I’ve had one of the most pleasant experiences using LocalSend, and I believe this sentiment is shared by most people who have used the file-sharing app. But occasionally, I’ve experienced failed transfers. I would typically ignore them or blame them on my Wi-Fi. Sometimes I went through the usual troubleshooting — restarting apps and reconnecting to networks.
Finally, I spotted a pattern with the failed transfers, and to my surprise, the problem wasn’t actually LocalSend. The fix was embarrassingly simple, and ever since, I have used LocalSend differently.
Every time LocalSend failed, the setup looked “normal”
Same Wi-Fi, different rules
Most LocalSend guides tell you to connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network. Theoretically, this is ideal for transferring files with LocalSend, but in practice, it doesn’t always work. Even with all devices on the same network, nothing would appear. Either no devices would show up, or a device would appear once and then disappear on the next attempt.
When this happens, it sets me off on a wild goose chase, mainly because nothing seems out of place. But the simple assumption that being on the same network means everything should work conceals many underlying realities. Some networks are designed to isolate devices from each other, and other networks segment traffic, isolate clients, or use multiple subnets/SSIDs. This may happen more commonly in shared spaces or when you use specific router setups.
It took a while to observe any of these, but it became a clear pattern the moment I started paying attention. I noticed that LocalSend was failing in the same environment and under the same conditions. The one thing that remained consistent when the failure occurred was the network.
If you’re on a guest network, LocalSend may never work regardless of what you try — guest networks are specifically designed to prevent devices from talking to each other.
I stopped joining networks and just made my own
The first time everything showed up instantly
It was frustration that pushed me to a turning point. Since my laptop wasn’t seeing my phone in a seemingly perfect setup, I turned on my mobile hotspot. This wasn’t conventional, but once I connected my laptop and opened LocalSend, my laptop and phone showed up instantly. I didn’t have to wait or refresh. This was an instant fix.
At this point, I thought this was a one-off solution, so curiosity led me to recreate this connection, and I got the same results. Still curious, I tried it again, but this time in a different environment, and once more, it worked. It was then that it clicked. I didn’t have to work around the quirks of a specific network — I simply created my own. Removing that network from the equation fixed the problem with LocalSend.
Each time I turned on the hotspot, I was creating a small, controlled network that had just my devices in it. It avoids router quirks and hidden restrictions. It also eliminates traffic that may be competing in the background. It’s a simple network, unlike most Wi-Fi networks you may connect to, and it worked consistently in a way that made using LocalSend predictable. No internet connection is needed on either device, and the transfer stays entirely between your devices.
- OS
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Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, and Google TV
- Price model
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Free
LocalSend is a free, open-source file transfer app that uses your local network to send files instantly and reliably between Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS devices without needing the internet
The difference shows up most with large transfers
The transfers that used to fail are now the easy ones
I truly considered this a successful solution when I repeatedly used it to transfer large files. Small files don’t matter as much because even when my network was messy, the transfers eventually went through. But you don’t want to keep resending a large video file or a backup folder, as used to be the case.
In the past, when I sent these large files, I would have my eyes constantly on the progress bar because even though it typically goes through without a hitch, it may sometimes stall halfway. This hotspot design didn’t necessarily make transfers faster, but there was no uncertainty. When I’m outside my house, especially when I’m in places where I don’t control the Wi-Fi, rather than try to fix or rely on the existing Wi‑Fi, I just turn on my hotspot and transfer files.
This fix wasn’t just for my laptop. My TV and older tablets, which usually struggled with discovery, worked as soon as I put them on the hotspot. Now my TV feels like a more capable device.
This is what the difference looks like to me:
Setup | Device visibility | Transfer consistency | When it fails |
|---|---|---|---|
Home Wi-Fi | Inconsistent | Varies | Busy network, router quirks |
Public/Guest Wi-Fi | Unreliable | Low | Often blocked entirely |
Hotspot | Immediate | Stable | Rarely |
If the receiving device is connected to both your hotspot and a saved Wi-Fi network simultaneously, LocalSend may still default to the wrong one — disconnect from other networks first. This is a common home networking mistake.
The tweaks I ignored before actually make sense now
The big difference that made LocalSend predictable was changing how my devices connect when it’s time to transfer a file. Before now, I knew what the extra settings on LocalSend were. However, I did not pay them much attention. They did not seem so important at that time because the core experience was sometimes unpredictable. But with the problem gone, these extra settings suddenly became useful.
Quick Save stopped feeling like just a nice idea. I can comfortably use it because I don’t feel that skipping the accept prompt adds any risk. I also feel more comfortable marking devices as favorites. I now keep LocalSend running in the background because it allows me to transfer without much preparation. These only started to really feel like worthwhile changes when the bigger problem no longer existed.
I separated my 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands and I should have done it sooner
A simple router setting was holding back my home network’s full potential, and I wish I’d made this change sooner.
