Sharing files on Android

Learn how to send and receive files securely and easily over Meshnet on Android.

This guide provides the information you need to start sharing files over Meshnet on Android.

Before you begin

Make sure that the device you want to share files with meets the following criteria:

The device is connected to your Meshnet.
The file sharing permissions are granted.

Note

You can add devices to your Meshnet in two ways, depending on device ownership:

To add your own device, just enable Meshnet on that device. See Using Meshnet on Android for details.
To add an external device, send an invitation via the NordVPN app with the owner's email. Ensure the invitation is accepted. See Adding external Meshnet devices on Android.

Send files

You can initiate a file transfer from the NordVPN app or using the Android sharing menu.

Tip

You can initiate file transfers even if the desired peer device is offline. As soon as the device becomes active, it will receive the transfer notification. If the Always accept transfers option is enabled, the transfer starts automatically without needing confirmation.

Method 1: From the NordVPN app

In your NordVPN app, do any of the following:
1. Select Meshnet and tap Share files.
2. Select Meshnet , tap View file transfers, and select the plus (+) button in the lower-right corner.
In the file manager, select the file or the group of files you want to share and confirm your choice.
Select the Meshnet device you want to share the files with. You can choose multiple devices if needed. When sending multiple files, you can review the files' details before starting the transfer by tapping the paperclip button.
Tap Send to 1 device. (If multiple devices are selected, the button is labeled with the number of selected devices).
Monitor the transfer's status and process on the File transfers screen. You can tap the arrow icon to see individual files included in the transfer and their progress.

Tip

Meshnet allows you to launch multiple file transfers to various peer devices at the same time.

The file transfer begins when the recipient accepts your download request on their device. For details, consult the appropriate guides:

Method 2: Using the Android sharing menu

On your device, select the file or group of files you want to share. This can be a photo, video, document, or any other type of file.
Tap your device’s Share button.
Do either of the following:
- Select NordVPN from the list of apps, and then select the Meshnet device you want to share the file with.
- Select the device from the list of available Meshnet devices that have been most recently used.

Receive shared files

Note

Make sure that Meshnet is enabled on your device to receive the file transfer request from the sender.

When a Meshnet peer sends files to your device, the transfer request is prompted in the NordVPN app and as a system notification, if NordVPN notifications are allowed.

Method 1: From the NordVPN app

Open NordVPN.
Preview the contents of the transfer.
- A single file transfer request displays the file type and its name.
- For transfers containing multiple files, tap the paperclip button to view the list of included files. You can opt to download all files included in the transfer or select specific ones for download.
Tap Accept to save the file to your device’s storage. If prompted, allow NordVPN to access photos, media, and files on your device.

Note

You can also see all available transfer requests by navigating to Meshnet > View file transfers.

Tip

File transfer requests in the NordVPN app contain an Always accept transfers from this device checkbox. You can select it to accept future transfers from this sender automatically.

Method 2: From the notification tray

You must have NordVPN notifications enabled in your device's system settings to receive Meshnet file transfer notifications.

Locate the file transfer request notification in your device's notification tray.
Expand the notification to preview the contents of the transfer.
- A notification for a single file transfer will display the file's name and size.
- A notification for a transfer containing multiple files will show the number of files in the transfer.
Download the shared files. If prompted, allow NordVPN to access photos, media, and files on your device.
- For a single file transfer, tap Accept to save the file to your device’s storage.
- For a transfer with several files, tap Review, choose the files you want to download, and tap Accept selected.

Locate downloaded files

Transferred files are automatically placed in the system's default download directory with no option to manually change the destination. To locate the files you downloaded, do any of the following:

Navigate to your device’s downloads folder using a file manager.
In the NordVPN app, go to Meshnet > View file transfers. Tap the three-dot menu next to the transfer and select Open file location.

Monitor and manage transfers

To monitor and handle all Meshnet transfers, go to Meshnet , and under Share files, tap View file transfers.

Manage all pending transfers

You can accept all pending transfers or decline them by choosing the respective options in the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of the File transfers screen.

Cancel transfers

To cancel a specific file transfer that is active or queued, tap the Cancel (x) button next to the transfer and select Cancel transfer to confirm.

To cancel all active or queued transfers, tap the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner, select Cancel all downloads or Cancel all sent transfers, and tap Cancel all to confirm.