Transfer Files Between Linux and Android

Moving files between a Linux machine and an Android phone is fiddlier than it should be. Over USB you get MTP, which on Linux is notoriously unreliable — it stalls, hangs partway through a batch, or refuses to show your files at all. The wireless alternatives — KDE Connect, GSConnect, LocalSend — usually need an app installed on both ends, and most only work when both devices are on the same Wi-Fi. Clipcroft is the simplest way to bridge that gap, working in any browser on both sides without installing anything.

Send a file from Linux to Android in three steps

1. On your Linux computer, open clipcroft.com in any browser and click Create a new online clipboard. You'll get a clipboard name like "coolfox07".
2. On your Android phone, open clipcroft.com, enter the same clipboard name, and tap Open. Both devices are now connected.
3. On your Linux computer, drag one or more files onto the Clipcroft page (or click the icon to pick them). They start transferring to your Android phone right away. On your Android phone, tap Save on each received file — or use the sidebar's Export content option to save them all at once.

Send a file from Android to Linux

The flow is symmetric. On your Android phone, tap the icon to pick one or more files, photos, or videos. On your Linux computer, click Save on each received file — or use the sidebar's Export content option to save them all at once.

Browser support

Linux

Any modern browser on Linux — Chrome, Chromium, Firefox, Brave, Edge, and others — on any distribution, including Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Arch, and Linux Mint. No package to install, no repository to add, no account.

Android

Any modern browser on Android 8 or newer — Chrome, Firefox, Samsung Internet, Edge, and others. No app from Google Play, no Google account required.

Why this works without an app or a cable

Clipcroft uses WebRTC — the same browser-to-browser technology behind Google Meet and most browser-based video calls. Once both devices are on the same shared clipboard name, the browsers connect peer-to-peer. Files travel browser-to-browser from your Linux computer to your Android phone (or vice versa) — never uploaded to or stored on our servers, and with no need for both devices to be on the same Wi-Fi network.

What that means in practice for Linux and Android:

• No Google account, no sign-in of any kind
• No KDE Connect, GSConnect, LocalSend, or AirDroid to install and configure on both ends
• No fiddling with MTP over USB — nothing to plug in, nothing to stall halfway through a batch
• Works with any Android phone and any Linux distribution — no device-specific pairing or companion app
• Works on cellular too: your Android phone on 4G/5G can transfer to a Linux machine on home Wi-Fi

Frequently asked questions

Do both devices need to be on the same Wi-Fi network?

No. The popular alternatives — LocalSend, KDE Connect, PairDrop — are built around the same local network; reaching across different networks takes extra setup (a VPN, or pre-pairing devices), if it's supported at all. Clipcroft works over any internet connection on either side with no setup, so your Android phone can be on cellular while your Linux machine is on home Wi-Fi.

Do I need to install anything on Linux or Android?

No. Clipcroft runs in any modern browser on both sides — there is no package to add on Linux and nothing to install from Google Play on Android. There is also no account to create: no Google account, no email, no signup.

Which Linux distribution and browser does it work on?

Any of them. Clipcroft is a web app, so it works on any distribution — Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Arch, Linux Mint, and the rest — in any modern browser, including Chrome, Chromium, Firefox, Brave, and Edge. There is no distro-specific build and nothing to compile.

Can I send a whole folder or very large files?

Yes. Drag a whole folder onto the page and every file inside transfers; on your Linux computer you can save the files individually or as a single ZIP. There is no per-file, per-day, or per-month size limit — unlike MTP over USB, which often stalls or hangs partway through a large batch.

Is it private? Does it upload my files to a server?

Your files travel browser-to-browser and are never uploaded to or stored on our servers. If you want, set a password when you create the clipboard and everything is encrypted end-to-end before it leaves your browser.