Tutorial: How to send files between Windows & iOS over the LAN using LocalSend.
LocalSend is a free, open-source application for all common OS platforms.
LocalSend uses HTTPS to transfer files between the OS platforms.
LocalSend does not need to use the Internet to transfer files.
LocalSend uses only the local Wi-Fi (LAN) network.
LocalSend must be installed on both the sending and receiving devices.
Both sending & receiving devices must be on the same network.
LocalSend does not require creating any online accounts or logins.
LocalSend bypasses Apple's arbitrary file-transfer restrictions.
There is no need for iTunes, iCloud, Apple Mobile Devices, etc.
A. Install LocalSend on all devices you wish to transfer files between.
<https://localsend.org/download>
For the LocalSend Windows portable zip archive:
<https://localsend.org/download?os=windows>
<https://github.com/localsend/localsend/releases/download/v1.17.0/LocalSend-1.17.0-windows-x86-64.zip>
Name: LocalSend-1.17.0-windows-x86-64.zip
Size: 18766124 bytes (17 MiB)
SHA256: A4FFB41FCBC3BD0F2F0CBD30B62A58D9A478EAF1DA63EB410886886064ABE70C
This extracts to "LocalSend-1.17.0-windows-x86-64" which contains:
Name: localsend_app.exe
Size: 161280 bytes (157 KiB)
SHA256: 9AA728853377643FBB13368E2A52ED816A448E0B5F28404AFB2154D2068F007A
For the LocalSend iOS IPA:
<https://apps.apple.com/us/app/localsend/id1661733229>
For the LocalSend Android APK:
<https://github.com/localsend/localsend/releases/download/v1.17.0/LocalSend-1.17.0-android-arm64v8.apk>
Name: LocalSend-1.17.0-android-arm64v8.apk
Size: 17491108 bytes (16 MiB)
SHA256: 2C7F5FD4872DA25115BB8E5E62F92DE94DDA47B0F249FF387AC667B13871DC3E
Step by step tutorial that I tested so that you can use it with confidence. 1. Both the PC & iOS device need to be on the same local network
To find what IP address the iOS device is, go to "Settings".
Then click on the Wi-Fi connection in the left top pane.
Press the circled (i) for information about that connection.
Scroll down to the "IPV4 Address" section & note the "IP Address".
To ping that IP address from the Windows PC, use "Win+R > cmd"
C:\> ping 192.168.1.3
2. LocalSend must be open & running on Windows & iOS
On Windows, you'll get a firewall message when you first run LocalSend.
On iOS, you'll get a popup when you first run LocalSend saying...
"LocalSend" would like to find and connect to devices
on your local network. The app uses the local network
to find and connect to nearby devices."
[Don't Allow] [Allow]
Windows Firewall has to allow LocalSend on Private Networks (at least).
a. Windows Defender Firewall: Win+R > firewall.cpl
or Windows Firewall with Advanced Security: Win+R > wf.msc
b. Tap "Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall"
A new window will open, titled "Allowed apps and features"
c. Scroll through the list to find "LocalSend" & set it to
LocalSend [x]Private [_]Public
3. On Windows LocalSend, press the "Send" button.
4. On Windows LocalSend, select the "File" selection.
5. On Windows, browser to the file you want to send to iOS.
6. On Windows LocalSend, in the "Nearby devices" section select the iPad.
7. The Windows LocalSend will say "Waiting for response..."
8. On the iPad LocalSend, it says Windows wants to send you a file.
[Options][Decline][Accept]
9. Pressing "Options" gives you three choices:
a. Save to folder = LocalSend folder
b. Save media to gallery = on/off (default is "on")
c. Files
10. Leaving it at the default, I pressed the "Accept" button.
11. The iOS LocalSend said "LocalSend would like to add to your photos.
The app saves received media to the photo library.
[Don't Allow][OK]
12. The iOS LocalSend will say "Saved in Photos".
Note that it works both ways, as Paul said it should. :)
By default, from iOS to Windows is saved in "C:\Users\you\Downloads".
As always, please improve so that billions of people benefit from
every post you make, which is why we all should learn from each other.
Does Localsend bypass the need to have to sign in to an MS account?
Does Localsend bypass the need to have to sign in to an MS account?
I'm not sure why you asked that, so there must be something I'm missing.
Why not attach the file to an email and send it to the iOS device?
