Personal Device Bridge
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Any network, anywhere

Transfer files without Wi-Fi using your phone’s hotspot

No router around? Your Android phone opens a local-only hotspot, your Windows PC joins it, and files move directly without using mobile data.

Available in preview Updated Works on
  • Windows
  • Android

Tap Hotspot › Start hotspot on the phone, keep that screen open, and join the network it shows from the PC under Settings › General › No Wi-Fi router?. The two devices then connect directly over the phone’s own private network: no mobile data, no internet, handy on a train or anywhere without Wi-Fi.

At a glance

  • Uses no mobile data: the hotspot doesn’t share the phone’s internet.
  • The PC has no internet access while it is on this hotspot.
  • You can pair on the hotspot, not just send.
  • Also a way around guest or office Wi-Fi that keeps devices apart.
  • It uses a hotspot, not Wi-Fi Direct or Bluetooth.

Step by step

  1. Start the hotspot on the phone

    Tap Hotspot on the home screen, then Start hotspot. Allow Nearby devices (on older Android: location) if asked.

  2. Keep the screen open

    The phone shows the Network name, the Password and a QR code. The hotspot stops when you leave this screen.

  3. Join from the PC

    Open Settings › General › No Wi-Fi router?, enter the Network name (SSID) and Password and click Connect. The Windows Wi-Fi list works too.

  4. Make the network Private

    Windows treats a new network as public and blocks incoming connections; set it to Private (Allow the app through the firewall).

  5. Pair or send

    The devices find each other on the hotspot. Pair them if you haven’t yet, then send as usual.

Before you start

  • Turn off the phone’s regular mobile hotspot and USB or Bluetooth tethering; Android can’t run both.
  • Turn off VPNs on both devices.
  • Still stuck? Fix hotspot connection problems covers permissions, Windows network settings and more.

Questions

Does this use my mobile data?

No. It is a local-only hotspot, so the connection stays between your two devices and costs nothing.

Can the PC browse the web while it’s connected?

No. The PC has no internet access on this hotspot; that is expected.

Why did the connection stop?

The hotspot runs only while its screen is open on the phone. Leave it open until you are done.

Can I use it to pair for the first time?

Yes. The hotspot counts as the same network, so you can pair the PC and phone on it.