Security & how it works
WeScanTransfer is built for one thing: moving a file between devices without it leaking, lingering, or needing an account. Here's exactly how that works — no hand-waving.
The QR is a key, not your file
Scanning only shares a long, random, unguessable link that opens a private channel between your two devices. The link expires within minutes and we never log it in full.
Encrypted end to end of the pipe
Every byte travels over TLS 1.3 and is stored encrypted at rest with AES-256. Download links are short-lived and signed, so the storage location is never exposed.
We can't see your stuff
Database access is deny-by-default — one session can never read another's. We never open, preview, scan for ads, or train AI on anything you transfer.
It deletes itself
Device-to-device transfers hard-delete after 24 hours, DropMail after 48. "Delete now" erases everything on the spot. Keeping almost nothing, briefly, is the strongest protection there is.
The difference that matters
The other person doesn't have to be online at the same time
AirDrop, PairDrop, ShareDrop and other peer-to-peer tools only work if both devices are awake, connected, and online at the exact same moment — and many expose your IP address to the other side or break the instant you leave the same Wi-Fi.
Drop is asynchronous and relayed. Send a file into a DropMail or a Drop Room and it waits safely — up to 48 hours for DropMail, 24 for a Room — so the other side collects it whenever they open the link, from any network, without ever seeing your IP. It's the reliability of the cloud with the privacy of self-deletion.
How a transfer actually flows
- 1You open the site — your device mints a fresh session with a long, random id and shows it as a QR code.
- 2The other device scans the QR (or opens the link). Now both devices share one private, encrypted channel — identified only by that unguessable id.
- 3A file you send is uploaded in encrypted chunks straight to secure storage; the other device is notified in real time and pulls it down over a short-lived signed link.
- 4After 24 hours (or the moment you hit Delete now) the file and every record of it are hard-deleted.
Notice what's *not* here: no account, no password database to breach, no permanent copy of your file sitting on a server, and no advertising profile built from what you move.
Free vs Pro
Everything you need is free. Pro is for bigger files and longer retention.
Free
$0 forever
Pro
$9/mo · $79/yr
See the full Pro details on the Pro page →
Frequently asked questions
+Is WeScanTransfer really free? What's the catch?
Yes. Transfers up to 3 GB per file between your devices are free, with no sign-up and no ads. There's no catch — files self-delete after 24 hours, which is also what keeps it private and cheap to run. Pro exists for people who need bigger files or longer retention, but the core loop is free forever.
+Do I need an account or an app?
No. Drop runs in the browser on both devices. Open the site on one device, scan the QR with the other, and you're transferring. There are optional desktop and mobile apps, but nothing is required and you never create an account or password.
+How does the QR pairing stay secure?
The QR code contains nothing but a long, random, unguessable session link — not your files. Only a device holding that exact link can join the session, the pairing token expires within minutes, and we never log the full link. Think of it as a one-time key that opens a private channel between just your two devices.
+Are my files encrypted?
Yes. Everything travels over TLS 1.3 (encrypted in transit) and is stored encrypted at rest with AES-256. Download links are short-lived and signed, so the underlying storage location is never exposed.
+Where do my files sit, and who can access them?
Files are held briefly in encrypted object storage, reachable only through your session's unguessable link. Database access is deny-by-default: one session can never see another session's data. We do not open, preview, scan for advertising, or train AI on anything you transfer — ever.
+Does the other person have to be online at the same time as me?
No — and this is a real advantage over peer-to-peer tools. With DropMail and Drop Rooms your transfer is held safely for you (up to 48 hours for DropMail, 24 hours for a Room), so the other side can pick it up whenever they open the link. Classic P2P tools like AirDrop, PairDrop or ShareDrop require both devices online, awake, and connected at the exact same moment.
+Does it work across different networks, or only on the same Wi-Fi?
Across any network. Because transfers are relayed rather than strict device-to-device, your phone can be on 5G while your computer is on office Wi-Fi and it still works. LAN-only tools break the moment the two devices aren't on the same network.
+When exactly are my files deleted?
Device-to-device transfers hard-delete after 24 hours — files and database records. DropMail links delete after 48 hours. And "Delete now" removes everything immediately. Deletion is a real erase, not just hiding the link.
+What's the largest file I can send?
Up to 3 GB per file on the free tier, uploaded in resumable chunks that survive a network switch mid-transfer. Pro raises this to 20 GB and beyond.
+Can I send to someone who doesn't use WeScanTransfer?
Yes. Use DropMail to email a file, or open a Drop Room and share the link or QR. The other person opens it in any browser and downloads — no account, no app, nothing to install on their side.
+Is it safe to send a password or a sensitive document?
The channel is encrypted, only your paired devices can see it, we never log message content, and you can hit "Delete now" the second you're done. For a one-off jump between your own devices that's safer than emailing yourself or a messenger that keeps it forever. For long-term storage, use a dedicated password manager.
+Which devices and platforms are supported?
Any device with a modern browser: iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, tablets. That's the point — it connects the pairs that AirDrop (Apple-only) and Quick Share (Android/Windows-only) refuse to.
+What's the difference between Free and Pro?
Free covers the everyday loop: 3 GB device-to-device transfers, 2 GB DropMail, no sign-up. Pro adds 20 GB+ transfers, custom retention up to 30 days, transfer history and contacts that follow you across devices, a received-files inbox, custom branding, and priority speeds — for $9/month or $79/year.