How to transfer files from iPhone to Linux (and from Linux to iPhone)

The simplest way to transfer files from iPhone to Linux in 2026 needs nothing installed. Open the same web page in Safari and in Firefox or Chrome on the Linux machine, pair them with a one-time code, and the files go straight across, in either direction and even on different networks. If you'd rather stay on your own network, KDE Connect and LocalSend both have iPhone apps, the iPhone's Files app can open a Samba share, and a USB cable still suits a whole camera roll.

Transfer files from iPhone to Linux in the browser

This is the simplest iPhone to Linux file transfer: nothing to install on either side, no ports to open and no shared network needed, so the iPhone can even be on mobile data. Use Safari on the iPhone and Firefox or Chrome on Linux. The same steps work from an iPad, and for Windows there's a separate iPhone to PC guide.

1. On the iPhone, open beamaroo.com in Safari, add the photos, videos or documents you want to send, and tap Get a code.
2. On the Linux machine, open beamaroo.com and type the code shown on the iPhone (it looks like beam-7-otter-quartz).
3. Check the number of files and the total size, then click Accept. Keep Safari open on the iPhone, screen on, until it says Delivered — verified on their device.
4. Save the files on Linux. The first file normally downloads by itself; for the rest, click Save all or each file's Save link.

What happens to the files

They go directly between the two browsers, encrypted, and nothing is uploaded or stored. If a network blocks a direct connection, an encrypted relay passes the bytes along without being able to read them. The Linux browser holds incoming files in memory until they're saved, so roughly 1–2 GB per beam is comfortable; for anything bigger, see the table at the end. Here's how the pairing and relay work.

PairDrop, an open-source browser tool, also works between Safari and a Linux browser and finds devices on the same Wi-Fi automatically, though when the iPhone is the receiver it refuses sends of 200 MB or more. It's a good pick if you'd rather use something you can host yourself.

Linux to iPhone: the same beam in reverse

Getting files onto an iPhone without an app works the same way, with Safari as the receiver.

1. On the Linux machine, open beamaroo.com, drop in the files and click Get a code.
2. On the iPhone, open beamaroo.com in Safari and enter the code, or scan the QR code on the Linux screen with the iPhone's camera.
3. Tap Accept and keep Safari on screen until the transfer finishes, then tap Save. Safari keeps downloads in the Downloads folder of the Files app (Apple).

Keep iPhone-bound beams to a few hundred MB

This time Safari holds the file in memory, so a few hundred MB per beam is comfortable; Beamaroo warns you above 300 MB on a phone, and multi-gigabyte files can fail. For big files going to the iPhone, use LocalSend or a Samba share (below). Folders need zipping first; tap the .zip in the Files app and it expands into a folder.

KDE Connect on iPhone: what works in 2026

KDE Connect is the Linux desktop's phone bridge, and KDE publishes an official iPhone app: free, version 0.5.7 as of October 2026, iOS 15 or later. On Linux, install KDE Connect; GNOME users can use GSConnect, an extension that speaks the same protocol. Pair the two on the same network, then share files from iPhone to Linux, or links, from any app's Share sheet.

The iPhone app does less than the Android one. KDE's documentation lists no notification sync or SMS, and the connection isn't kept alive when the app isn't on screen, so open KDE Connect before you send. Remote input, run command and the presentation remote only work from iPhone to computer, and the clipboard has to be pushed by hand.

On the Linux side, KDE Connect uses ports 1714–1764 (TCP and UDP), and discovery needs UDP broadcast to get through your network. With ufw: sudo ufw allow 1714:1764/udp and sudo ufw allow 1714:1764/tcp, then sudo ufw reload. With firewalld: sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=home --add-service=kdeconnect, then sudo firewall-cmd --reload (KDE advises against using the public zone).

LocalSend between iPhone and Linux

LocalSend is free, open source and the most straightforward app route. Install it on the iPhone (iOS 13 or later) and on Linux (Flathub, Snap, AUR, a DEB or an AppImage, among others), keep both on the same Wi-Fi, and the devices show up by name. It works without internet, can send whole folders and suits big transfers between your own devices.

What it can't do, as of October 2026, is reach a Linux machine on a different network: LocalSend's FAQ says plainly that it doesn't work over the internet. Our LocalSend alternative comparison covers the options for that.

Three things trip people up:

• LocalSend needs Local Network access: Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network.
• The app has to stay in the foreground during a transfer.
• The Linux side needs port 53317 open if a firewall is running (with ufw: sudo ufw allow 53317). If the devices still don't see each other, our LocalSend troubleshooting guide covers the rest.

Warpinator on iPhone?

Not from Linux Mint. Warpinator is Mint's own tool for sharing files across a local network, handy between Linux machines, and Mint lists unofficial ports for Android and Windows only, nothing for iOS. The App Store does carry a third-party app called Warpinator from an independent developer, which Mint doesn't list.

If you're transferring files from iPhone to Linux Mint, LocalSend or a browser beam is the simpler route. And if you go looking for Warpinator downloads, Mint's README warns that warpinator.com, warpinator.net and warpinator.technab.com are fake sites, and not to download or run anything from them.

No app on the iPhone: connect the Files app to a Samba share

If you're happy to set up Samba on the Linux machine, the iPhone needs nothing extra: its Files app has supported SMB file servers since iOS 13 (Apple). It works in both directions and, because no browser tab is holding the file, it's the better no-app choice for big files. It only works on your own network.

1. Share a folder on the Linux machine with Samba and note the machine's local IP address.
2. On the iPhone, open Files, tap Browse, tap the More button and choose Connect to Server (Apple's steps).
3. Enter the Linux machine's address and tap Connect, then choose Registered User and sign in with your Samba user name and password.
4. Tap Next, open the share under Shared in the Browse sidebar, and copy files either way.

With a USB cable: libimobiledevice, GVFS and ifuse

Linux talks to iPhones over USB through libimobiledevice, an independent open-source project that reimplements Apple's protocols rather than using Apple software. Plug in, enter the iPhone's passcode and tap Trust when asked; a trusted computer can reach the phone's photos and videos (Apple).

On GNOME, the file manager can open the iPhone directly through GVFS, and KDE has a similar add-on. Elsewhere, ifuse mounts the iPhone's media folder (where the camera roll lives) and the document folders of apps that support file sharing, which is how files get onto the phone by cable. If you use ifuse, avoid version 1.2.0: its README warns of a data-corruption bug that 1.2.1 fixed.

A cable is the right tool for a whole camera roll or a pile of 4K video, with no network involved. It's clumsier for documents, because you can only drop files into apps that offer file sharing.

Best way to transfer files from iPhone to Linux, job by job