Transfer videos from an iPhone to a PC
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iPhone videos are big. Sending them across your own Wi-Fi from one browser to another keeps the original file and does not upload it anywhere.
A few videos
- On the PC, open toss2.me in any browser.
- On the iPhone, open toss2.me in Safari. On the same Wi-Fi, the PC appears in the list within a few seconds.
- Tap the PC, then Choose files, then Photo Library. Select the videos and press Add.
- On the PC, press Accept, then Save when each video has arrived. They go to your browser's downloads folder.
On the same Wi-Fi the transfer usually goes directly between the two devices, so speed depends on your Wi-Fi, not your internet upload. The transfer row shows Direct or Relay.
Long 4K videos, or lots of them
A browser holds a received file in memory until you save it, and 4K videos can run to several gigabytes. For big videos, let the PC receive with the command line inbox instead, which writes each video to disk as it arrives:
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 listenIt 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.
Tips
- Keep Safari in the foreground and the iPhone awake until the transfer finishes. iOS pauses pages in the background.
- Plug the iPhone in for long transfers.
- Not on the same network? Press Create a code on the PC and scan the QR code with the iPhone. On mobile data, the video uses your data plan.
Questions
Is there a size limit for videos?
tosstome sets none. The PC's browser keeps a video in memory until you save it, so for files of several gigabytes the command line inbox, which writes straight to disk, is the better receiver.
Will the video be compressed?
No. tosstome sends the file it is given, byte for byte.
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.
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.