Frequently Asked Questions

Phones, tablets, and computers do not share files the same way. Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux each have their own sharing tools, and moving a file between them is often harder than it should be. InstaShare is a small utility for that gap: open the website on one device, scan the QR code with the Android app, and send a file directly. There is no account and no desktop program to install.

Install InstaShare from Google Play (dev.instashare.app). The website does not host an APK download.

Open instashare.dev in a browser, choose Send or Receive in the Android app, and scan the QR code on the page. The code is short-lived. After the two devices pair, either side can offer a file and the other side accepts or declines it.

File bytes travel on an encrypted WebRTC data channel between the two paired devices only. WebRTC is an open web technology. Protect the live QR code and check the device you pair with; encryption in transit does not verify the other person for you.

No. File contents never touch InstaShare servers. The file goes directly from one paired device to the other over encrypted WebRTC. InstaShare does not keep a cloud copy.

No. Use is anonymous: there is no login, and we never receive the file. We cannot see, review, moderate, block, or recover what people share. You use InstaShare at your sole discretion and are solely responsible for what you send or accept under the laws of the place where you use it.

Do not contact us about a failed transfer. Because sessions are anonymous and the file never reaches InstaShare, we cannot see what happened, recover the file, or repair that session. Try again on the same network if you can, keep both devices awake, and accept the file to a destination with enough space. If the app or website itself is broken as software, that is a product bug; see the last question.

Yes. Select more than one file and they are offered in order over the same pairing. The receiver accepts and checks each file separately.

No, but a shared local network is usually the most reliable. The devices need a direct WebRTC path. Restrictive networks can block that path. InstaShare does not operate a relay for file contents, so a connection is not guaranteed.

Android writes a file only to the destination you approve. A browser keeps a temporary local copy for download during that page visit. Leaving the page or clearing site data removes the browser copy.

Current desktop Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari are the intended browsers. Other modern browsers with WebRTC enabled may work. Private browsing, missing storage space, or an outdated browser can prevent a transfer.

Yes. There is no separate iOS app; use the website in a current Safari (or another current browser) and scan the QR code with the Android app. Keep the browser in the foreground. A shared local network gives the best chance of a direct connection.

There is no account. File contents never touch InstaShare servers. Coarse diagnostics may record crashes and whether pairing or a transfer generally succeeded or failed, so the software can be kept working. They do not include file names or file contents. InstaShare does not sell personal information. Networks and WebRTC connection helpers may see ordinary connection data such as IP addresses; they do not receive the file.

Only if the Android app or the website itself is broken as software. Use the support email on the official Google Play listing for dev.instashare.app. Do not contact us for legal questions, advice about what you may share, content disputes, or a failed transfer. We cannot help with those.