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Show HN: I made an app people call "Airdrop for Android"

116 pointsby alexstylover 1 year ago

39 comments

sorenjanover 1 year ago
Maybe you should update the text on your front page:<p>&gt; Why not use Android file transfer?<p>&gt; Android File Transfer is Google&#x27;s tool for transferring files from your Android to your desktop.<p>&gt; The tool has not been updated in a long time and feels dated.<p>&gt; Also, it is 2022 and the future is wireless.<p>It&#x27;s not 2022 anymore, and Google just released an update to their Nearby share called Quick share. Or rather, they&#x27;re adopting Samsung&#x27;s Quick share.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.cnet.com&#x2F;tech&#x2F;mobile&#x2F;google-is-adding-samsungs-quick-share-feature-to-all-your-android-devices&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.cnet.com&#x2F;tech&#x2F;mobile&#x2F;google-is-adding-samsungs-q...</a>
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pzmarzlyover 1 year ago
A license covers &quot;1 Mac OS device&quot; - what about PC?<p>Also, what happens once 1 year is up? Any upgrade discounts? Is old version still downloadable?<p>Anyway, good job, I was in need of something like this recently and used LocalSend <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;localsend&#x2F;localsend">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;localsend&#x2F;localsend</a> , any notable differences between it and you app?
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Almondsetatover 1 year ago
Still no automatic and seamless WiFi ad-hoc network creation for fast offline file transfer.<p>Please stop claiming to be an &quot;AirDrop for Android&quot; if you can&#x27;t implement this.<p>Also Samsung&#x27;s QuickShare and Google&#x27;s NearbyShare not only have gotten a lot better but are merging together and being incorporated into Windows and elsewhere
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javajoshover 1 year ago
Surprised no-one mentioned <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;syncthing.net&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;syncthing.net&#x2F;</a> yet. That would seem to be the main competitor for such an app. Still, perhaps there&#x27;s a market for something a little more user friendly and streamlined. Nice work!
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FerretFredover 1 year ago
Check out LocalSend - it&#x27;s multi platform. I use this all the time.
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aquafoxover 1 year ago
Can&#x27;t you do this with magic wormhole and it&#x27;s Android client <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;f-droid.org&#x2F;de&#x2F;packages&#x2F;com.pavelsof.wormhole&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;f-droid.org&#x2F;de&#x2F;packages&#x2F;com.pavelsof.wormhole&#x2F;</a> ?
pierotofyover 1 year ago
Or just use <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;localsend.org" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;localsend.org</a>. Free and open source.
ivanjermakovover 1 year ago
&gt; Sending files via a messaging apps can be a security risk, as you are sharing your files with the messaging app first and then to your other devices. You cannot tell what those companies can do with your data, such as keep a copy of them, modify or sell them.<p>Why would I trust Ubidrop more than I trust messengers?
aspenmayerover 1 year ago
Here’s some apps that <i>actually</i> implement AirDrop, because I believe in truth in advertising! (I can’t be the only one, right?):<p>Linux (seems currently maintained) <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;seemoo-lab&#x2F;opendrop">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;seemoo-lab&#x2F;opendrop</a><p>Android (discontinued January 2023, may have compatibility issues, but still, actually compatible with AirDrop) <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;MoKee&#x2F;android_packages_apps_WarpShare">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;MoKee&#x2F;android_packages_apps_WarpShare</a>
stzschover 1 year ago
Interesting timing, just yesterday I was looking for solutions for file transfer between android and windows. My main issue is how android presents as a very limited mtp device (i think?). Microsoft&#x27;s phone link works, but only when opening a scrcpy-like screen with the android file manager. Very weird.<p>If possible I wanted to actually mount the device as a drive. I stumbled upon sshfs-win[0] which mounts sftp shares as drives. Couple that with prim-ftpd[1] and voilà: android mounts as a drive. Tailscale[2] can also make it fairly lan-independent.<p>Primitive ftpd supposedly starts on boot and keeps running but I found it stopping inconsistently at times, requiring a restart. Still, I&#x27;m quite satisfied. I suppose dav could work as well, but no apps popped up on fdroid.<p>[0] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;winfsp&#x2F;sshfs-win">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;winfsp&#x2F;sshfs-win</a><p>[1] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;wolpi&#x2F;prim-ftpd">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;wolpi&#x2F;prim-ftpd</a><p>[2] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;tailscale.com&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;tailscale.com&#x2F;</a>
MaxikCZover 1 year ago
It boggles my mind that the easiest way to send a picture from my phone to a notebook sitting next to it is to bounce it over servers on the other side of the world trough whatsapp&#x2F;mail instead of some kind of 2 second discovery&#x2F;highest speed negotiation&#x2F;transfer over whatever hardware&#x2F;protocol those devices dynamically agree upon..
kachnuv_ocasekover 1 year ago
&gt; Also, it is 2022 and the future is wireless.<p>Gotta admit, got me to check the calendar. Though can confirm 2024 is more wireless than 2022.
rvzover 1 year ago
Why bother paying for this when Localsend [0] exists on lots of platforms for free?<p>The pricing here doesn&#x27;t make any sense nor justify paying for over free alternatives.<p>[0] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;localsend.org&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;localsend.org&#x2F;</a>
abcd_fover 1 year ago
For a Show HN thread it is oddly devoid of OP&#x27;s participation. Combined with the dated nature of the material, it looks a low-effort promo rather a genuine attempt to share one&#x27;s work.
ksecover 1 year ago
Previously <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=33284485">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=33284485</a>