Why not attach the file to an email and send it to the iOS device?
On Mon, 7 Apr 2025 13:29:34 +0100, Graham J wrote :
Why not attach the file to an email and send it to the iOS device?
For a single 5MB photo? Sure, email is no problem. Except that it is.
What if the file is a feature-length movie? Or even a dozen of them?
With LocalSend, you can attach an entire folder of movies.
I'm well aware that what most people would do instead of using something elegant like LocalSend appears to be, is they'd pay for cloud storage.
And that's fine - except that's exactly why companies like Apple have a strategy to limit your choices so that you feel you must buy that storage.
I get it that once you have already paid for cloud storage, then copying a file from your PC to that cloud storage and then back to the iPad is easy.
But with LocalSend, you don't need 'no stinkin' cloud storage anymore. :)
Why not attach the file to an email and send it to the iOS device?
You can set up an email server in your room.
I had one here, but the certificate broke, and
after several attempts, I can't self sign one
that all the software "likes" at the same time.
But with the LocalSend set up, you are likely
done at this point.
Tutorial: How to send files between Windows & iOS over the LAN using LocalSend.
LocalSend is a free, open-source application for all common OS platforms.
LocalSend uses HTTPS to transfer files between the OS platforms.
LocalSend does not need to use the Internet to transfer files.
LocalSend uses only the local Wi-Fi (LAN) network.
LocalSend must be installed on both the sending and receiving devices.
Both sending & receiving devices must be on the same network.
LocalSend does not require creating any online accounts or logins.
LocalSend bypasses Apple's arbitrary file-transfer restrictions.
There is no need for iTunes, iCloud, Apple Mobile Devices, etc.
A. Install LocalSend on all devices you wish to transfer files between.
<https://localsend.org/download>
For the LocalSend Windows portable zip archive:
<https://localsend.org/download?os=windows>
<https://github.com/localsend/localsend/releases/download/v1.17.0/LocalSend-1.17.0-windows-x86-64.zip>
Name: LocalSend-1.17.0-windows-x86-64.zip
Size: 18766124 bytes (17 MiB)
SHA256: A4FFB41FCBC3BD0F2F0CBD30B62A58D9A478EAF1DA63EB410886886064ABE70C
This extracts to "LocalSend-1.17.0-windows-x86-64" which contains:
Name: localsend_app.exe
Size: 161280 bytes (157 KiB)
SHA256: 9AA728853377643FBB13368E2A52ED816A448E0B5F28404AFB2154D2068F007A
For the LocalSend iOS IPA:
<https://apps.apple.com/us/app/localsend/id1661733229>
For the LocalSend Android APK:
<https://github.com/localsend/localsend/releases/download/v1.17.0/LocalSend-1.17.0-android-arm64v8.apk>
Name: LocalSend-1.17.0-android-arm64v8.apk
Size: 17491108 bytes (16 MiB)
SHA256: 2C7F5FD4872DA25115BB8E5E62F92DE94DDA47B0F249FF387AC667B13871DC3E
Step by step tutorial that I tested so that you can use it with confidence. 1. Both the PC & iOS device need to be on the same local network
To find what IP address the iOS device is, go to "Settings".
Then click on the Wi-Fi connection in the left top pane.
Press the circled (i) for information about that connection.
Scroll down to the "IPV4 Address" section & note the "IP Address".
To ping that IP address from the Windows PC, use "Win+R > cmd"
C:\> ping 192.168.1.3
2. LocalSend must be open & running on Windows & iOS
On Windows, you'll get a firewall message when you first run LocalSend.
On iOS, you'll get a popup when you first run LocalSend saying...
"LocalSend" would like to find and connect to devices
on your local network. The app uses the local network
to find and connect to nearby devices."
[Don't Allow] [Allow]
Windows Firewall has to allow LocalSend on Private Networks (at least).
a. Windows Defender Firewall: Win+R > firewall.cpl
or Windows Firewall with Advanced Security: Win+R > wf.msc
b. Tap "Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall"
A new window will open, titled "Allowed apps and features"
c. Scroll through the list to find "LocalSend" & set it to
LocalSend [x]Private [_]Public
3. On Windows LocalSend, press the "Send" button.
4. On Windows LocalSend, select the "File" selection.
5. On Windows, browser to the file you want to send to iOS.
6. On Windows LocalSend, in the "Nearby devices" section select the iPad.
7. The Windows LocalSend will say "Waiting for response..."
8. On the iPad LocalSend, it says Windows wants to send you a file.
[Options][Decline][Accept]
9. Pressing "Options" gives you three choices:
a. Save to folder = LocalSend folder
b. Save media to gallery = on/off (default is "on")
c. Files
10. Leaving it at the default, I pressed the "Accept" button.
11. The iOS LocalSend said "LocalSend would like to add to your photos.
The app saves received media to the photo library.
