Choose the screen that shows the QR
For phone to computer, open IcyZip on the computer first. For computer to phone, either device can start; the direction is decided later by which side chooses the file.
One file, paired browsers
Phone to Computer File Transfer
Move one selected file from Android or iPhone to a Windows, macOS, or Linux computer—and back again—without creating an account, installing a transfer app, or uploading a public download link.
- Both directions.Send phone to computer or computer to phone after the same QR pairing.
- One selected file.The current flow is deliberate and transient, not a shared folder or upload queue.
- Browser-side bytes.Current product clients encrypt file chunks before they leave the sender browser.
Exact workflow
Transfer one file in four steps
There is no inbox to configure and no permanent recipient address. The two browser tabs form the temporary transfer surface.
Pair the second browser
Scan the QR code, use the built-in IcyZip scanner, or open the pairing link. Wait until both sides say Connected before choosing a file.
Choose one file and send
Open the File action on the sending side, use the browser file picker, select one item, and press Send. The current limit is 25 MB per selected file.
Download on the paired side
Keep both browsers open while progress moves. When the receiver shows Received, use its download action. IcyZip does not create a permanent public URL for later pickup.
Direction
Phone to PC and PC to phone use the same connection
Pairing is not tied to a sender role. Once connected, either browser can send the selected file, and the other browser becomes the receiver for that transfer.
Android or iPhone to computer
Start on a Windows, macOS, or Linux computer, scan from the phone, choose a photo, document, export, or other file in the mobile browser, then download it on the computer.
Computer to phone
Use the same pair, choose a file in the desktop browser, and keep the phone tab awake until the download action appears. The phone browser and operating system decide where the downloaded file is stored.
Computer to computer
The QR link can also connect two desktop or laptop browsers. This can be useful when the machines do not share a clipboard, account, cable, or cloud-drive folder.
Browser and device notes
What to expect in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge
IcyZip uses browser QR/link navigation, WebCrypto, WebSocket with a text-only HTTP fallback, a browser file picker, and browser downloads. Exact picker and download locations remain operating-system behavior.
| Device/browser | Practical path | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Android with Chrome or another Chromium browser | Scan the computer QR with the camera app or the built-in scanner, choose a file from the Android picker, and keep the tab visible during transfer. | Android may suspend a background tab. IcyZip replaces stale connections after wake, but an unavailable old pair needs the fresh QR code shown by the recovered page. |
| iPhone or iPad with Safari | Open the pairing link in Safari and choose a file through the iOS picker. Use Safari's download UI on receipt. | Built-in QR scanning depends on browser camera/BarcodeDetector support; the native camera app and pairing link remain the fallback. Safari is not exercised by every automated release gate. |
| Windows with Chrome, Edge, or Firefox | Use the desktop as the QR screen or sender. The browser download normally goes to its configured Downloads location. | Corporate firewall or browser policy can block WebSocket or downloads. The HTTP fallback carries live text only; file transfer needs the active WebSocket path. |
| macOS with Safari, Chrome, or Firefox | Pair through QR/link and use the standard file picker and download controls. | Camera and download permissions are browser settings. Edge/Chrome share Chromium foundations, but not every version is separately automated. |
| Linux desktop with Chromium or Firefox | The automated browser gates run on Linux and exercise pairing, reconnect, encrypted transfer frames, received bytes, and post-transfer text progress. | Distribution sandboxing and custom download policies can change where a received file is written. |
Recovery
If Connecting remains after sleep or the camera is blocked
The recovery path is part of the product rather than an instruction to reload every page manually.
After phone sleep or network change
Return to the IcyZip tab and bring it online. Visibility and network recovery replace a stale connecting transport. If the stored pair is still available, the two browsers reconnect and keep the tab's current draft text.
When the old pair no longer exists
The page removes the stale pairing identity, creates a new primary pair, and shows a fresh QR code with an explicit rescan instruction. Scan that code from the other device; a dead pairing URL cannot be revived.
When camera permission is denied
Allow camera access and retry, use the phone's camera application, copy/open the pairing link, or use another IcyZip browser's built-in scanner. The scanner accepts controlled HTTPS IcyZip pairing origins and rejects foreign or insecure lookalikes.
When the peer goes offline mid-transfer
Keep both tabs open and connected until the receiver finishes. File transfer is not queued for offline pickup. If the pair reconnects, choose and send the file again rather than assuming a partial download is complete.
Security and limits
Encrypted file bytes do not mean zero metadata
Current product browsers derive a file-specific key from the browser pairing material and encrypt each file chunk before its WebSocket binary frame leaves the sender. The paired browser decrypts the bytes and creates the local download.
What is protected between the browsers
File bytes use browser-side AES-GCM encryption with a separate derivation context from live text. The service forwards encrypted binary data; it is not the endpoint that opens the received file.
What the server can still process
The filename, MIME/type hint, plaintext size, encrypted wire size, chunk sizing, timing, pairing activity, IP-derived country where configured, and browser class remain operational metadata. Do not describe IcyZip as anonymous or zero-metadata.
Current product boundary
One selected file is supported up to 25 MB. There is no folder sync, multi-file queue, resume from an arbitrary partial byte, permanent share link, public index, or offline inbox.
Storage behavior
The server does not persist received file bytes as a download object. The receiving browser holds the result as a local browser Blob for its download action. Browser download history and the saved file remain on that device.
Before sensitive use: read How IcyZip Works and the privacy policy. They separate encrypted content from connection and transfer metadata.
FAQ
Phone and computer file-transfer questions
The answers describe the current IcyZip product behavior, including limits that generic file-sharing pages often omit.
How do I transfer a file from my phone to my computer?
Open IcyZip on the computer, scan its QR code with the phone, wait until both browsers show Connected, choose one file on the phone, and press Send. Keep both tabs open until the computer shows the download action.
Can I transfer from the computer back to the phone?
Yes. Pairing is bidirectional. Choose the file on the computer side and send it while the phone browser remains connected, then use the download action on the phone.
What is the current file-size limit?
The current production configuration accepts one selected file up to 25 MB. IcyZip does not batch folders or queue multiple files.
What if the camera cannot scan the QR code?
Allow camera access, use the phone camera app, open the pairing link, or use IcyZip's built-in scanner where the browser supports it. A denied camera permission does not require an account or app install.
Are file bytes encrypted?
Current IcyZip product browser clients encrypt file chunks in the sending browser and decrypt them in the paired receiving browser. Filename, type hint, sizes, timing, and connection metadata remain visible to the service.