AirBridge
Download
DOWNLOAD · WINDOWS + ANDROID

AirBridge for Windows + Android

LAN-only file transfer. Free, offline-first, end-to-end encrypted out of the box. Windows installer + Android APK (sideload) below — both platforms send and receive on the LAN.

System requirements

  • OS: Windows 10 (20H2+) or Windows 11
  • Architecture: 64-bit (x64)
  • Disk: 200 MB free
  • Runtime: none — single self-contained executable, no .NET / Java / Node install needed
  • Network: Wi-Fi or wired LAN shared with the other devices

Install instructions

  1. Download the installer

    Save AirBridge_1.2.28_x64-setup.exe from the button above.

  2. Run the installer

    Double-click the .exe. Windows may show a SmartScreen warning.

  3. Click through SmartScreen

    Click More info → Run anyway. AirBridge is not yet code-signed with an EV certificate, so Windows asks for an extra confirmation.

  4. Follow the NSIS wizard

    Accept the default install location or pick your own. The installer drops desktop and Start menu shortcuts.

  5. Allow LAN access when prompted

    On first launch Windows asks about the firewall — tick both Private and Public so auto-discovery works across your Wi-Fi.

  6. Open AirBridge and drop a file

    Other devices on the same Wi-Fi running AirBridge appear in your devices list. Drag and drop — done.

Android sideload steps

  1. Allow installs from this browser

    Open Settings → Apps → Special access → Install unknown apps → pick the browser you'll download from, toggle "Allow from this source".

  2. Download the APK on your phone

    Open this page on the phone and tap "Download APK", or copy the file via USB. Size is n/a.

  3. Tap to install

    Open the APK from your Downloads. Android may show a "Play Protect" warning — tap "More details" → "Install anyway". The app isn't on the Play Store yet, so this is expected.

  4. Connect to the same Wi-Fi as your laptop

    The phone and the desktop need to be on the same LAN. Guest networks and VPN profiles will block discovery.

  5. Open AirBridge and send

    Your laptop appears under "Send to". Pick a file or paste text. Everything's encrypted with AES-256-GCM on the phone before it leaves.

Mobile build notes

  • Architecture: arm64 (most phones from 2017+). x86 / armv7 variants coming.
  • Profile: release-signed, R8-minified, native symbols stripped. SHA-256 above to verify integrity.
  • Stack: Tauri 2 + WebView. Same React code as the desktop, no React Native.
  • Send-only on phone: the phone is the sender; received files land on the desktop. Receive-on-phone is on the roadmap.
  • iOS: not yet — same stack works on iOS via TestFlight, ETA when we have a Mac in the loop.
CHANGELOG

What's new in 1.2.30

  • Mobile Multi-page mobile redesign — Send · Inbox · Devices · Settings · Help, with a bottom tab bar. Same WebView shell, completely new information architecture.
  • Mobile Phone auto-discovers on the LAN — the Android app now broadcasts itself on the same UDP discovery channel the desktop uses, so it shows up in the desktop's Devices list without manual IP entry.
  • Mobile Plain / Single key / Per-file key cipher toggle. Pick "Off" for max speed on a trusted Wi-Fi, single-key (default) for zero-config E2EE, per-file for forward secrecy.
  • Mobile Real error messages — when the desktop rejects a send the mobile UI surfaces the server's actual reason instead of bare "peer returned 500".
  • Mobile One universal APK ships now instead of three per-ABI builds — same file works on arm64-v8a, armeabi-v7a, and x86_64 (emulators / Chrome OS).
  • Desktop Pair a phone QR is now open by default in Settings so the QR is visible on first visit.
  • Both Receive on phone — Android APK now runs a tiny Rust HTTP listener while open so desktops can send files back. Toggle in the Inbox tab.
  • Both Per-file key cipher mode on mobile — phone generates a fresh random AES-256 key per file, ships it to the desktop's local keystore over the LAN, then sends the cipher. Toggle in the Pair header.
  • Both QR-code phone pairing — Desktop Settings shows a QR with this device's LAN URL; the mobile Pair screen scans it and connects in one tap (camera optional, fall back to typing).
  • Mobile First-launch Pair screen — type or paste the desktop's LAN address; we verify with /info before saving so a wrong IP doesn't silently break every send.
  • Mobile Three ABI builds shipped: arm64-v8a (modern phones), armeabi-v7a (older 32-bit), x86_64 (emulators / Chrome OS).
  • Mobile Android sideload APK — Tauri 2 + WebView shell wrapping the same React client. Send files and text from your phone, encrypted on-device before they leave.
  • Desktop AES-256-GCM encryption with two selectable modes: single shared key (zero-config) or dynamic per-file keys (forward secrecy).
  • Both AES-256-GCM single-key mode is the default on every platform — same wire format, drop-in compatible.
  • Desktop Received files keep the original sender filename; collisions get Windows-style "(1)", "(2)" suffixes.
  • Both End-to-end encryption toggle surfaced in the header for one-click status.
  • Both Shared LAN key bundled with each installer — no first-run setup step.
  • Desktop Multi-file transfers are ~2× faster thanks to pipelined chunking.
  • Desktop Uploads are resumable on reconnect — pick up where the network dropped.
  • Desktop Inbox groups incoming files by sender and by batch for easier triage.
COMING SOON

Other platforms in the pipeline

The same LAN protocol, everywhere. These builds are under active development and will plug straight into your existing AirBridge LAN.

macOS

Universal binary for Apple silicon and Intel. Notarized build in review.

Coming soon

iOS

Share-sheet integration, background transfers, inbox. TestFlight beta first.

Coming soon

Android

Play Store and direct APK. Receive from any app via the share intent.

Coming soon
INSTALL FAQ

Three things that trip people up.

Windows SmartScreen says "Windows protected your PC". What do I do?

Click "More info" and then "Run anyway". AirBridge is not yet code-signed with an EV certificate, so Windows shows this warning until our reputation score builds up. The installer is the same file you downloaded from this page — verify the SHA-256 above if you want to be sure.

AirBridge cannot see my other device.

First make sure both devices are on the same Wi-Fi (not a guest network or VPN). Then allow AirBridge through the Windows firewall — the first launch should prompt you. If the prompt was dismissed, open "Windows Defender Firewall → Allow an app" and tick both Private and Public for AirBridge.

My corporate antivirus blocks the installer.

Some enterprise AV (Bitdefender, Webroot, Carbon Black) flags un-signed installers heuristically. Whitelist AirBridge_*.exe and the AirBridge install folder. You can verify the SHA-256 on this page matches the file you downloaded so you know nothing tampered in transit.

Does AirBridge work behind a corporate proxy?

AirBridge does not use a proxy — it talks device-to-device on the LAN over plain TCP. If your network blocks peer-to-peer traffic (some corporate Wi-Fi isolates clients), discovery and transfers fail. Use guest Wi-Fi or a wired LAN that does not isolate clients.

Which Windows versions are supported?

Windows 10 (20H2 or newer) and Windows 11, both 64-bit. Older builds may work but are not tested.