PairOnce

ANDROID → PC · PHOTOS, SCREENSHOTS, FILES

Transfer files from Android to a PC, no cable needed

Open paironce.com on the PC, scan the QR code with the Android phone’s camera, then tap Choose files on the phone.

On the PC, click Accept, then Save; the file goes straight between the two devices, encrypted end to end, and lands in Downloads.

Step by step

  1. Open PairOnce on the PC. Go to paironce.com in Chrome, Edge or another current browser. It shows a QR code and a six-digit code.
  2. Connect the phone. Scan the QR code with the camera or Google Lens, or open paironce.com in Chrome on the phone and type the code under Enter a code. Check that both screens show the same safety code, then click Approve device on the PC. On the same Wi-Fi you can skip the scan: with PairOnce open on both, the other device appears under On this Wi-Fi; select Connect and check the safety code as usual. A page opened from a QR code or link asks you to confirm first: tap Connect.
  3. Choose the files on the phone. Tap Choose files and pick photos, screenshots or documents. If you installed PairOnce, you can also share files to it straight from the gallery or the file manager.
  4. Accept and save on the PC. Click Accept, then Save, and check your Downloads folder. Click I saved it to let the phone know.

From the PC to the phone

Choose files on the PC and accept them on the phone. After tapping Save, the file is in Downloads; open it from the Files app or from Chrome’s download list.

Many photos at once

Choose several files; each is offered in turn. On the PC you can tick Accept everything from … until we disconnect so they come in without a click each. If you decline one file, the rest still arrive.

Limits, and when this is not the right tool

  • A file can be up to 2 GB over a direct connection when the receiving browser saves straight to disk (Chrome or Edge on a computer or Android, Firefox on a computer, Safari on iOS 26 or later). Other browsers take up to 50 MB per file and hold 100 MB of received files at a time.
  • Files over 2 GB need PairOnce Pro on one of the two devices. Then a file can be up to 10 GB, received the same way, and the relay carries 5 GB a month.
  • When the two devices cannot reach each other directly, an encrypted relay carries the data. Each device can send and receive 200 MB a month that way, counted together; a direct connection has no monthly limit.
  • Both pages must stay open until everything has arrived: keep the phone’s screen on and the browser in front.
  • PairOnce moves things between two devices that are open at the same time. It is not cloud storage: nothing waits on a server for later.

Other ways to do it

  • A USB cable. Fast for whole folders; the phone has to be switched to file transfer mode each time, and you need the right cable.
  • Quick Share for Windows. Works well between nearby Android phones and Windows PCs once it is installed and signed in; it needs Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on both.
  • Microsoft Phone Link. Built into Windows; good for recent photos and messages, and it needs the Link to Windows app and a Microsoft account.
  • Google Drive. Fine if you already back up there; files go up to the cloud and down again.

Common questions

Do both devices need to be on the same Wi-Fi?

No, but it is the fastest and most reliable way. On mobile data or a VPN, PairOnce may need its encrypted relay, through which each device can send and receive 200 MB a month in total.

Is there a size limit?

Up to 2 GB per file when the PC receives in Chrome, Edge or Firefox over a direct connection, or 10 GB with PairOnce Pro on one of the two devices; otherwise 50 MB per file.

Does it work with a Mac too?

Yes. Safari and Chrome on a Mac work the same way.