AirDrop for Android, without the app store

AirDrop is Apple's, and apart from a few recent Pixel models an Android phone never shows up in an iPhone's AirDrop list. Snapdrop takes the same idea to the browser. Open snapdrop.net in Chrome on the Android phone and in Safari on the iPhone or Mac: on the same Wi-Fi each device appears on the other's screen as an avatar with a name like "Lime Fox".

Tap that avatar, choose photos, videos or documents, and they go across in full quality. The other side accepts first, so nothing lands unasked. If the two are on different networks, one 6-digit code links them, and they stay linked for next time.

Sending a file, step by step

Open Snapdrop on both devices. On the same Wi-Fi they appear on each other's screen within a second or two.
Not showing up? Press Connect with a code on one device and type the 6 digits on the other, or scan the QR code with the phone camera. The devices stay linked for next time.
Send. Drop files onto the other device, or click or tap it and pick files.
Accept. The other device shows who is sending what. After it accepts, the files go across with a progress bar on both screens.
Save. Received files are saved with one click. Keep both pages open until the transfer finishes.

Direct transfer or a link?

	Direct transfer	Share link
Where the file goes	straight to the other device	uploaded to LimeWire
Both devices online	yes, at the same time	no, the link waits
Size	about 500 MB to a phone, a few GB to a computer	up to 4 GB without an account
How long it lasts	nothing is stored	3 days without an account
Account	not needed	not needed; an account keeps files longer

Paid LimeWire plans raise link storage and daily traffic and are listed on the LimeWire pricing page.

Questions people ask

Can you AirDrop to an Android phone?

On almost every Android phone, no: AirDrop is Apple's, and only a few recent Pixel models can exchange files with it. Opening snapdrop.net on both devices gives any Android the same result through the browser.

How do I AirDrop from an iPhone to an Android?

Open snapdrop.net in Safari on the iPhone and in Chrome on the Android phone, on the same Wi-Fi. Tap the Android's avatar on the iPhone, pick the files and send. The Android phone asks to accept and saves them to Downloads.

Does Quick Share work with an iPhone?

Mostly not. Quick Share connects Android phones, Chromebooks and Windows PCs; only a few recent Pixel models can also reach an iPhone. Snapdrop runs in any browser, so it covers every phone on both sides.

Do photos lose quality?

No. Snapdrop does not recompress anything: the other side receives exactly the file the phone handed over. Messengers often shrink photos and videos; a direct transfer does not.

Other device pairs

Fix the file, not just the transfer

A link does its job the moment the other person can actually use what arrives. If the format is wrong or the file is too heavy, fix it first — these tools run in the browser on LimeWire, free and without an account.

Compress a PDF — smaller file, same document.
PDF to Word — hand over text the other side can edit.
Excel to PDF — a spreadsheet nobody can accidentally change.
Images to PDF — one document instead of a folder of photos.

AirDrop is a trademark of Apple Inc. Snapdrop is not made by or affiliated with Apple.

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