LocalSend requires the devices to be on the same local network. TFA is about file sharing using a direct device-to-device wireless connection.

We've had ad-hoc WiFi for about 3 decades, but that requires a level of device access that no gatekeeper will agree to anymore.

WiFi Direct has been in Android for at least a decade, maybe even a decade and a half: https://developer.android.com/develop/connectivity/wifi/wifi...

The code was added to Android with Android 4.0 back in 2011.

You can check for WiFi Direct networks manually in Settings > Network & internet > Internet > Network preferences > Wifi Direct. If you live in a city, you can probably find one or two printers in the neighbourhood advertising a WiFi Direct channel you can use to print over.

Well, one gatekeeper. Wifi direct/aware seems to work fine outside of iOS and Mac os.

It is now supported bey iOS as well, thanks to the EU: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/WiFiAware

I prefer https://pairdrop.net/ ; nicer interface

To continue the thread, my favorite is https://drop.lol

I’m using FilePizza when I need it, saw it on HN recently. All this AI magic allegedly taking our jobs, but we still can’t transfer files from one device to another, or print a document reliably.

https://file.pizza/

I've been very happy with Blip. My use case is to share processed photos from my MacBook to my Pixel to use for Social sharing. It's super-fast, especially when the devices are on the same LAN.

> we still can’t transfer files from one device to another

Nor send text message with images.

Why would a text message support images?

Or react to images sent by those that can.

Is replying not enough? I always feel like react is a lazy way to avoid replying

A well placed react can be quality comedy. Also very easy way to communicate to somebody you saw what they sent/are doing what they asked.

reactions are richer than a word

what about two words

A text is already a lazy way to avoid speaking.

One level of laziness should be enough for anyone.

idk, for me text is more hard. talk is easiest. voice messages is top lazy and I hate them.

Drop.lol works in android-firefox. File.pizza isn't, for me.

To continue to continue the thread relaysecret.com and relaysecret.com/tunnel Found it on hn years ago, still use it all the time. Perfect replacement for Firefox send, rip

What about b.o.b.? https://bob.osau.re/

It's slow as suffering in hell.

Really? It has been by far the fastest and simplest option I've found and use across all my devices these days. Not that I looked very deep though, like pairdrop and such.

So what's better than this?

One of those apps that "just works". Been using it recently to share files between an Android phone and my Mac. Turns out it works better than Airdrop itself when I couldn't send a file from my iPhone to my Mac. Great user experience as well.

+1. Easy to use and works on every platform. Also supports sending plain text between your devices (into clipboard of recipient).

Not the same.