PairOnce

COMPUTER → PHONE · FILES

Send files from a computer to an iPhone or Android phone, no cable or iTunes

Open paironce.com on the computer and on the phone, pair them once with the QR code, then click Choose files on the computer and tap Accept on the phone: no cable, no iTunes, no app, no account.

An Android phone with Chrome, or an iPhone or iPad with iOS 26 or later, receives files up to 2 GB each, so even movies fit; older iPhones take up to 50 MB per file. Once you have saved a file, Remove from this page makes room.

For anything bigger, a USB cable or a cloud drive is the better tool; between a Mac and an iPhone, AirDrop is easier still.

Step by step

  1. Open PairOnce on both devices. Go to paironce.com on the computer in any browser, and on the phone in Safari (iPhone) or Chrome (Android).
  2. Pair them once. The computer shows a QR code and a six-digit code. Scan the code with the phone’s camera and open the link, or type the six digits on the phone. Check that both screens show the same safety code, then click Approve device on the computer. A page opened from a QR code or link asks you to confirm first: tap Connect.
  3. Choose the files on the computer. Click Choose files and pick documents, PDFs, photos, music or videos. Android phones and iPhones with iOS 26 or later take up to 2 GB per file; older iPhones up to 50 MB.
  4. Accept and save on the phone. Tap Accept for each file, then Save. On an iPhone it goes to the Files app, in Downloads; for a photo or video, tap Share, then Save to Photos. On Android it goes to Downloads.
  5. Make room. Once you have checked the file, tap I saved it, then Remove from this page so the phone has room for the next one.

If you have a Mac and an iPhone

PairOnce works where AirDrop does not reach: Windows to iPhone, any computer to an Android phone, or a phone that is not your own, all in the browser.

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

  • AirDrop. Mac to iPhone only; the easiest choice if you have both.
  • WhatsApp or Telegram, a message to yourself. Fine for a few files; the size is limited and photos are often compressed.
  • A cloud drive or iCloud Drive. Upload on the computer, open on the phone; works at any distance, but needs an account and the file goes through the cloud first.
  • A cable with iTunes or Finder. Needs no network; but on an iPhone files only go into apps that allow file sharing, and an Android phone shows up as a drive on Windows.

Common questions

Do I need iTunes, iCloud or an app?

No. Both devices only open paironce.com; there is no account, no app and no iTunes.

How big can a file be?

An Android phone with Chrome, or an iPhone with iOS 26 or later, takes up to 2 GB per file, or 10 GB with PairOnce Pro on one of the two devices. Older iPhones take up to 50 MB per file.

Do I have to pair every time?

No. After the first time the phone is listed under Your devices; open PairOnce on both and click Connect. An option connects automatically when both are open.

Does it work on different networks?

Yes. It connects directly when it can; otherwise an encrypted relay carries the data, 200 MB a month per device. See the related guide on different Wi-Fi.

Does this work from a Windows PC to an iPhone?

Yes. A Windows PC has no AirDrop, so the usual choices are a cable with iTunes or the Apple Devices app, or iCloud. With PairOnce you just open paironce.com on both, and the file arrives in the iPhone’s Files app, in Downloads.

Does it work for an iPad too?

Yes, an iPad works like an iPhone: accept, save, and the file is in the Files app, in Downloads. Between a Mac and an iPad, AirDrop is the easier choice.