How P2P File Transfer Works
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Wire2.me sends files straight from one browser to another. There is no upload step, no account and nothing to install. Here is what happens behind the scenes, in plain language.
Step by step
- Create a wire. Open Wire2.me and create a wire with a custom code or a random one. A wire is a private meeting point for your two devices.
- Share the code, link or QR code. Send the wire code or link to the other person, or let them scan the QR code with their phone.
- The devices connect. When the other person joins, the two browsers set up a direct WebRTC connection. You can turn on join approval so nobody gets in without your OK.
- Send files, folders or messages. Drag and drop files, or send text and links in the chat. Everything travels from device to device.
What the Wire2.me server does
The server only helps the two browsers find each other, a step called signaling. It never receives, stores or inspects the files you send. A wire closes automatically once it is no longer in use.
Why it is private
Transfers run over WebRTC data channels, which are encrypted with DTLS. Your files go from the sender to the receiver and are not uploaded to cloud storage. If a strict network blocks a direct connection, traffic may be passed through a relay server, but it stays encrypted and the relay cannot read it.
Good to know
- Both devices must stay online with the page open until the transfer finishes.
- Speed depends on the connection between the two devices, not on a shared server.
- Short connection drops are handled: transfers can resume from where they stopped.
- It works in any modern browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.