About AirLAN

Move a file, not your whole workflow

AirLAN is a browser-based utility for sending files between nearby phones and computers. It is designed for the ordinary moment when a photo, video, document, or archive is on one device and needs to reach another without installing software, creating an account, or uploading it to cloud storage.

What makes AirLAN different

Most cross-platform sharing tools ask every participant to install an application or place the file on a remote server first. AirLAN works from a modern browser on Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows, and Mac. Open the site on both devices, select the destination, choose the files, and let the receiver approve the transfer.

AirLAN is intended for direct device-to-device transfer. The service uses a signaling server to show eligible devices and help their browsers negotiate a WebRTC connection. File bytes travel through the encrypted WebRTC data channel between the devices. They are not uploaded to, cached by, or downloaded from the AirLAN application server.

Designed for local networks

Devices on the same Wi-Fi network are discovered automatically. A mobile hotspot also works and can be useful when a public or office network blocks communication between connected devices. A device may also be added with its full ID when automatic discovery is unavailable.

AirLAN deliberately does not operate a TURN relay for file content. That keeps the server out of the data path, but it also means that a strict firewall, network address translation policy, VPN, or Wi-Fi client isolation can stop a direct connection. The interface reports a failed transfer instead of silently routing the file through a relay.

Practical limits

Transfer speed is determined primarily by the wireless network, signal strength, router load, browser, and devices—not by the AirLAN web server. Both pages should remain open during a transfer. Mobile operating systems may suspend browser activity when the screen locks, so keeping the sender awake is important for large files.

Desktop Chromium browsers can save large incoming files directly to a location selected by the user when the browser exposes the required file-system capability. Other browsers may buffer data using browser-managed storage or memory before presenting a download, so their practical file-size limit depends on the device and browser.