How to transfer files from iPhone to iPhone
Install the ZiggSend app on both phones (free), show the QR code on the one that receives and scan it with the one that sends. It’s easy and free, with no ads. Photos, videos and any file arrive with no quality loss, verified byte for byte: no computer, no account, no cloud. On the iPhone, keep the app open on screen while it receives.
This guide is for iPhone and iPhone: open this page on one of them, or send the link with “Send to someone”.
What you need
- Two iPhones with the ZiggSend app (free on the App Store)
- Both on the same Wi-Fi (your home wifi works)
How long it takes
We haven’t measured this pair yet. On the pairs we measured, home Wi-Fi ran at 17.5 to 49.7 MB/s; your time depends on your network and devices. How we measure →
Over Wi-Fi, step by step
Both phones on the same network; they connect with a QR code.
On both iPhone phones, get it free on the App Store. No computer needed.
On the iPhone that receives, tap “Receive files here”: a QR code appears. On the iPhone that sends, tap “Connect to a computer”, then “Scan the QR code”, and point the camera at the code. If the sending iPhone is already connected to a computer, the button is called “Connect a phone or computer”.
Open ZiggSend on the iPhone and keep the screen on: the iPhone only receives with the app open. On the iPhone that sends, tap “Send photos and videos”, check what you want and tap “Send”. For PDFs and other files, use “Send documents, PDFs, ZIPs…”. For a large transfer, keep the app open and the screen on until it finishes.
On the iPhone that receives, you see “3 files arrived intact” (with the number of files you sent). Whatever the Photos app accepts goes to Photos; everything else goes to the Files app.
Other ways (iPhone → iPhone)
What each option does, only with facts you can check at the source.
| Option | How it moves | Good to know | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| AirDrop | Wireless | Built for Apple devices. It may send a more compatible format (JPEG/H.264) when the receiver doesn’t take HEIC/HEVC. | Apple |
| iCloud | Through the cloud | 5 GB free. With “Optimize Storage”, the device may keep smaller versions. | Apple |
| Through the messaging app | Photos and videos sent as media are recompressed (even HD doesn’t send the original); as a document, up to 2 GB. | ||
| ZiggSend | Wi-Fi (QR code) | Free on phones; checks every file byte for byte. | How we measure |
What can go wrong (and what to do)
The QR code doesn’t connect
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 one phone’s hotspot. Turn off any VPN.
On the iPhone, nothing connects
On iPhone: Settings → Apps → ZiggSend → turn on “Local Network”. Without it, iOS silently blocks the connection.
Sending to the iPhone doesn’t start
On iPhone, receiving only works with the app open on screen. That’s a system rule, not ZiggSend’s. Open ZiggSend, keep the screen on and send again.
I turned the screen off mid-transfer
On iPhone, for a large transfer, keep the app open and the screen on until it finishes. If it stopped, just send again: it picks up where it stopped.
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 iPhone?
No. ZiggSend only copies: nothing is deleted on the iPhone that sends.
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: ZiggSend for phones is always free.
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.
And without Wi-Fi?
Put one phone on the other’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.
Do I need to keep the app open on the iPhone?
Yes, while it receives: iPhone doesn’t let apps listen in the background. That’s a system rule, not ZiggSend’s.
Where do the files go on the iPhone?
On the iPhone, whatever the Photos app accepts goes to Photos; everything else goes to the Files app.