SimpleQRShare
File sharing that asks nothing of the other person. Show a QR code and hand files to an iPhone, an Android phone or a computer.
News & Updates
- Version 1.1.0 Released
- Introducing SimpleQRShare — Version 1.0.0 Released
Overview
SimpleQRShare sends the files on your Android device to people who have nothing set up. Pick what to send and show a QR code; they scan it with their camera and download in a browser. It works the same way whether they have an iPhone, an Android phone or a computer.
What you don’t need
- An app on their side — the standard camera and a browser are enough.
- An account, or swapping contact details — you just show a QR code.
- The internet — files go straight from your device to theirs, and nothing is uploaded to the cloud.
- A Wi-Fi network — if there isn’t one, “Create a Wi-Fi and share” makes a temporary one.
- The same brand or system — anything with a browser can receive.
- A cable, or storage permission
Good for
- Giving a batch of photos or videos to someone with an iPhone
- Moving files from your phone to your own computer
- Sharing where there is no signal, or without using mobile data
- Handing out material to everyone in a class or a meeting
The usage guide has the steps for each.
How it differs from other ways to share
- Built-in nearby sharing needs both the sending and the receiving device to support the same feature. SimpleQRShare only needs the receiver to have a browser.
- Cloud storage and messaging apps need an internet connection and an account, and upload the file to a server first. SimpleQRShare needs neither, and files go directly from device to device.
- Cables and USB sticks are things you have to have with you.
Features
- Share with a QR code — Pick files or a whole folder through the system file picker, set a people and time limit, and hold up the code. Receivers get a clean download page: your message, a summary of what’s inside, and one download button. A plain address can also be copied and sent to a computer.
- Send from other apps’ Share menus — Select files in your gallery or file manager, tap Share, and choose SimpleQRShare. The files are copied into the app first, so the share keeps working after the other app closes.
- Works without any Wi-Fi — “Create a Wi-Fi and share” turns the device into a temporary access point and shows two QR codes: one to join the Wi-Fi (no password typing), one to open the download page. Works with the standard camera on both iPhone and Android, and the temporary Wi-Fi shuts down by itself when sharing ends.
- People and time limits — Cap how many receivers (counted per device, up to 10) may download at the same time and how long the share stays open (5 minutes to 3 hours). When the time runs out, new downloads stop while transfers already running are allowed to finish; extend by ten minutes or stop everything at any moment.
- PIN and one download per device — Ask receivers for a 4-digit PIN. A new one is made for every share and shown on the sharing screen, so you tell it to them in person. You can also limit each device to one download (an interrupted download can still be resumed).
- Live progress — The sharing screen shows each receiver’s progress: a percentage for individual files, a running size for ZIP downloads.
- One ZIP or file by file — Several files and folders arrive as a single ZIP, built as it is sent. Receivers can also take files one at a time, and those downloads resume after a dropped connection.
- In the receiver’s language — The download page follows their browser: English, Japanese, German, Spanish, French or Brazilian Portuguese.
- QR codes that are easy to scan — Tap a QR code to enlarge it to the full screen. You can decorate it in your theme’s colours; it falls back to plain black and white if that would make it harder to scan.
- Always in reach while sharing — A notification shows that a share is running and takes you straight back to the QR code, and the screen stays awake so the code stays readable (you can turn that off in the settings).
- Tablet layout — On a large landscape screen the app splits in two: the QR codes fill one half — turn it toward your receivers like a small kiosk — with the countdown and receiver status on the other.
- Five themes — Clean, Pop, Geek, Elegant and Neon. The theme also styles the download page receivers see.
No ads · No tracking · No account required. Everything runs on your device, and nothing is uploaded to the internet.
Localized in English, Japanese, German, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese.
Requirements: Android 8.0 (API 26) or later.
What it does not do
- It cannot send to someone far away. The receiver’s device has to join the same Wi-Fi as yours, or the Wi-Fi this app creates.
- It cannot send text or a link on its own. It shares files and folders.
- Receivers cannot send files back. Files go one way, from your device to theirs.
- Connections are not HTTPS (see below).
Security notes
Each share is served at a randomly generated address and port, so others on the same network can’t reach your files by guessing. Sharing is strictly read-only — nobody can write anything back to your device. A share exists only while it is running: tap “Stop sharing” and no new download can start. A download that was already in progress at that moment may still run to the end. Files are read through the system file picker, so the app never asks for storage permission.
Connections use plain HTTP so receivers never see a certificate warning (on the temporary hotspot the Wi-Fi link itself is encrypted). On an ordinary network, treat it as you would any local sharing and avoid confidential files on public Wi-Fi.
FAQ
How do I send photos or videos from Android to an iPhone?
Pick the photos or videos in SimpleQRShare and let the iPhone’s camera scan the QR code it shows. The download page opens in the iPhone’s browser and the files can be saved from there. The iPhone needs no app and no account. Both devices have to be on the same Wi-Fi, or you can use “Create a Wi-Fi and share”.
Can I send files from Android to a computer?
Yes. Type the address shown on the sharing screen into the computer’s browser and the download page opens. It works with Windows and Mac alike. The computer and the phone have to be on the same network (Wi-Fi or wired).
Does the person receiving the files need to install an app?
No. They scan the QR code with the standard camera on an iPhone or Android phone, and the download page opens in their browser. They need no app, no account and no internet connection.
Can I send files where there is no Wi-Fi and no mobile signal?
Yes. “Create a Wi-Fi and share” turns your device into a temporary access point and shows two QR codes: one joins the Wi-Fi without typing a password, the other opens the download page. Nothing goes over the internet, so no mobile data is used. The temporary Wi-Fi shuts down by itself when sharing ends.
Is there a limit on file size or the number of files?
The app sets no limit on size or count. Several files and folders arrive as a single ZIP, or the receiver can take files one at a time — those downloads resume after a dropped connection. Files sent from another app’s Share menu are copied into the app first, so they need that much free space; large files picked with “＋ Files” are sent without copying.
How many people can receive at the same time?
You can allow 1 to 10 people to download at the same time. That is a limit on simultaneous downloads, not a total, so the next person can start as soon as a slot is free. A share stays open for 5 minutes to 3 hours, and you can add ten minutes while it is running.
Can I restrict who is able to receive?
Yes. Turn on “Ask receivers for a PIN” under Settings › Receiving: every share then gets a new 4-digit PIN, shown on the sharing screen, and only the people you tell it to can download. You can also limit each device to one download.
Are my files uploaded to a server or the cloud?
No. The files travel straight from your device to the receiver’s over the local network. Nothing is uploaded to the internet, and the app has no ads, no tracking and no account.
Can someone else on the same Wi-Fi get my files?
Each share is served at a randomly generated address and port, so it can’t be reached by guessing. You can cap how many receivers may download and for how long, and ask for a PIN. Sharing is read-only, and once you stop it no new download can start (a download already in progress may still run to the end). Connections use plain HTTP, so avoid confidential files on public Wi-Fi.
Can I send to someone far away, or send text and links?
No to both. SimpleQRShare is for people near you: their device has to join the same Wi-Fi as yours, or the Wi-Fi the app creates. It shares files and folders, not text or links on their own, and receivers cannot send files back to your device.