curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/arslanbasharat-o-o/NearByDrop/main/scripts/install.sh | sh
A Mac menu bar app for nearby transfers, USB file management, QR workflows and Finder sharing. Compatibility and test coverage are called out where they matter.
Send files from the Mac to compatible Android devices, or receive Android files on the Mac. Review incoming requests and confirm the matching PIN; trusted devices can be auto-accepted. The regular device-list flow uses a reachable local network.
Send to or receive from compatible Windows Quick Share clients while Nearby Drop runs on the Mac. Both directions passed with one PC in a Debug test; the packaged release was not separately device-tested.
Show a Mac-generated Quick Share code for Android, or scan an Android code with the camera inside Nearby Drop. Both QR directions passed with a Pixel 8 Pro; Android-to-Mac receiving passed during v2.3.2 validation.
Browse phone storage over MTP, drag in or choose Mac files to upload, download selected items or whole folder trees, and save a file to a chosen Mac location. Physical Pixel and Nexus browse, upload and download checks passed.
Use macOS’s Share menu to send files, folders or web links to a nearby Android device, without first opening the main transfer flow.
Choose several files or folders, drag items into the app, follow transfer progress and available speed or time estimates, cancel an active transfer, and review recent transfers or reveal saved files in Finder.
Rename the Mac as nearby devices see it, choose where received files are saved, auto-accept transfers from trusted devices, launch at login, choose light, dark or system appearance and an accent or menu bar icon, and turn transfer sounds or haptics on or off.
Wireless speeds vary with the devices and network. See the transfer status table below for the tested directions and current limits.
Nearby Drop requires macOS 14 or later. Quick Share compatibility and wireless discovery can vary by device and network.
Nearby Drop is an independent implementation of the Nearby Share / Quick Share transfer protocol. It communicates with compatible Android devices over the local network.
Nearby Drop advertises its service over local multicast DNS. When both devices can reach one another and network discovery is allowed, the Mac can appear in Android’s Quick Share sheet.
The UKEY2 handshake uses Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman (P-256). A matching confirmation PIN helps users verify the pairing before accepting files.
File data streams over the local network rather than a cloud relay. Throughput depends on the phone, Mac, signal strength, router, and network configuration; no fixed speed is promised.
Transferred photos, 4K videos, and zip files are written directly into your ~/Downloads/ directory. An alert sound plays with a one-click button to reveal files in Finder.
Select an issue for practical checks that can help identify common local-network problems.
Nearby Drop 2.3.4 transfers with compatible Android and Windows Quick Share devices. Windows transfers passed both directions with one PC; broader Windows testing is still limited.
| TRANSFER | DIRECTION | STATUS | REQUIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick Share over Wi-Fi | Android → Mac | Available in the public Mac app | Compatible Android device and reachable local network |
| Quick Share over Wi-Fi | Mac → Android | Available in the public Mac app | Compatible Android device and reachable local network |
| In-app QR send code | Mac → Android | Passed with Pixel 8 Pro in a Debug test build | Scan the code with Quick Share on Android |
| In-app camera scan of Android QR | Android → Mac | Android-to-Mac receiving passed with a Pixel 8 Pro during v2.3.2 validation; included in the current release | Display the receive code in Android Quick Share, then scan it with Nearby Drop |
| USB MTP file browser | Android ↔ Mac | Physically tested: browse, upload and download | Use a data cable, unlock the phone and choose File Transfer / MTP |
| Finder Share Extension | Mac → Android | Included in the public Mac app | Share files, folders or links from Finder |
| Windows Quick Share interoperability | Mac ↔ Windows | Included in the current public release; both directions passed in a final Debug test with one PC | The packaged release was not separately device-tested; broader Windows coverage is limited |
| Google Quick Share ↔ Apple AirDrop | Supported Android phones ↔ Mac | Native transfer on compatible Android devices | Availability varies by model and software; check Google's current compatibility guide |
| Cloud storage | Transfers when devices are not nearby | Internet required | Upload and download through the provider |