Sharing files on Windows

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

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

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 Windows 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 Windows for details.

Send files

You can initiate a file transfer from the NordVPN app or by using the Windows shortcut menu.

Tip

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

Method 1: From the File transfers tab

Open NordVPN and select the File transfers tab.
Under the Start new transfer tab, locate the peer device to which you want to send files.
To transfer individual files:
1. Click the Send files button.
2. Select the files in the File Explorer dialog, and click Open. You can choose a single file or multiple files at once.
To transfer a folder:
1. Click the Send folder button.
2. Select the folder you want to share, and click OK.

If you do not wish to navigate the file explorer, you can drag and drop the desired files directly on the peer device to initiate the transfer.

Dragging and dropping a file on a peer device.

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

Note You can only send files to the devices that have the file sharing permission enabled for your device. Otherwise, you’ll find a button labeled Sending not allowed in place of the Send files button. For more information, see File sharing permissions.

Method 2: From the Dashboard tab

The Dashboard tab includes a dedicated section for file sharing. It automatically displays two devices that you most recently shared files with, enabling quick and convenient file exchanges.

Open NordVPN and go to Dashboard.
Under File sharing, locate the device you want to send files to and do one of the following:
- Click Send to share individual files.
- Click the dropdown arrow and select Send folder to share a directory.
In the dialog that opens, select the files you want to send and click Open.

You should now see the "Sent!" label displayed next to the receiving device.

Arrow pointing to a "Sent!" label next to the peer device.

Alternatively, you can start a transfer by dragging and dropping files on the peer device.

Method 3: From the Windows context menu

On your computer, right-click the file or folder you want to share. You can also right-click a group of files after selecting them together.
Point to Send with NordVPN Meshnet and select the Meshnet peer device you want to share the files with.

Tip If you prefer not to have the Send with NordVPN Meshnet option in your context menu, you can easily disable it. To do this, go to NordVPN Settings > General and turn off the toggle for Show the Meshnet file sharing option in the Windows context menu.

Receive shared files

Note

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

To download files shared from another linked device, do the following steps:

Have your Meshnet peer send the files. The file transfer request will appear in your NordVPN app and as a Windows notification.
For single-file transfers, click Accept to save the file to your Downloads folder.
If the sharer attempts to send you multiple files, you will be prompted to review the files first. Click Review to open the Review files dialog.
Alternatively, go to File transfers > All transfers and click Review next to the incoming transfer request.
In the Review files dialog, clear the checkboxes to the left of the files that you don’t want to download, if any.
Click Confirm selected.

Tip

The first file transfer request notification from a peer device will contain an Always accept transfers from this device checkbox. You can select it to accept future transfers from this sender automatically.

Set the download location

By default, Meshnet uses your system's default download directory, typically the Downloads folder, for all file transfers. If you prefer to save files received over Meshnet in a different location, you can manually select the desired folder in the NordVPN app settings.

Open NordVPN and go to Settings > General.
Next to Download location for Meshnet transfers click Change.
In the folder explorer dialog, select the new download directory and click OK.

Upon making the change, all files downloaded over Meshnet will be saved in the selected directory. You can check the path to the new download location in the settings menu.

Meshnet file transfer location path highlighted.

Locate downloaded files

Once the download is complete, you can find the files shared with you by doing any of the following:

Clicking Open file location in the notification that appears when the file is downloaded.
Going to File transfers > All transfers and clicking the folder button to the right of the downloaded file.
Checking the chosen download folder location.

Monitor and manage incoming transfers

To monitor and manage Meshnet file transfers, navigate to the All transfers tab of the File transfers view.

Canceling a file transfer

To terminate a file transfer currently in queue or in progress, click the Cancel (x) button.

Clearing your transfer history

To remove a file transfer from your history, click the bin button.