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LanternDrop sends files, photos, videos and text directly between your phone, tablet and computer on the same network. Here is how to use it, what to do when a connection fails, and how to reach us.

Updated 15 October 2026← LanternDrop

The Android and iOS apps are in preview testing and are not yet available on Google Play or the App Store. The Windows app is available from the LanternDrop releases page.

Getting started

  1. Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (or one device's hotspot).
  2. On the device that will receive, tap Receive. It shows a code.
  3. On the other device, tap Scan a code and point the camera at it — or choose Send, pick what to send, then scan.
  4. Keep LanternDrop open on both devices until the transfer finishes.

No camera? Use Enter a code and type the address and 12-character code shown under the QR code. The other device then asks its owner to allow the connection.

Where do received files go?

  • Android: Downloads › LanternDrop (any file manager, or the Files app).
  • iPhone and iPad: the Files app › On My iPhone (or iPad) › LanternDrop. To put a photo or video in the Photos app, open it from there and choose Share › Save Image / Save Video.
  • Windows: the folder you chose for the session.

Received transfers in the app's History can be tapped to open their files.

The devices do not connect

  • Check that both devices are on the same network. A phone using mobile data, or a computer on a different Wi-Fi, cannot be reached.
  • Guest and public Wi-Fi networks often block devices from seeing each other ("client isolation"). Use your home network or a phone hotspot instead.
  • VPN apps can route local traffic away from the network; pause the VPN during the transfer.
  • iPhone/iPad: LanternDrop needs the Local Network permission. Open Settings › Privacy & Security › Local Network and turn LanternDrop on.
  • Windows: allow LanternDrop through Windows Firewall on private networks when asked, and make sure the network is set to Private.
  • Codes expire (10 minutes by default). If the code ran out, tap Show a new code and scan again.

A transfer stopped part-way

  • Keep LanternDrop open. iOS pauses apps shortly after they leave the screen, which ends a transfer. Android keeps the transfer going in the background with a notification — allow LanternDrop's notifications so you can see it.
  • Files that did not finish are discarded rather than saved incomplete. Start the transfer again; files already received are kept.
  • "Not enough free space" means the receiving device is full. Free up space and try again.

The camera does not scan

  • Allow camera access when asked. If you declined, the scan screen offers Open Settings to change it.
  • Increase the screen brightness of the device showing the code, or turn on the light from the scan screen in a dark room.
  • You can always type the code instead (Enter a code).

Is it secure?

Transfers between LanternDrop apps are encrypted (TLS) and the code you scan lets the app verify the other device. Nothing goes through a server. A phone without the app can use the Windows app's browser page, which is not encrypted — use that only on a network you trust. LanternDrop has not had an independent security audit. What the apps store and send is described in the privacy policy.

Contact

Please do not send private files or personal information when asking for help; a description of the problem is enough. To report a security weakness, use the private route described in thesecurity policyrather than a public issue.