[Don't Allow][OK]
12. The iOS LocalSend will say "Saved in Photos".
Note that it works both ways, as Paul said it should. :)
By default, from iOS to Windows is saved in "C:\Users\you\Downloads".
As always, please improve so that billions of people benefit from
every post you make, which is why we all should learn from each other.
I am going to reply to all here with thanks.
I use a Windows 8.1 Pro local account with no login. I don't have a
mobile phone.
I get PCs, laptops & sometimes phones brought to me with either faults
or requests of 'how do I?', & I do what I can with no charge.
Windows doesn't allow file sharing (since Windows 8) without logging in. However files can be transferred from an iphone to Windows (local
account/no log in) via USB but not from Windows to the iphone.
Drag & drop doesn't work.
Copy/Move doesn't work
Send-to in the context menu shows but doesn't work
Photos on the iphone will open with Irfanview in Windows
Files can be deleted from an iphone if they can be seen in Windows.
An MS account is required to download apps from the App Store.
A credit card is required to set up an account to download apps to an
iphone & often the phone owner doesn't want to give me or Apple that information.
As with most problems I get, the phone owner doesn't want to spend a lot
of time whilst I diagnose/sort problems.
I really need the phone owner to either be in attendance or give me
their passwords etc.
I have not yet been asked to sort out an Android phone with a file
sharing problem however I do have an Android tablet but have never
needed to transfer files to or from Windows.
Most of the answers presume I own the hardware & can do what I like with
no time limits, but for me that's not the case.
ffmpeg -i input.m4a -vn -acodec aac -q:a 0.5 output_aac_q0.5.m4a
ffmpeg -i input.m4a -vn -acodec aac -q:a 0.5 -metadata title="Our Convo" -metadata filename="our_convo.m4a" output_metadata.m4aOr use MP3Tag on Windows:
Or just use the built-in SMB functionality of Windows and iOS.
Oh oh... there's another problem in iOS we didn't hit with photos.
You hit a *new* problem when you try to access a different file type.
In this case, the file type is an audio file.
*LocalSend can't (directly) access that audio file on the iOS device!*
Here was what I needed to do:
A. I made an audio recording on iOS of a phone call (with permission).
B. I needed to transfer the 2-hour recording from iOS to Windows.
C. On Windows, I needed to reduce the file size to fit into WhatsApp.
D. Then I needed to transfer to Android to send over WhatsApp's dialer.
The problem is iOS prevents something that simple from ever being easy.
In summary, I want to transfer a specific 2-hour audio recording ("New Recording 4") from the iOS native "Voice Memos" app to my Windows 10
machine using only my local network & without using the Internet so that I can shrink it to below 64MB in order to send it via Android WhatsApp.
The key challenge is accessing the audio file which is ensconced deeply within the sand boxed environment of the native Voice Memos app on iOS.
Unfortunately, iOS, by design, heavily restricts direct file system access for user applications like Voice Memos. This means that LocalSend, or any other app, typically cannot directly browse the internal storage of another app to pick out a specific file like the audio recording "New Recording 4".
Here's the workaround I had to come up with to accomplish that simple task
of LocalSend being able to access the sandboxed Voice Memo audio file.
1. Make sure the Windows PC & iOS device are on the same local network.
2. Open the LocalSend app on the iPad & the LocalSend program on the PC.
3. Make sure they see each other inside of the respective LocalSend GUIs.
4. Open the native iOS Voice Memos app on your iPad.
5. Find the recording titled "New Recording 4" within the app.
6. Tap on the recording to select it.
7. Tap on the "Share" icon.
8. In the Share Sheet tap about until you finally see "Save to Files".
9. Tap "Save to Files".
10. Choose a location within the "Files" app such as "On My iPad".
11. Then press at the top right the "Save" button to save it there.
12. Double check it worked by opening the iOS Files app to see it there.
13. When you tap on it, you'll see it's named "New Recording 4.m4a" 69.7MB. 14. On the iOS LocalSend left pane, tap the "Send" option.
