How to send files from your phone to your PC without an app

Getting a file off your phone and onto your computer should be the easiest thing in the world. Instead you end up hunting for the right cable, waiting on Bluetooth, or emailing the file to yourself and watching it bounce back because it is too big.

There is a simpler way that works on any phone and any computer: upload the file in your phone's browser, then type a 6-digit code on the computer. Nothing to install on either side.

The quickest method

1. On your phone, open buddysend.com in Chrome or Safari.
2. Tap the upload area and pick your photos or files. Up to 5 files, 100MB in total.
3. When the upload finishes you get a 6-digit code.
4. On your PC, open buddysend.com/receive, type the code, and download.

The file goes over the internet, so the two devices do not need to be on the same Wi-Fi, and it makes no difference whether one is Android and the other Windows.

Why not a cable?

A cable is fast and free, and it is still the best option for moving hundreds of photos at once. It falls down when you do not have the right one, when the phone is not recognised by the computer, or when you are away from your desk. On an iPhone plugged into Windows, you also need to unlock the phone and trust the computer before anything shows up.

If you only need one or two files, a code is faster than finding the cable.

Why not Bluetooth?

Bluetooth is slow for anything but tiny files: transferring a 50MB video can take several minutes, and pairing between a phone and a PC is fiddly. It also has to be re-approved on both devices. Use it for a contact card, not for holiday photos.

Why not email?

Most mail providers refuse attachments over about 25MB, and even when a file fits, you have to sign in to your email on the computer to get it. That is a problem on a shared or work machine.

Keeping photo quality

Chat apps are the usual culprits here. Many of them shrink photos and videos so they send faster, and the copy that lands on your computer has less detail than the original.

BuddySend does not re-compress anything. The file you download is byte-for-byte the file you uploaded, which matters if you are moving raw camera shots, design files or video you plan to edit.

From PC to phone, too

The same steps work in reverse. Upload on the computer, open the receive page on your phone, type the code, and the file downloads to your phone's storage. This is handy for moving a boarding pass or a PDF to your phone before you head out.

iPhone to Windows specifically

AirDrop does not exist on Windows, which leaves iPhone owners with iTunes, iCloud or a cable. A browser-based code sidesteps all three:

1. Open the site in Safari on the iPhone.
2. Tap the upload area and choose Photo Library or Browse for documents.
3. Type the code on the Windows PC.

Nothing is installed, and you never sign in to iCloud on a machine that is not yours.

What happens to the file afterwards

The transfer is meant to be temporary. Files are deleted automatically after they have been downloaded, and expire about an hour after upload if nobody fetches them. Uploads and downloads travel over HTTPS, so the transfer is encrypted in transit, and file contents are never opened or scanned.

Treat the 6-digit code like a password while the transfer is live: give it to the person who needs it and avoid posting it somewhere public.

When this is not the right tool

• Files larger than 100MB. A transfer holds up to 5 files, 100MB in total.
• Regular backups of your whole camera roll. Use a cable or a sync service.
• Files several people need for weeks. A cloud folder handles that better.

For a one-off handover between your phone and a computer, though, six numbers is hard to beat. If you also want to move a snippet of code rather than a file, BuddySend Code does the same job for text.