LocalDrop

A lightweight local network file transfer tool for sending files and links between your phone and computer over the same Wi-Fi network. No internet connection required.

Features

• Two-way file transfer — send files from phone to desktop and desktop to phone
• Two-way link sharing — share URLs in both directions
• Real-time updates on both sides using HTMX polling (no manual refresh needed)
• Toast notifications on send — no page navigation, stays where you are
• Connection status indicator — green dot + "Active" in the navbar when a phone is connected
• Phone auto-receives new files and links from the desktop without refreshing
• Separated received sections — desktop shows files from phone, phone shows files from desktop
• QR code based connection — scan once and you're connected
• Local IP address auto-detection
• Dark theme UI on both desktop and mobile
• Development and production configurations

How it works

1. Run the server on your computer
2. Open http://localhost:5000 in your desktop browser
3. A QR code is shown pointing to your computer's local IP address
4. Scan the QR code with your phone (both devices must be on the same Wi-Fi network)
5. The navbar shows a green Active dot when the phone is connected
6. Send files and links in either direction — a toast notification confirms each send
7. Files and links appear on the receiving side automatically within a few seconds

Project Structure

LocalDrop/
    app.py                      # Main Flask application with all routes
    config.py                   # Development and production configurations
    requirements.txt            # Python dependencies
    uploads/                    # Directory where uploaded files are stored (auto-created)
    static/
        style.css               # Dark theme styling for the desktop UI
    templates/
        index.html              # Desktop home page — QR code, send forms, received section
        connect.html            # Phone page — send forms, received files and links
        status_content.html     # HTMX partial — desktop received files and links
        phone_updates.html      # HTMX partial — phone received files and links
        status.html             # Full status page (legacy reference)
        updates.html            # Legacy updates partial

Requirements

• Python 3.8 or higher
• Flask
• qrcode
• Pillow
• werkzeug

Installation

git clone https://github.com/kwabsntim/LocalDrop.git
cd LocalDrop
pip install -r requirements.txt

Running the App

Development Mode (Port 5000)

python app.py

Production Mode (Port 3030)

FLASK_ENV=production python app.py

The server auto-detects your local IP and generates a QR code. Open http://localhost:5000 in your browser (or use your machine's local IP from another device on the same network).

Configuration

Managed in config.py:

Mode	Debug	Port
Development	On	5000
Production	Off	3030

Set FLASK_ENV=production to switch to production mode.

Routes

Route	Method	Description
/	GET	Desktop home page
/connect	GET	Phone connection page (scanned from QR code)
/status	GET	HTMX polling endpoint — desktop received files and links
/nav_status	GET	HTMX polling endpoint — navbar connection badge
/phone_updates	GET	HTMX polling endpoint — phone received files and links
/upload	POST	Upload a file (from phone or desktop)
/send_link	POST	Send a link (from phone or desktop)
/uploads/<filename>	GET	Download a previously uploaded file

File Transfer Flow

Desktop → Phone

1. Connect your phone by scanning the QR code
2. Use the Send File or Send Link forms on the desktop
3. A toast notification confirms the send without leaving the page
4. The file or link appears on the phone's received section within 3 seconds (no refresh needed)

Phone → Desktop

1. Use the Send File or Send Link forms on the phone's connected page
2. A toast notification confirms the send
3. The file or link appears in the desktop's received section within 2 seconds (no refresh needed)

Connection Timeout

If the phone does not make a request for 5 minutes, the connection is considered dropped and the desktop returns to showing the QR code.

Allowed File Types

txt, pdf, png, jpg, jpeg, gif, docx, pptx, xlsx, csv, zip, rar

Notes

• Both devices must be on the same local Wi-Fi network
• Files are stored in the uploads/ directory on the computer running the server
• File and link history resets when the server is restarted (in-memory storage)
• The app is intended for personal local use — there is no authentication

Browser Support

Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge — desktop and mobile.

Features to be Shipped

• Copy-to-clipboard on received links — a copy button next to each link instead of just a plain anchor
• File deletion — remove individual files from the received section and from disk
• Duplicate filename handling — prevent silent overwrites by appending a counter on conflict e.g. photo_1.jpg
• Persist data across restarts — use SQLite to store filenames and links so history survives server restarts
• File size and timestamp on file cards — show metadata under each file in the received section
• Upload progress indicator — progress bar feedback while large files are uploading
• Download all as ZIP — one button to bundle everything received into a single zip download
• PIN protection for /connect — passphrase check on the phone page so only the QR scanner can access it
• Rate limiting on uploads — cap upload requests per IP to prevent disk flooding
• Multi-device support — session model allowing multiple phones to connect with isolated send/receive queues
• Browser notifications on desktop — Web Notifications API alert when a file or link arrives from the phone
• Auto-clear old files — automatically delete files from uploads/ after a configurable number of days