Personal Device Bridge
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Send files from PC to Android phone wirelessly

Drag files onto your phone in the Windows app or right-click them in File Explorer. They arrive in Download/Personal Bridge, verified and encrypted.

Available in preview Updated Works on
  • Windows
  • Android

Pair your PC and phone once, then drag files onto the phone in the Windows app, or right-click them in File Explorer and choose Send with Personal Bridge. The phone receives in the background and saves them to Download/Personal Bridge, so you don’t need a cable or an email to yourself.

At a glance

  • Three ways to send: drag and drop, the right-click menu, or Send to › Personal Bridge.
  • The phone receives in the background while “Personal Bridge is running” is shown.
  • Files are saved to Download/Personal Bridge on Android 10 and later.
  • A dropped connection pauses a large file instead of restarting it.

Step by step

  1. Pair the phone with your PC

    On the PC click Add device. On the phone tap Scan QR code, scan the code and confirm that both screens show the same 6-digit code.

  2. Keep the phone ready to receive

    Leave the “Personal Bridge is running” notification in place. If the phone restarted or you swiped the app away, open it once.

  3. Drop files onto the phone

    In the desktop app select the phone under My devices and drop files on Send files, or click choose files.

  4. Or send from File Explorer

    Right-click one or more files › Send with Personal Bridge, or use Send to › Personal Bridge.

  5. Find them on the phone

    Open your file manager at Download/Personal Bridge (Android 10 and later). On Android 8–9 the files stay inside the app.

Keep Android from pausing the transfer

Some phones put background apps to sleep when the screen turns off, which pauses a big transfer halfway. It resumes later, but it is smoother to choose Unrestricted under Settings › Apps › Personal Bridge › Battery. Samsung, Xiaomi and other brands have extra switches; Stop Android from pausing the app lists them.

Good to know

  • The phone must allow Receive files for your PC. It is allowed by default.
  • If the PC says “The device is offline”, it can’t reach the phone: open the app on the phone and check the network.
  • The phone needs room for the whole file. If a transfer fails, Transfers are slow or keep stopping explains the reasons.

Questions

Can I send to my phone when it’s on mobile data?

Yes. Paired devices connect over the internet when they aren’t on the same network, and the transfer then counts towards your data plan.

Can I send a whole folder?

The command-line tool takes files and folders: pdb send <device> <files or folders>.

Why is there always a notification on the phone?

Android requires a visible notification for apps that stay connected in the background. It is what lets the phone receive at any time; you can hide it in the “Background connection” channel settings.

Can I send to more than one phone?

Yes. Pair as many of your devices as you like. Each one has its own permissions, and you pick the target when you send.