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FileApex is a secure, cross-platform utility for direct, high-speed file synchronization and device orchestration across Android, macOS, and Windows. It uses direct peer-to-peer (P2P) local network connections for near-instant transfers — think of it as Pushbullet, LocalSend, and Blip merged into one reliable tool.
Devices pair over the local network without needing to type an IP address:
- QR Code: Generate a QR code on one device and scan it from another to pair instantly.
- 6-Digit Code: Manually enter a short code shown on the target device.
- Nearby Broadcast: Auto-fill the code by picking up a nearby broadcast, if both devices are on the same network.
Once paired, devices appear as Device Cards or Device Bubbles (depending on theme) on the Devices screen.
- Layout & Themes: Grid and list layout toggles, plus three built-in visual themes — Clean (default, solid dark surfaces), Flux Glass (frosted glass cards with a teal-charcoal gradient), and Kinetic Sphere (spatial, node-based orbital device layout). You can re-order the devices how ever you want them to appear.
- Multi-Language Support: Fully localized for English, Spanish (LatAm), and Simplified Chinese.
- Folding Phone & Desktop Optimized: Inner and outer displays are used independently on foldables and tablets. Navigation adapts by form factor — bottom nav on mobile, left-side rail on foldables, tablets, and expanded desktop windows.
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Device Cards: Shows connected peers with live status (
ReadyorTap to wake), FileApex version that device has, and last-seen timestamp (if notReady). Clicking on any Device Card immediately accesses a file manager to browse that device. InCleanandFlux Glassthemes each Device Card has a 3-dot menu for Rename, Device Details, Share Clipboard, and Remove. -
Device Bubbles: In
Kinetic Spheretheme clicking on any Device Bubble shows the same menu options, plus Browse for remote file navigation.
Selecting a device shows detailed hardware and system telemetry, with row order and visibility configurable per field:
| Category | Fields Shown |
|---|---|
| Identity | Platform, Make, Model, Collected (timestamp) |
| System | Kernel, OS Build |
| Processor | Processor name, CPU architecture, CPU hardware, CPU cores, CPU frequency |
| Display | Resolution, Refresh rate, Brightness |
| Battery | Level, Charging state, Battery temperature |
| Storage & Memory | Storage, Memory |
| Network (Wi-Fi) | Network type, SSID, Signal, Link speed, Frequency band, Channel |
| Network (Cellular) | Network generation, Carrier, Signal strength, Frequency, Cell band |
| Thermal | Thermal state, Thermal temp |
| Uptime | Uptime, Last boot |
Wi-Fi fields are hidden when the peer is on cellular or ethernet, and vice versa for cellular fields — so you only see what's relevant to how that device is currently connected.
- Local Files view: Browse and copy files on paired devices directly, without leaving the app.
- Multi-Target Broadcasting: Send a file to several online devices at once, not just one at a time.
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Smart Receive Folder: Incoming files land automatically in
Download/FileApex(Android) or~/Downloads/FileApex(macOS/Windows). - Platform Share Integration: Send files or notes straight from your OS's native share tools — macOS has separate Share and Bulletin Board extensions, Windows offers right-click Share/Send To, and Android exposes FileApex devices and Bulletin Board as a Direct Share targets.
- Instant multi-device clipboard sync — configurable for automatic or manual push.
- Shares both text and URLs; shared URLs open automatically in the receiving device's default browser.
- Android Quick Settings tile for one-tap manual clipboard broadcasting, without opening the app. Clipboard is sent to the device(s) you configure in settings.
- Accessibility toggle (Settings): lets FileApex capture the clipboard system-wide, not just while FileApex is the foreground app and send content automatically.
Broadcast a note, image, or file to all paired devices at once — handy for reminders or shared notes. Delete individually per device, or everywhere at once, with a single tap (deleting also clears the notification from Android's notification shade, if still present).
Low Battery Alert: If a paired Android device's battery gets low, FileApex posts a notice to the Bulletin Board so your other devices know. The notice clears automatically once that device is plugged in and charging.
With Google Account enabled, Bulletin Board posts also reach paired Android devices over cellular.
FileApex is local-first and privacy-focused by default. For times you need to send a file to a device that isn't on the same network, Google Drive Relay is an optional fallback: it sends a lightweight payload telling the target device to pull the file from your personal Google Drive over cellular.
FileApex ships with sensible fresh-install defaults — most privacy- and network-sensitive features are off until you turn them on, while a few core reliability features are on by default.
Off by default:
- Check for Updates
- Clipboard Sharing (plus its Accessibility and Via Cellular sub-toggles on Android, and Automatically Send on desktop)
- File Transfer Notifications (and Live Activity, on Android)
- PIN Required
- Google Account
- Google Drive Relay (and its Cellular and Drive Relay Notifications sub-toggles)
- Allow Remote File Deletion
- Allow Over Cellular (Device Details)
- Expanded Layout on desktop (Compact is the default)
- Windows 11 Modern style on Windows (Standard is the default)
On by default:
- Background Persistence (service watchdog)
- Auto Launch on Reboot (starts the share server after reboot)
- Bulletin Board Notifications
- Purge File(s) After 72 Hours (only relevant once Drive Relay is enabled)
- All Device Details field visibility switches (fine tune those you care about)
FileApex is local-first: file data stays on your network and is never uploaded to the cloud unless you explicitly enable Google Drive Relay. Depending on platform and enabled features, the app may request:
- File system access — core to browsing, listing, and sharing files with paired devices
- Local network (LAN) — to discover paired devices and transfer files over Wi-Fi or Ethernet
- Background operation (Android) — keeps the share server available; includes the foreground service, boot restart (if enabled), and recommended battery settings
- Notifications (Android) — share-server status, plus optional alerts for received files
- Nearby Wi-Fi devices (Android) — reads Wi-Fi name and connection details for Device Details; not used for location
- Camera (Android) — live QR preview when pairing a new device
Only requested if the related feature is enabled:
- Google Account linking — used only to register your device for cloud-assisted pairing; no file contents are ever sent, only device IDs and connection metadata
- Check for Updates — checks GitHub Releases for newer builds; nothing else is contacted
- Install updates (Android) — installs a downloaded APK from within the app
- Exact alarms (Android) — supports the service watchdog when Background Persistence is enabled
- Phone state (Android) — reads cellular network type, signal, and band for Device Details, only when on mobile data
FileApex does not request location access.
This project is licensed under the MIT License
Full license text
MIT License
Copyright (c) 2026 ByHowieCreations
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.