A local-first file manager and sharing hub for Android, macOS and Windows.
Browse, send and sync between your own devices without a cloud in the middle.
Download • Features • Pairing • Notifications & Bulletin Board • Networking • Privacy • License
(See more in screenshots.md)
Pair your phone, Mac and PC once, then move files, share the clipboard, send messages and see your phone's notifications from any of them. Files go straight between your devices over your network. Anything that touches the internet is opt-in.
| Platform | Get it |
|---|---|
| Android | Get the .apk from the latest release or Google Play |
| macOS (Apple Silicon / Intel) | Installer from the latest release |
| Windows | Installer from the latest release |
| Linux | .deb, .rpm, or AppImage from the latest release |
| FireFox Extension | Installer from the latest release |
Builds from GitHub can check for updates and install them from inside the app (opt-in). Play builds update through Google Play.
Download one file from the release page.
Ubuntu, Debian, ChromeOS Linux container (.deb):
sudo apt install ./FileApex-v0.17.0-amd64.debStart FileApex from the application menu.
Fedora, openSUSE (.rpm):
sudo dnf install ./FileApex-v0.17.0-x86_64.rpmAny distribution (AppImage):
chmod +x FileApex-v0.17.0-x86_64.AppImage
./FileApex-v0.17.0-x86_64.AppImageNothing is installed: the file is the app, and deleting it removes the app. The first launch adds a FileApex entry to the application menu and a shortcut on the desktop, both pointing at that file, so keep it where it is or launch it again from its new location.
If the AppImage does not start and mentions FUSE, install the FUSE 2 library (sudo apt install libfuse2t64 on Ubuntu 24.04 and later, libfuse2 on older releases) or run it with --appimage-extract-and-run.
Received files go to the Downloads folder under FileApex.
Updating: download the new file and replace the old one (AppImage) or install the new package over it. Quit FileApex first; an AppImage that is already running keeps running the old version.
Linux rpm/deb builds do not update themselves.
Chromebook: the Linux container sits behind its own network, so other devices cannot reach it yet. Use FileApex on a Chromebook only after the container port forwarding and address override are added.
- Local-first explorer: Browse and move files between paired devices on the same network.
- Multi-target sending: Push files and folders to several online devices at once.
- Receive folder: Incoming files land in
Download/FileApexon Android and~/Downloads/FileApexon desktop. - System sharing: macOS Finder and Share extension, Windows Share and Send To, and Android Direct Share targets for paired devices.
- Clipboard sharing (opt-in): Send your clipboard or a link to any paired device, in any direction. Links open in the default browser.
- Device details: Battery, charging state, processor, storage, RAM and network for every paired device.
- Locate phone: Make a paired phone ring or show where it is from your computer.
- Themes and layouts: Pick the layout that suits you, including Simple, built for one phone and one computer.
- Background persistence (Android): Keeps the share server reachable, with battery guidance, a watchdog and optional restart after reboot.
- Command line: A CLI and terminal dashboard on desktop for scripting and headless use.
- Browser extension: Send the active browser tab to your Bulletin Board.
No typing IP addresses. Generate a QR code on one device, then on the other use Join to scan it, enter the 6-digit code, or automatically detect code broadcast. An optional PIN lock gates pairing and browsing.
Bulletin Board sends a text message or file to all your paired devices at once. Delete a message on one device or on all of them, and the notification is removed from the shade too. With a Google account linked it can also reach Android devices on cellular.
Phone notifications on your computer (opt-in): Choose which apps on your phone share their notifications. Messages, email and everything else appear in separate lists on the computer, where you can reply to messages or dismiss them on the phone. Nothing is stored, and verification codes stay on the phone by default.
Low battery alert: An Android device that hits low battery posts a notice to the board, and removes it once it is charging again.
| Same network | Discovery and transfer over Wi-Fi or Ethernet, after paired. |
| Tailscale | Reach paired devices across networks through your tailnet, using Tailscale's embedded tsnet. |
| Iroh | Reach paired devices over the internet by device key, with no IP address needed, using Iroh from n0 computer. |
| Docker | Run the FileApex daemon as an always-on node. See DOCKER.md. |
| Google account (opt-in) | Cloud presence and wake signals, plus optional Drive relay for Bulletin Board files. Files stay on your devices otherwise. |
FileApex builds on the work of others:
- Tailscale: the open-source (BSD-3-Clause, source)
tsnetlibrary gives FileApex private, encrypted connections between your devices across networks. Thank you to the Tailscale team for making it open and embeddable. - Iroh by n0 computer: open source (MIT and Apache-2.0, Kotlin bindings), peer-to-peer connections by key, with hole punching and relays, so paired devices can find each other over the internet. Thank you to the Iroh team and contributors.
Their licence notices, and those of the Go libraries behind the Tailscale bridge, are reproduced in THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.md, which also ships inside the app. Tailscale and Iroh are trademarks of their respective owners. FileApex is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
FileApex has no ads, trackers or analytics. Read the full policy, with every permission and optional service explained, in PRIVACY.md.
This project is licensed under the MIT License
Full license text
MIT License
Copyright (c) 2026 ByHowieCreations
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.