An AirDrop alternative that works iPhone-to-Windows and Android-to-Mac
No app, no accounts on either side — scan a code or type six digits and go
AirDrop is a feature of iOS and macOS and works only between Apple devices; Windows and Android don't have the option at all, and no third-party install conjures it up. To do the same thing across brands and operating systems, the workable route is the browser: open a direct channel between any two devices that can load a web page, and send the files along it.
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A common misunderstanding is that some program can «add AirDrop to Windows». It can't. AirDrop rides on Apple's own Bluetooth and peer-to-peer Wi-Fi stack, which isn't opened up to others. Tools that claim otherwise are running a transfer method of their own and simply borrowing the name.
So the real question isn't «how do I install AirDrop on Windows» but «how do I move files between two different systems without altering them». Browser-to-browser transfer answers the second one: a photo taken on an iPhone arrives on Windows as the original, not squashed the way chat apps squash it, and a whole folder can go across with its structure intact.
Side by side
| What | AirDrop | TutuDrive Send |
|---|---|---|
| Anything to install | Nothing to install — but it's part of iOS / macOS | Nothing to install — it runs in the browser |
| Where the bytes go | Straight between the two devices, not through Apple's servers | Peer to peer. If a direct link can't be made we switch to a relay and label it as relayed — we don't pretend it's still direct. |
| Across different networks | No — the devices have to be close, finding each other over Bluetooth and peer-to-peer Wi-Fi | Yes — the two sides don't have to be on the same network |
| Integrity check | Apple doesn't document it publicly | Every file gets a sha-256 comparison when it lands; one byte off and it fails loudly |
| Is a copy left behind | No — it goes straight between the two devices | On a direct connection nothing is left — the bytes never reach us. On a relay the copy is deleted the moment the other side picks it up, with a 24-hour sweep as a backstop. |
| Open source and self-hosting | Closed source, built into the OS | Not open source, no self-hosting — this one we don't have |
When you should pick it instead
- When both devices are Apple, AirDrop is simply less work — it's right there in the system, no page to open.
- With no network at all — on a plane, say — AirDrop still works to the person next to you, because it runs on Bluetooth and peer-to-peer Wi-Fi. A browser-based option can't do that.
How it works here
- 1
Drop your files in, or click Choose files. A whole folder works too.
- 2
A QR code and six digits appear. The other person scans, types the digits, or opens the link you send.
- 3
Once connected the transfer starts. Neither side signs up, and nothing gets installed.
Common questions
Can a Windows PC use AirDrop?
No. AirDrop is part of Apple's operating systems; Windows has no such feature and there is no official version. To move files between an iPhone and a Windows PC, the workable route is the browser: open this page on the PC and drop the files in (or the other way round, pick files on the iPhone), then let the other device scan the code or type the six digits.
Can an Android phone and an iPhone send to each other?
Not with AirDrop — it only recognises Apple devices. With a browser, yes: open this page on both phones, pick files on one to get a code, scan or type it on the other, and the transfer starts. Photos, video, documents — the original files, uncompressed. If HEIC photos from an iPhone won't open on Android, you can convert them to JPG before sending.
Will photos be compressed on the way from iPhone to PC?
Not here. What travels is the original file, and each one is checked against a sha-256 value when it lands — if the two ends don't match to the byte, it fails loudly. Chat apps are the ones that squash photos, and they do it to save their own bandwidth.
AirDrop just spins and never completes — what now?
The usual causes are Bluetooth or Wi-Fi switched off on one side, the receiver's discoverability set to «Contacts Only», or the two devices being too far apart. If chasing that down is more trouble than it's worth, just take another route: open this page on both devices, get a code on one and type it on the other. It uses a completely different channel — no Bluetooth, and no need to be close.