15. You'd think an audio file would be under "Media" but Apple doesn't.
16. In the main pane, below "Selection," tap on "File".
17. This should open the iOS file browser interface.
18. Look for and tap on "On My iPad" within this file browser interface.
19. Tap on "New Recording 4.m4a" to select it (you may need to tap twice). 20. You will see a blue check mark inserted on the selected file.
21. In the top right of the iOS file browser, tap the "Open" button.
22. LocalSend transitions to a screen displaying discovered devices.
23. Tap on the name of your Windows 10 PC in the list of recipients.
24. The Windows LocalSend will say "iPad wants to send you a file".
25. Tap "Accept" on the Windows LocalSend GUI to receive that file.
26. The default will be "C:\Users\you\Downloads\New Recording 4.m4a".
27. The Windows LocalSend GUI will say "Finished".
28. Windows MPC-BE should play the Apple m4a file.
Voila! I successfully transferred a file out of the restrictive iOS
filespace to Windows. I then easily copied it over USB to the Android
sdcard to send via WhatsApp but WhatsApp has a 64MB file size limit.
So I had to lower the bitrate to shrink the file to send via WhatsApp.
C:\> ffmpeg -i input.m4a -vn -acodec aac -q:a 0.5 output_aac_q0.5.m4a
That shrunk the 68MB 2-hour audio file down to about 40MB for WhatsApp.
Unfortunately that didn't change the metadata, so WhatsApp found the 40MB file but it thought it was the same name as the original 68MB file.
So what I should have run is something like this to change metadata.
C:\> ffmpeg -i input.m4a -vn -acodec aac -q:a 0.5 -metadata title="Our Convo" -metadata filename="our_convo.m4a" output_metadata.m4a
Or use MP3Tag on Windows:
<https://www.mp3tag.de/en/>
Using <news:vtfkqb$28l2o$2@dont-email.me>, Alan wrote:
Or just use the built-in SMB functionality of Windows and iOS.
Are you the guy who used the iCloud and claimed it was SMB you used?
Read what he wrote next time before you make a fool of yourself
again. The audio recording is locked inside the native iOS Voice
Memos sandbox. So you'd still have the same classic iOS sandbox
problems no matter what.
Oh oh... there's another problem in iOS we didn't hit with photos.
You hit a *new* problem when you try to access a different file type.
In this case, the file type is an audio file.
*LocalSend can't (directly) access that audio file on the iOS device!*
Here was what I needed to do:
A. I made an audio recording on iOS of a phone call (with permission).
B. I needed to transfer the 2-hour recording from iOS to Windows.
C. On Windows, I needed to reduce the file size to fit into WhatsApp.
D. Then I needed to transfer to Android to send over WhatsApp's dialer.
The problem is iOS prevents something that simple from ever being easy.
In summary, I want to transfer a specific 2-hour audio recording ("New Recording 4") from the iOS native "Voice Memos" app to my Windows 10
machine using only my local network & without using the Internet so that I can shrink it to below 64MB in order to send it via Android WhatsApp.
The key challenge is accessing the audio file which is ensconced deeply within the sand boxed environment of the native Voice Memos app on iOS.
Unfortunately, iOS, by design, heavily restricts direct file system access for user applications like Voice Memos. This means that LocalSend, or any other app, typically cannot directly browse the internal storage of another app to pick out a specific file like the audio recording "New Recording 4".
Here's the workaround I had to come up with to accomplish that simple task
of LocalSend being able to access the sandboxed Voice Memo audio file.
1. Make sure the Windows PC & iOS device are on the same local network.
2. Open the LocalSend app on the iPad & the LocalSend program on the PC.
3. Make sure they see each other inside of the respective LocalSend GUIs.
4. Open the native iOS Voice Memos app on your iPad.
5. Find the recording titled "New Recording 4" within the app.
6. Tap on the recording to select it.
7. Tap on the "Share" icon.
8. In the Share Sheet tap about until you finally see "Save to Files".
9. Tap "Save to Files".
10. Choose a location within the "Files" app such as "On My iPad".
11. Then press at the top right the "Save" button to save it there.
12. Double check it worked by opening the iOS Files app to see it there.
13. When you tap on it, you'll see it's named "New Recording 4.m4a" 69.7MB. 14. On the iOS LocalSend left pane, tap the "Send" option.
