Flare 0.5.1

Flare 0.5.1 — fixes "Flare.app is damaged" on macOS

macOS downloads open again. The 0.5.0 Mac builds were missing a proper code signature, so Apple Silicon Macs refused them with "Flare.app is damaged and can't be opened" (issue #1). 0.5.1 is signed (ad-hoc; not notarised with Apple yet), so the first launch shows the normal "Apple could not verify" prompt instead. On macOS 15 or newer: click Done, open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll to "Flare" was blocked and click Open Anyway. On macOS 14 or older: right‑click Flare → Open. Or from Terminal: xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Flare.app.

Also in this build

• Phone: pairing by code waits longer for the relay on slow connections, and the address box starts empty every time.
• Computer: the relay keeps one room per relay address.
• Everything from 0.5.0: the relay for networks that keep devices apart, with end-to-end sealed frames.

Windows SmartScreen still shows More info → Run anyway (the Windows build is not code-signed either).

Flare 0.5.0

Flare 0.5.0 — works on any network

Reach your computer from anywhere. Campus, hotel and office Wi‑Fi often keep devices apart, so the phone could never see the computer. Flare now meets it through a relay when the direct path is blocked: in Flare on the computer, under Internet, click Show code; on the phone, tap Enter address and type the six digits. From then on the phone finds that computer wherever both have internet — mobile data too. On the same Wi‑Fi nothing changes: the direct path is still used first.

Sealed end to end. The phone and the computer agree on a key only they know (X25519 + HKDF); every frame through the relay is XChaCha20‑Poly1305 ciphertext. The relay (a Cloudflare Worker) only passes frames along and stores nothing. Pairing still needs Allow on the computer, and the relay can be switched off under Internet.

Everything travels the same way: pairing, photos and files (streamed in chunks with flow control), links and text, the live carry animation, videos/YouTube/Instagram handoff and handback.

Same unsigned builds as before: macOS asks for a one-time right-click → Open, Windows SmartScreen for More info → Run anyway. Update both the phone app and the computer app to 0.5.0 for the relay.

Flare 0.4.0

Flare 0.4.0 — keep playing on the computer

Videos and songs continue where you are. Tap a video or song on the shelf to play it on the phone, then press the card and carry it off the edge: it keeps playing on the computer, in a floating player, from the same second. Drag that player to the edge of the screen (or fling it) and it comes back to the phone, right where it left off. The phone card shows “1:07 on ” live while it plays there.

YouTube and Instagram play live, on both sides. Add a link with + → Link or text (a link you copied is offered when you come back to Flare). Tap the card and the video or reel plays inside Flare. Carry it over: YouTube continues in a floating player with Flare’s own controls, Instagram opens as the real post in a small window you can drag around, both from the same second. Drag either off the edge to pull it back.

Links and text. Spotify links open in the Spotify app on the computer, other links in the browser, text lands in the clipboard.

Also

• The phone follows the system light / dark appearance.
• Video tiles show a real frame of the video.
• Carried cards keep their artwork while crossing and while flying back.
• Dev builds: /flare/dev/respond, /flare/dev/windows, /flare/dev/eval, /flare/dev/capture?win= for scripted testing.

Protocol stays at version 2 (new optional fields only): a 0.3 phone still works with a 0.4 computer and vice versa, minus the new features.

Same unsigned builds as before: macOS asks for a one-time right-click → Open, Windows SmartScreen for More info → Run anyway. See the README for details.

Flare 0.3.0

Flare 0.3.0 — the transfer now looks like the demo.

What changed

• Carry, don't just send. Press and hold a file on the phone and carry it toward any edge. The computer's facing edge lights up as the card comes near, and the card itself slides onto the computer's screen in real time — one object crossing from phone to computer. Let go past the edge (or flick) to send; pull it back to cancel.
• Liquid ripple. On the computer a wave of light rolls out from the point where the card came in, bending what is on your screen with a rainbow fringe (give Flare Screen Recording access on macOS; without it the light still rolls over the screen).
• Momentum. A gentle flick lands near the edge; a hard flick sails across the desktop. On macOS the file's icon is put where the card stopped (first time, macOS asks you to allow Flare to control Finder).
• Side detection. "Files come in from" now defaults to Auto: carry the card off the phone's left edge and it enters from the computer's right, and so on. You can still pin an edge.
• Calmer shelf: no bouncing tiles when you add or send files; the phone's flash is now a soft bloom from the edge the file left through.
• Same engine on Windows and Linux (Explorer and desktop environments place the file's icon in their own grid).

