks who don’t like installing too many bells and whistles on their rigs.

On the PC side, all the sharing shall be managed via a web interface that can be easily set up using a QR code.

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