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How to Transfer Files Between Android and PC on WIFI

How to Transfer Files Between Android and PC on WIFI

Published by DominicD
02-20-2014

Default How to Transfer Files Between Android and PC on WIFI

Transfer Files Between Android and PC via WIFI

If you're a long time Android user, or had just started to get the hang of Android, im sure you might have asked yourself at least once - "is it possible to transfer files from my laptop's wireless to the Android device's wireless?" The answer to this of course "yes!, there's an app for that!"

Now lets take the question a bit further, is it possible to transfer files between two Android devices? -- Again, the answer is "Yes! Bluetooth!".
The tech savy users would comment on bluetooth as a solution because --- Bluetooth file transfer is painfully slow when working with videos and large files. Bluetooth works ok with pictures and some occassional music and mp3 transfers.. But get a good number of files to transfer over bluetooth and the waiting time for transfer exponentially increases

We're beyond the topics of carrying micro usb cables here, copying files from Android Device "A" to laptop, and then copying files from laptop to Android Device "B" doubles the waiting time even more. Also, one has to remember bringing that easy to lose micro-usb cable!

And.. lets add a bit more of complication.. What if there is no computer around to act as the temporary save location of files? Surely then we're stuck with bluetooth!

Have I spun your head a bit yet with all this should-have-been-simple issues of transferring files from Android to laptop, and Android to Android?

Lets continue on and discuss in more detail.. Surely Google has Android covered in terms of the technology of communicating between devices..

==========================================

THE FILE TRANSFER SOLUTIONS..



BLUETOOTH -- first gen solution, works on any device, good for small files, but very slow transfer and limited range
Bluetooth is that quick solution for sending your selfie's from Mom's phone to yours. It is quick to setup and compatible with any other Bluetooth capable device.


Bluetooth is also slow. You dont' usually notice it if you're just sending pictures and music for ringtones.. But try sending 20-30minute recorded movies over bluetooth and you'll see how long it takes to complete!



WIFI-DIRECT -- Google had Android build the next generation solution to bluethooth file transfers with "WIFI Direct". Seeing as every Android device is wifi capable, the WIFI-Direct standard has been set on new Android phones. With WIFI-Direct, you will be transferring files over WIFI instead of bluetooth. WIFI-Direct definitely provides a much faster transfer speed as the communicating devices transfer at WIFI speeds. WIFI-Direct is indeed much faster, has a wider range -- so devices do not necessarily have to be close or next to each other.

With WIFI-Direct, the need for transferring files quickly and reliably over two Android devices is solved!
However, there is always an itch for the technically savvy Android enthusiast!
Can I WIFI-Direct from my Android phone to my laptop?
Unfortunately the answer is often times, NO!

WIFI-Direct is new technology. Surely they are pushing it as the standard, but to be realistic, WIFI-Direct is not enabled on most Android phones. Only the recent phones and flagship phones have WIFI-Direct capable wifi components. Having a wifi-capable Android device does not always mean it has WIFI-Direct capability. WIFI-Direct requires the modern wifi component to be present in your device. It is not simply a software update or app

Am I seriously getting you stumped now? You see, I've tested WIFI-Direct on new "flagship" devices. And it turns out, even though this devices adhere to the newly proposed standards like WIFI-Direct and new version of Bluetooth, different brands do not always connect and work even with WIFI-Direct!

Google Nexus devices (both tablets and phones) have WIFI-Direct capability. Connecting a Nexus 4 phone to a Nexus 7 tablet works with WIFI-Direct. But join a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 into the WIFI-Direct party, and no file transfer actually happens You do get confirmation that it has established a connection via WIFI-Direct, but no file transfer occurs. After a long time of waiting, both devices are greeted with a WIFI-Direct error that file transfer has failed.

We're really getting worked up about transferring files between devices huh? Time to bring up the micro usb cable? Haha, not just yet!!

==========================================

So we've laid out all possible options.. Bluetooth is nice, but really slow. WIFI-Direct works best of you run the same brand across all your Android devices.. Whipping out the micro-usb cable is always an option..