15. You'd think an audio file would be under "Media" but Apple doesn't.
16. In the main pane, below "Selection," tap on "File".
17. This should open the iOS file browser interface.
18. Look for and tap on "On My iPad" within this file browser interface.
19. Tap on "New Recording 4.m4a" to select it (you may need to tap twice). 20. You will see a blue check mark inserted on the selected file.
21. In the top right of the iOS file browser, tap the "Open" button.
22. LocalSend transitions to a screen displaying discovered devices.
23. Tap on the name of your Windows 10 PC in the list of recipients.
24. The Windows LocalSend will say "iPad wants to send you a file".
25. Tap "Accept" on the Windows LocalSend GUI to receive that file.
26. The default will be "C:\Users\you\Downloads\New Recording 4.m4a".
27. The Windows LocalSend GUI will say "Finished".
28. Windows MPC-BE should play the Apple m4a file.
Voila! I successfully transferred a file out of the restrictive iOS
filespace to Windows. I then easily copied it over USB to the Android
sdcard to send via WhatsApp but WhatsApp has a 64MB file size limit.
So I had to lower the bitrate to shrink the file to send via WhatsApp.
ffmpeg -i input.m4a -vn -acodec aac -q:a 0.5 output_aac_q0.5.m4a
That shrunk the 68MB 2-hour audio file down to about 40MB for WhatsApp.
Unfortunately that didn't change the metadata, so WhatsApp found the 40MB file but it thought it was the same name as the original 68MB file.
So what I should have run is something like this to change metadata.
ffmpeg -i input.m4a -vn -acodec aac -q:a 0.5 -metadata title="Our Convo" -metadata filename="our_convo.m4a" output_metadata.m4aOr use MP3Tag on Windows:
<https://www.mp3tag.de/en/>
I personally export the recording/photo/whatever to files (Save to Files option), since its easier to get at those, as long as you don't mind
dumping it in a random app folder. Also, I didn't know about ffmpeg -q, thanks :D
On Mon, 14 Apr 2025 19:10:03 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07 wrote :
I personally export the recording/photo/whatever to files (Save to Files
option), since its easier to get at those, as long as you don't mind
dumping it in a random app folder. Also, I didn't know about ffmpeg -q,
thanks :D
Understood. And thanks for the confirmation of the process.
A lot of people don't know the file "type" matters greatly with iOS.
And the file "location" also matters greatly with iOS.
For others to know, Apple has only two kinds of file types on iOS (AFAICT). a. DCIM/photos & videos
b. Everything else
Directly transferring those two types with iOS is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT:
A. Easy peasy? One way from iOS to the PC for DCIM pictures & video.
B. The other way? Not so much.
C. The other file type? Nearly impossible.
The "trick" most Apple users employ, of course, is the cloud.
Funny how Apple designed things that way.
However, the other way is to use the native iOS Files app.
But even with Files, we still have two hurdles to overcome.
1. We have to get "everything else" into the Files app first.
2. And even then, we can't SMB to everything (e.g., iOS to Android).
In short, most people on iOS who want to transfer large amounts of data
that isn't in the DCIM directory will use the cloud (simply because Apple designed iOS as a dumb terminal for strategic reasons); but those who use their local LAN will often use the Files app with SMB; but, even SMB will fail when you try to go from iOS to Android directly (without the PC).
If anyone here knows how to go from iOS & Android bidirectionally for all file types, let me know as, otherwise, LocalSend will have to be that way.
On Mon, 14 Apr 2025 19:10:03 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07 wrote :
I personally export the recording/photo/whatever to files (Save to Files
option), since its easier to get at those, as long as you don't mind
dumping it in a random app folder. Also, I didn't know about ffmpeg -q,
thanks :D
Understood. And thanks for the confirmation of the process.
A lot of people don't know the file "type" matters greatly with iOS.
And the file "location" also matters greatly with iOS.
For others to know, Apple has only two kinds of file types on iOS (AFAICT). a. DCIM/photos & videos
b. Everything else
| Sysop: | Keyop |
|---|---|
| Location: | Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK |
| Users: | 508 |
| Nodes: | 16 (0 / 16) |
| Uptime: | 242:16:37 |
| Calls: | 9,986 |
| Calls today: | 4 |
| Files: | 13,836 |
| Messages: | 6,358,541 |