DESKGet started
From nothing to your first transfer, then the rest of the app, and what to do when something does not connect.
1. Install
On the PC
- Download DeskTransfer for Windows (version 1.0.20, 152 MB) and run it.
- Windows may say the publisher is unknown, because the installer is not code-signed yet. Choose More info, then Run anyway.
- The first time it starts, Windows asks whether DeskTransfer may be reached over the network. Allow it on private networks. Without this the phone cannot find the PC.
DeskTransfer keeps running in the tray, next to the clock, when you close its window. That is on purpose: the phone can only reach the PC while the program runs. To stop it, right-click the tray icon and choose Quit.
On the phone
Install DeskTransfer from Google Play (coming soon). It needs Android 7 or newer.
2. Link the phone to the PC
Do this once, with both on the same Wi-Fi.
- On the PC, open DeskTransfer and go to Devices. It shows a QR picture and a six-digit code.
- On the phone, open DeskTransfer and press Scan the QR picture, then point the camera at the PC's screen.
- No camera? Press Find my PC on this Wi-Fi, pick your PC, and type the six-digit code.
The code changes after each use, and after five wrong tries. You can remove a linked phone at any time under Devices on the PC.
Stream: send to yourself
The Stream is one thread shared by your devices.
- On the PC: drop files anywhere in the window, paste a link, or type and press Enter.
- On the phone: use the paperclip, type a message, or pick DeskTransfer in any app's Share menu.
- On the phone, press Download on a file to fetch it. An app file (.apk) then shows Install; Android always asks before installing.
- The filters at the top show one kind of item. Press a filter again to see everything.
Where files are saved: on the PC under Devices → This PC, on the phone under Devices → This device. Each can be changed.
Files: copy between folders
The Files section shows the phone's files and the PC's files side by side.
- On the phone, the first time, press Allow file access and switch it on in Android's settings.
- In the pane you are sending to, open the folder where the files should land.
- In the other pane, tick the files or folders.
- Press Copy, or Move to take them away from where they were.
The phone does the copying, so its app has to stay open until the transfer is done. On the PC, deleted files go to the Recycle Bin. On the phone, a delete is final.
Convert
Choose files, pick what each should become, and press Convert. The PC does the work; from the phone, the file is sent over, converted and offered back for download.
| From | To |
|---|---|
| Images (PNG, JPG, WebP, AVIF, GIF, TIFF, SVG) | PNG, JPG, WebP, AVIF, GIF, TIFF, PDF; several images into one PDF |
| Documents (text, Markdown, HTML, Word .docx) | PDF, HTML, Markdown, text |
| text | |
| Video | MP4, WebM, MKV, MOV, GIF, or just the sound as MP3, WAV, M4A |
| Audio | MP3, WAV, M4A, OGG, FLAC, Opus |
| Anything | a zip; a zip can be unzipped |
MP4 video is made with the encoder that is part of Windows. A few Windows editions sold without media features (the "N" editions) need Microsoft's free Media Feature Pack for the best result.
Notes
Notes are the same on every linked device. You can write on the phone with no connection; the note syncs when the PC is in reach again, and the newest edit wins. A note can be pinned, exported as PDF, HTML, Markdown or text, or sent to the Stream.
Away from home
At home, phone and PC talk over your Wi-Fi. Outside, the phone reaches the PC through Tailscale, a separate app that joins your devices into a private network. It is free for personal use.
- Install Tailscale on the PC and on the phone, and sign in to both with the same account.
- Leave Tailscale connected on both.
- In DeskTransfer, open Devices and press Check in the Tailscale card. When every point is green, the phone reaches the PC from anywhere.
Your home internet's upload speed limits how fast files come from the PC when you are away. DeskTransfer is not affiliated with Tailscale.
Updating
The phone app updates through Google Play. The PC program does not update by itself, and never contacts this website: download the newer installer here and run it. Your linked phone, the stream, the notes and your settings are kept. When the two are different versions, the app shows a notice telling you which one is older.
When something does not work
The phone cannot find the PC
- Is DeskTransfer running on the PC? Look for its icon in the tray.
- Are both on the same Wi-Fi? A guest network often keeps devices apart.
- Did Windows' firewall question get a "no"? Open Windows Security → Firewall → Allow an app through firewall, and tick DeskTransfer for private networks.
- You can always type the PC's address by hand. The PC shows its addresses under Devices.
"PC out of reach"
- At home: the PC is off, asleep, or DeskTransfer was quit.
- Away: press Check in the Tailscale card under Devices to see which side is not connected.
Transfers are slow
Run the Speed test under Devices. If the PC is on Wi-Fi too, every file crosses the air twice; a network cable to the PC is the biggest improvement.
The PC folders are missing on the phone
Switch on Allow linked devices to reach all PC files on the PC, under Devices → This PC.
Removing DeskTransfer
Uninstall the PC program through Windows' Apps settings and the phone app the usual way. To remove your data from the PC as well, delete the folder %APPDATA%\WarpTFS (the name is from the app's first version) and your DeskTransfer downloads folder.
Still stuck? Write to contact@desktransfer.app.