Device	Download
Android	Flare-0.3.0-android.apk
macOS (Apple Silicon)	Flare-0.3.0-mac-arm64.dmg
macOS (Intel)	Flare-0.3.0-mac-x64.dmg
Windows 10/11	Flare-Setup-0.3.0-win-x64.exe (installer) · Flare-Portable-0.3.0-win-x64.exe (no install)
Linux x86_64	Flare-0.3.0-linux-x86_64.AppImage · Flare-0.3.0-linux-amd64.deb
Linux ARM64	Flare-0.3.0-linux-arm64.AppImage · Flare-0.3.0-linux-arm64.deb

Update both the phone app and the computer app — 0.3.0 phones need a 0.3.0 computer for the live carry (older computers still receive files, with the simpler burst).

First launch

• macOS: not notarised yet — right‑click Flare → Open → Open once, or xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Flare.app. For the full ripple, allow Flare under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording (Flare only grabs one frame when a card is lifted, never records).
• Windows: SmartScreen → More info → Run anyway; allow Flare on private networks when the firewall asks.
• Android: allow installing from this source when asked.

Flare is free for one day per computer, then $4.99 once, forever (via Polar). iPhone: not on the App Store yet; see the README.

Flare 0.2.0

Flare 0.2.0 — flick a file off your phone and it lands on your computer's desktop.

New in 0.2.0

• Flare Pro: every computer gets one free day, then one payment of $4.99 (lifetime, via Polar) unlocks it forever. Click Unlock Flare in the Flare window or tray menu, then paste the license key from your receipt. One key works on up to 3 computers.
• The computer's screen edge now lights up as your phone comes near, the connect circle ignites into light, and flicked files dissolve into a liquid bloom.
• New Flare icon.
• Android: fixed a crash on launch in the release build.

Device	Download
Android	Flare-0.2.0-android.apk
macOS (Apple Silicon)	Flare-0.2.0-mac-arm64.dmg
macOS (Intel)	Flare-0.2.0-mac-x64.dmg
Windows 10/11	Flare-Setup-0.2.0-win-x64.exe (installer) · Flare-Portable-0.2.0-win-x64.exe (no install)
Linux x86_64	Flare-0.2.0-linux-x86_64.AppImage · Flare-0.2.0-linux-amd64.deb
Linux ARM64	Flare-0.2.0-linux-arm64.AppImage · Flare-0.2.0-linux-arm64.deb

First launch

• macOS: not notarised yet — right‑click Flare → Open → Open once, or xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Flare.app.
• Windows: SmartScreen → More info → Run anyway; allow Flare on private networks when the firewall asks.
• Android: allow installing from this source when asked.

iPhone: not on the App Store yet; see the README.

Flare 0.1.0

First public build of Flare — flick a file off your phone and it lands on your computer's desktop.

Device	Download
Android	Flare-0.1.0-android.apk
macOS (Apple Silicon)	Flare-0.1.0-arm64.dmg
Windows 10/11	Flare-Setup-0.1.0-win-x64.exe (installer) · Flare-Portable-0.1.0-win-x64.exe (no install)
Linux x86_64	Flare-0.1.0-linux-x86_64.AppImage · Flare-0.1.0-linux-amd64.deb
Linux ARM64	Flare-0.1.0-linux-arm64.AppImage · Flare-0.1.0-linux-arm64.deb

First launch

• macOS: the build is not notarised yet. Right‑click Flare → Open → Open once, or xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Flare.app.
• Windows: SmartScreen → More info → Run anyway. Allow Flare on private networks when the firewall asks.
• Android: allow installing from this source when asked.

iPhone: not on the App Store yet; see the README.