Connect over the internet
Paired devices find each other over the internet when they aren’t on the same network. Everything stays end-to-end encrypted.
At home your devices talk over the local network. When they are apart (the phone on mobile data, the PC at home), they connect over the internet automatically. There is nothing to switch on.
Steps
Pair at home first
Pairing needs both devices on the same network. Internet mode only connects devices that are already paired.
Keep both apps running
The PC app stays in the tray and the phone keeps its “Personal Bridge is running” notification. Both need internet access.
Use it as usual
Send files, clipboard or links as always. The device shows Connecting, then Connected. The local network is always tried first.
How it works
Devices exchange short, encrypted connection offers through our rendezvous service, which can’t read them and deletes them within 120 seconds. Then they connect directly (WebRTC). Only if a direct path is impossible, for example behind strict company or carrier networks, the still-encrypted traffic is relayed through Cloudflare’s TURN service, which can’t read it either. Relayed connections are slower.
Turning it off
There is no switch in the apps yet. On a PC, set the environment variable PDB_RENDEZVOUS to off and restart the app. In PowerShell: [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable('PDB_RENDEZVOUS','off','User'), then Quit from the tray and start it again. Organisations can enforce local-network-only with a policy.
Mobile data
When the phone is on mobile data, transfers count towards your data plan.