Share files between devices on different networks

Most nearby sharing tools, AirDrop included, only see devices that are physically close or on the same Wi-Fi. When your phone is on mobile data and your laptop is on the office network, they cannot find each other. A short code solves that.

With a 6-digit code

Open toss2.me on both devices.
On one of them, press Create a code. A 6-digit code appears.
Type the code on the other device and press Join. The two devices now see each other, whatever network each one is on.
Tap the other device, pick files, and accept on the other side.

The code only introduces the two devices. After that they try to connect directly over WebRTC. If a firewall or carrier-grade NAT gets in the way, the transfer moves to a relay on Cloudflare within a few seconds, which forwards the data and keeps nothing.

With a permanent link to a computer

If one of the devices is a computer you send to often, keep an inbox on it instead. Run this once on the computer (it needs Node.js 22 or newer):

tosstome listen

It prints a link and a QR code, and saves incoming files to a tosstome-inbox folder (change it with --dir). Scan the code with your phone and add the page to your home screen. From then on you only open that page on the phone, pick files, and press Send. Nothing needs to be open on the computer except the running command, and it works from any network. More about the inbox.

Common situations

Phone on mobile data, computer on Wi-Fi: use a code, or the inbox if it is your own computer.
Work laptop on a VPN: VPNs often change your public IP, so the laptop drops out of the Nearby list even at home. Use a code.
Guest Wi-Fi with client isolation: devices on such networks cannot reach each other directly. The relay fallback handles it.
Helping a family member in another city: read the code to them over the phone.

Questions

Why don't my devices see each other on the same Wi-Fi?

Nearby discovery groups devices by public IP address. A VPN, a mobile hotspot, or a network with several internet connections can give the devices different public addresses. A 6-digit code works in all of those cases.

How long is a code valid?

A code works while the device that created it keeps the page open. It is meant for one session, not as a permanent address.

Are my files uploaded or stored anywhere?

No. Files go straight from one device to the other over WebRTC when the networks allow it. When they do not, the file passes through a relay on Cloudflare that forwards the bytes as they arrive and keeps nothing. If the receiver is offline, nothing is sent.

Do I need to install an app?

No. Sending and receiving both work in a normal browser tab. The command line tool is optional and only needed if you want an always-on inbox on a computer.

Last checked 2026-10-28.

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