But wait a bit, lets step back and give the WIFI spin another try

WIFI-HOTSPOT
Remember one of the two reasons why you switched to Android!? Enabling your phone to be a wifi-hotspot was new best thing after Blackberry's unlimited data plan and "tethering"!


With WIFI-Hotspot, you can share the data plan that your Android phone receives through 3G and 4G, and then relay it to laptops and tablets, and other devices. This has always worked for sharing the internet! Now, we take a small step back and think.. If I can enable WIFI-hotspot and share mydata plan, is it also possible to hotspot and share the contents of my phhone? -- Thus enabling direct file transfer over general WIFI?

Remember that we hit brand compatibility issues with WIFI-Direct, maybe doing it over general WIFI would work?

The answer is of course YES! There's an App for that!

============================================


WIFI FILE TRANSFER (App)


My answer to all the Android file transfer needs is WIFI FILE TRANSFER Pro. This is an app available on the Google Play Store.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...iletransferpro

In short and simple terms:
WIFI FILE TRANSFER App install on your Android device, it uses your wifi connection, it shows you the unique IP Adress of your phone that you just need to input to a laptop browser, or even another Android device.. and then presto! You can then see all the contents of your Android device. You browse through the web browser and can copy files and even upload files to the Android device!

Lets get started!

1. Download WIFI FILE TRANSFER App on your device.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...iletransferpro


2. Your laptop and Android device must be on the same wifi network.
You have two options of doing this:
At home, you can connect both devices to your wireless router. This way both devices are on the same network.
But what about those times when I am on the road or have no access to WIFI / or simply all WIFI networks are password protected?
The solution is simple! -- Enable the WIFI-hotspot feature on your phone, and connect your laptop to the Android hotspot


3. Launch WIFI FILE TRANSFER App..


Press the "Start" button to begin sharing..



And now sharing is enabled!

What just happened?
The WIFI FILE TRANSFER App has taken the IP Address of your Android phone, and made itself accessible through that ip address. By simply opening a browser on your computer and opening the web site location as presented in the app, you should be able to view the contents of the Android phone.
Type the location URL on the browser exactly as the app instructs you too..


4. Now lets examine the magic that we see..


- Above you can see the ip address of the Android device. You can spin another desktop or laptop and point to the same address, and you will also be able to view the contents of the Android phone.

- Next, notice that the you can see the contents of the SD Card. This immediately blows away the features offered by Bluetooth and WIFI-Direct

- The we see the stats and device information in the upper right corner.


5. Click on the Gallery View..

The WIFI FILE TRANSFER App provides a convenient view of the pictures and media files saved on your Android device. This simplifies the task of picking which pictures to copy from the phone to the laptop.

You can copy pictures, music, and any other type of file from your Android to the computer.

6. Copy files from your laptop to the Android device!

Now this is the killer feature! With this, it is very very easy to copy any kind of file on your laptop to the Android Phone!
You are no longer limited with the save location on where to save the downloaded files!
You are no longer bound by the limits of sending files via email, or synching files via Dropbox

7. Android file transfer problems solved! We have resolved standards and compatibility issues, we have resolved slow transfer issues! Everything is done through general WIFI transfer and at very fast speeds!


============================================

SOME POINTERS AND SECURITY REMINDERS

Remember to turn off the WIFI FILE TRANSFER App when not in use.

Keeping the app always open exposes your Android device to nosy intruders.

Set an access password to enable security.

Remember that the default setting of WIFI FILE TRANSFER App is to provide convenience in making your files accessible. Therefore, no passwords are initially set. If you are going to use the App for a few seconds to minutes for a quick file transfer, having a password may not be required -- assuming that there are no nosy intruders in your network. But still, it is a good idea to set a password -- you may occasionally forget that your phone is virtually exposed when copying large files that takes minutes to copy.


============================================

I hope you enjoyed reading and find this tutorial helpful


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