zoklet-enjoyerover 1 year ago
I used to carry around an old phone running Pirate Box. Sometimes people would connect to it at coffee shops and put interesting things on there. That&#x27;s how I found out about the band Death Grips!<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;piratebox.cc&#x2F;android" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;piratebox.cc&#x2F;android</a>
jacooperover 1 year ago
Well, nearby share(soon to be called quick share [1] already exists, and works pretty well.<p>1. <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.androidauthority.com&#x2F;google-nearby-share-renamed-quick-share-3401198&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.androidauthority.com&#x2F;google-nearby-share-renamed...</a>
bilalqover 1 year ago
I&#x27;ve been using NearDrop, which is open source, for this use-case:<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;grishka&#x2F;NearDrop">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;grishka&#x2F;NearDrop</a><p>The most annoying thing is you can&#x27;t share clipboard text easily, only files or links. Does Ubidrop address that?
spiegltover 1 year ago
I have a project that&#x27;s more like AirDrop, doesn&#x27;t require a local network and configures the hotspot automatically: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;spieglt&#x2F;flyingcarpet">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;spieglt&#x2F;flyingcarpet</a>
dash2over 1 year ago
I find it so insane that in 2023 you still have to be on Apple to have the following experience:<p>* I have a file on a device I own.<p>* I wish to send it to another device.<p>* I send it.<p>On Windows, it is still regularly true that the easiest way to send X from one laptop to another one, FIVE FEET AWAY, is via Dropbox or Gmail.<p>This was technically easy twenty years ago. It&#x27;s a concrete proof that collective action problems are alive and well in software.
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pipeline_peakover 1 year ago
Considering how boring and generic phones have become, if you’re really hell bent on airdrop just get an iPhone like the majority of the world.<p>Who in there right mind would pay for this?
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jasonjayrover 1 year ago
Similar product was discussed last week:<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=38978630">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=38978630</a>
linkddover 1 year ago
I&#x27;ve always been using <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.sharedrop.io&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.sharedrop.io&#x2F;</a>
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therealmarvover 1 year ago
Maybe one day I should upgrade from Pushbullet ^^
ijhuygft776over 1 year ago
Luckily there are free alternatives.... like <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;file.io" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;file.io</a>
Obscurity4340over 1 year ago
How does this compare to Resilio Sync, which is basically free or can be bought across platforms for like $50 I think?
lobito14over 1 year ago
I use deltachat for this. e2ee with my own keys and no middle man.
account-5over 1 year ago
I don&#x27;t think I&#x27;d use this over the free alternatives.
loloquwowndueoover 1 year ago
I use pairdrop.net for this :) free and requires no install.
j-romover 1 year ago
Reminds me of Pushbullet back in the day
ThrowawayTestrover 1 year ago
I use pushbullet free tier
kenrick95over 1 year ago
Relevant xkcd: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;xkcd.com&#x2F;949&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;xkcd.com&#x2F;949&#x2F;</a>
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ikari_plover 1 year ago
remember Bump?
catapartover 1 year ago
Oof! A very cool thing, solving a real problem I have, but if you&#x27;re taking feedback on pricing: I could never justify paying for local filesharing.<p>I&#x27;ve been <i>this close</i> to building my own version of something like this, multiple times over (and actually built a browser-based one as a way to learn .net core when that first started), because - like I said - it&#x27;s a really handy utility.<p>But I could only justify paying for something premium, like wide area sharing or torrent-like sharing for faster and resumable transfers. To get a file from one device to another can be cumbersome, for sure. But a cable and and an adapter would cost less than your solution, and have benefits (and drawbacks!) of its own. So I just couldn&#x27;t figure a subscription* for something that, in the worst case, is a tedious pain to set up myself and in the most practical case is replaced by a simple, if cumbersome, process. Maybe others are doing different calculus on this (everyone has their own threshold for &#x27;too much hassle&#x27; or &#x27;not accessible enough&#x27;), but it&#x27;s a pass from me without free local sharing.<p>*not sure what&#x27;s &#x27;free updates for a year&#x27; would mean other than &quot;you will need to pay another $19, to continue receiving updates&quot; which is a subscription, by my definition.
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laurent123456over 1 year ago
Doesn&#x27;t qualify as a &quot;Show HN&quot; - it&#x27;s already been posted twice in the past few years and there&#x27;s been no updates for more than a year [0]. Sounds like an attempt to get a few clicks by labelling it as &quot;Show HN&quot;.<p>[0] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;showhn.html">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;showhn.html</a>
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kajika91over 1 year ago
KDE Connect has been around for at least 5 years : <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;apps.kde.org&#x2F;kdeconnect&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;apps.kde.org&#x2F;kdeconnect&#x2F;</a> . It is quiet amazing and does way more than only file transfert : clipboard sharing, multimedia control, ping, messages, remote keyboard&#x2F;mouse, etc.
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NikxDaover 1 year ago
„people call“ - who calls it that? You, the author? A broad community? This feels like YouTube style clickbait
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TechSquidTVover 1 year ago
In one hour, a paid app for which there are many open source alternatives,is the top post on HN? Anyone want to speculate?
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shawnpangover 1 year ago
This kinda reminds of the previous project that created &quot;iMessage for Android&quot;...
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