Moving a file from your phone to the computer sitting right in front of you shouldn't mean hunting for the right cable, emailing it to yourself, or uploading it to a cloud drive just to download it again across the desk. Beamaroo does it in the browser on both devices: open beamaroo.com on the phone and the PC, scan the QR code (or type the short word code), and the files travel straight between the two devices over an encrypted peer-to-peer connection. iPhone to Windows, Android to Mac, phone to phone, PC to PC — any device with a modern browser, in either direction, with nothing installed and nothing uploaded.
Beamaroo vs cable, Bluetooth & cloud methods
An honest, side-by-side look — including where they beat us.
| Feature | Beamaroo | cable, Bluetooth & cloud methods |
|---|---|---|
| Works without a cable or drivers | Yes — just a browser tab on each device | USB needs the right cable; iPhone on Windows typically needs Apple software installed |
| Works across platforms (iPhone ↔ Windows, Android ↔ Mac) | Yes — any modern browser, both directions | AirDrop is Apple-only; Quick Share needs the right devices; Bluetooth pairing is slow and flaky across brands |
| Works when the devices are on different networks | Yes — phone on 4G, PC on office Wi-Fi is fine | AirDrop and Quick Share need the devices next to each other |
| Files uploaded to or stored on a server | Never — the server only introduces the two devices | Cloud drives and email store a copy of your file on their servers |
| App or software install | None | Transfer apps need installing on both ends; iTunes/Apple Devices for iPhone-to-Windows cable transfers |
| Account required | None | Cloud drives and most transfer apps require an account |
| Encryption and peer verification | End-to-end encrypted (DTLS) with a one-time verified pairing code | Varies — email is often unencrypted in transit between providers; Bluetooth pairing is unauthenticated in practice |
| File size limits | No fixed limit — very large multi-gigabyte files constrained by tab memory today (stream-to-disk planned) | Email caps around 25 MB; messaging apps compress photos and videos; free cloud tiers cap storage |
| Delivery confirmation | Yes — "Delivered, verified on their device" after a hash check | None of the usual methods confirm the file arrived intact |
| Both devices online at the same time | Required — it's a live beam | Cable and cloud work asynchronously — a genuine advantage when the other device is off |
Here's the whole process. On your PC, open beamaroo.com and drop the files in — a QR code and a short word code appear. On your phone, open the camera and scan the QR (or browse to beamaroo.com and type the word code). The two devices verify each other cryptographically, the beam starts, and the files land in your phone's downloads — or the reverse: start on the phone, type the code on the PC, and pull files the other way. Either device can send. There's no pairing history to manage, no app permissions to grant, and the code is single-use, so there's nothing to clean up afterwards.
If both devices are on the same Wi-Fi, WebRTC finds the direct local path, so big files move at local-network speed — the transfer never goes out to the internet and back. If they're on different networks — phone on mobile data, laptop on hotel Wi-Fi, PC at the office — it still works: the connection is negotiated across the internet, end-to-end encrypted the whole way, and if a strict firewall blocks the direct path an encrypted relay forwards ciphertext it cannot read.
Every traditional method makes you pay somewhere. Cables need the right connector and, for iPhones on Windows, extra software. Bluetooth file transfer is slow and fails often between brands. Emailing yourself caps out around 25 MB and leaves copies on mail servers. Messaging apps recompress your photos and videos. Cloud drives mean uploading your file to someone else's computer just to move it a metre. A direct encrypted beam between the two browsers skips all of it — and tells you when the files have verifiably arrived.
Delivery receipt built in — you'll know it landed
Every file is hash-checked on the receiving device over an encrypted WebRTC connection (DTLS), and the confirmation beams back to you: “Delivered — verified on their device.” Like a boomerang, it comes back. Most tools say “sent” the moment a file leaves your hands; Beamaroo waits until it's proven to arrive.
A verified pairing code, not a shareable link
A share link works for anyone who gets it. A Beamaroo verified pairing code cryptographically checks you're connected to the right device — and the channel burns after one wrong guess, so a leaked or mistyped code can't quietly reach the wrong person.
When to choose cable, Bluetooth & cloud methods instead
A cable is still the better choice for a full phone backup or moving an entire photo library — tens of gigabytes flow faster and more reliably over USB, and it works with the phone offline. Cloud drives win when the two devices aren't online at the same time: park the file, fetch it later. And inside one ecosystem at close range — iPhone to MacBook on the same desk — AirDrop is excellent, as is Quick Share between compatible Android and Windows devices. Beamaroo's lane is everything in between: different platforms, different networks, someone else's machine, or any time you don't want the file uploaded anywhere.
Questions
How do I transfer files from my phone to my PC wirelessly without an app?
Open beamaroo.com in the browser on both devices. On the sender, drop in the files; a QR code and short word code appear. On the receiver, scan the QR or type the code. The devices verify each other and the files beam straight across, end-to-end encrypted — no app, no account, no cable.
Can I transfer files from an iPhone to a Windows PC without iTunes?
Yes. Beamaroo runs in Safari on the iPhone and any browser on Windows, so there's nothing to install on either side. Scan the QR code with the iPhone camera, confirm the pairing, and photos, videos or documents beam directly to the PC.
Does it work from Android to a Mac or PC?
Yes — any modern browser on both ends, in any combination: Android to Windows, Android to Mac, iPhone to Windows, even phone to phone or PC to PC. It also works in both directions, so you can push files from the PC back to the phone with the same pairing.
Do my files go through the internet or a server?
Never through a server — files travel directly between the two devices, end-to-end encrypted. On the same Wi-Fi, the transfer takes the direct local path and doesn't leave your network. Across different networks it's negotiated over the internet, still device-to-device; if a firewall blocks the direct path, an encrypted relay forwards data it cannot read.
Is there a file size limit?
No fixed limit. Honest caveat: very large multi-gigabyte transfers are constrained today because received files are held in the browser tab's memory before saving — stream-to-disk is planned. For photos, videos and documents it's quick; for a 50 GB backup, use a cable.
Why does the transfer pause when my phone locks?
Phone browsers throttle background tabs, so keep the screen on and the tab in the foreground during a transfer. It's the one habit worth knowing: start the beam, leave the phone unlocked until the "Delivered" receipt appears, and everything arrives verified.