How to transfer files from Android to PC
Install the ZiggSend app on the Android phone (free, on Google Play) and on the PC, connect them once and send. It’s easy and free, with no ads. Photos, videos and any file land in a folder on the PC with no quality loss, verified byte for byte. No account, no cloud, no cable.
This guide is for Android and PC: open this page on one of them, or send the link with “Send to someone”.
What you need
- Android 7 or newer
- A PC with Windows 10 or 11 (app from the Microsoft Store)
- Both on the same Wi-Fi (your home wifi works)
How long it takes
We tested this pair on home Wi-Fi in September 2026: the file arrived and passed the check. We haven’t measured this pair’s speed; on the pairs we measured, home Wi-Fi ran at 17.5 to 49.7 MB/s. How we measure →
Over Wi-Fi, step by step
The phone and the PC on the same network, no cable.
On the Android phone, get it free on Google Play. On the PC, get it free from the Microsoft Store. It’s the same ZiggSend on both sides.
On the Android phone, tap “Connect to a computer”. The PC shows up under “Devices nearby”: tap it, check that the security code matches on both screens and click “Allow” on the PC. Not there? Tap “Scan the QR code” and point at the code the PC shows under “Connect a phone or computer”.
Tap “Send photos and videos”, check what you want in Android’s picker and confirm. For PDFs and other files, use “Send documents, PDFs, ZIPs…”.
On the PC, the files show up in the ZiggSend window, each marked “arrived intact”. “Show in folder” opens the folder where it landed.
Other ways (Android → PC)
What each option does, only with facts you can check at the source.
| Option | How it moves | Good to know | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Link | Wireless | With Android 11+ and Windows 11 the phone shows up in File Explorer; needs a Microsoft account on Android; drag and drop up to 512 MB per file. | Microsoft |
| Quick Share | Wireless | Has an official Windows app (10 or newer, 64-bit); Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on in the PC, phone within about 5 m. | |
| Google Photos | Through the cloud | “Storage saver” compresses; “Original quality” keeps it. Both count against the 15 GB free. | |
| ZiggSend | Wi-Fi | Free with 1 phone; checks every file byte for byte. | How we measure |
What can go wrong (and what to do)
The PC doesn’t show up in the list
Both need to be on the same Wi-Fi (one on Wi-Fi and the other on mobile data won’t work). Guest, hotel and office Wi-Fi often isolates devices: use your home Wi-Fi or put the PC on the phone’s hotspot. Turn off any VPN. Still nothing? Use “Scan the QR code”.
I turned the screen off mid-transfer
On Android, sending keeps going with the screen off when ZiggSend’s notification is allowed. Without it, the app asks you to keep the screen on until it finishes.
Windows asked about the network
If Windows asks about the network, choose “Allow access” on private networks — without it your phone can’t find this computer.
I closed the ZiggSend window
The window closes, but the app stays in the tray next to the clock, ready for your phone. To really quit, use the tray menu.
The Wi-Fi dropped
Just send again: it picks up where it stopped. A file that fails the check is never saved, and the app tells you.
Questions from people about to do this
Does it lose quality?
No. The file arrives identical to the original, verified byte for byte: photo, 4K or HDR video, document.
Do the files leave the Android?
No. ZiggSend only copies: nothing is deleted on the Android phone.
Do I need internet?
Not to transfer: just both on the same Wi-Fi. Your files never go through a server.
Is there a size limit?
No, not even on the Free plan.
Do I need an account?
No. No sign-up.
Is it free?
Yes: the phone app is free, and the computer app is free forever with one phone. Pro is optional, for several phones, full history and automatic folders.
Is it safe?
Yes. The file goes straight from one device to the other over your own network, with the content encrypted (AES-256), and never through a server. To connect, the two devices recognize each other with a code (the security code or the QR code).
Are there ads?
No, not even on the Free plan.
Does it work on my Samsung, Xiaomi or Motorola?
Yes, on any Android 7 or newer.
And without Wi-Fi?
Put the PC on the phone’s hotspot: then both are on the same network.
Can I use a cable?
No. For this pair ZiggSend uses Wi-Fi only; the cable exists only from Android to the Mac.
And from PC to Android?
That too: see the step by step from PC to Android.