Send files from an iPhone to an Android phone

iPhone and Android are the two phones least able to talk to each other. AirDrop is Apple-only, Quick Share is Android-only, and Bluetooth between the two is slow and unreliable.

The common ground is the browser. Upload on one phone, type the code on the other.

How to do it

1. On the iPhone, open buddysend.com in Safari and tap the upload area. Choose Photo Library for pictures and videos, or Browse for files. Up to 5 files, 100MB in total.
2. Wait for the upload, then read the 6-digit code.
3. On the Android phone, open buddysend.com/receive in Chrome and type the code.
4. Tap each file to save it.

Works the same from Android to iPhone, and the two phones don't have to be near each other or on the same network.

Why this is better than the usual workarounds

• WhatsApp or Messenger: convenient, but they compress photos and video, so quality is lost on the way.
• Bluetooth: painful between iPhone and Android, and slow for anything larger than a few megabytes.
• Email: attachment limits get in the way, and you need both addresses.
• Cloud apps: mean installing an app and signing in on both phones.

A note on iPhone photo formats

iPhones shoot in HEIC by default, and some older Android phones can't open it. The file transfers untouched, so if the other phone struggles, change the iPhone setting under Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible to shoot JPEG, then send again.

FAQ

Do I need to install anything on either phone?

No. It runs in Safari on the iPhone and Chrome on Android, so nothing is installed and no account is created.

Will my photos lose quality?

No. The file is transferred and returned unchanged, unlike chat apps that recompress images to save bandwidth.

Do the phones need to be near each other?

No. The transfer goes over the internet, so one phone can be on mobile data and the other on Wi-Fi anywhere in the world.

How many photos can I send at once?

Up to 5 files, 100MB in total per transfer. Start another transfer for the next batch.

Does it work from Android to iPhone too?

Yes. Upload on the Android phone and type the code on the iPhone; the direction makes no difference.

Moving files to a computer instead? See iPhone to Windows or Android to PC.