A minimal LAN file transfer and real-time chat tool built mainly for development and testing.
LAN transfer, file sharing, text sharing, image sharing, PC–phone transfer, chat-style sharing, developer tool, QA/testing helper, no-install, cross-platform (Windows/macOS), QR sharing, real-time communication, minimal IM.
Built for developers, testers, demos, and everyday work where you need to move content from one device to another quickly, especially:
- PC ↔ PC: share logs, config snippets, test builds, screenshots, and links during dev/testing
- PC ↔ Phone: send debug links/QR codes/screenshots to your phone, or transfer photos/videos back to your PC
- Phone ↔ Phone: quick sharing within a small team without installing complex IM or using cloud drives
- Live demos: share materials in meetings instantly, ready to use without adding contacts
Who it’s for:
- Developers / QA / Ops / PM: anyone frequently moving text, images, and files across devices
- Teams on a LAN: office intranet, labs, home networks, and other environments where going through the public internet is inconvenient
Privacy & data:
- Chat history and files are stored locally (on your device) and transferred only within the local network
- No third-party cloud service and no account system; content is not uploaded to any external server by default
I’m a QA engineer. In day-to-day work, I constantly move things between my laptop and test phones: app builds, test params, and links to the phone; then logs, screenshots, and screen recordings back to the laptop. I often hear teammates say:
- “How do I get that screen recording onto my computer?”
- “I need to install this test build on a phone — do I have to set up dev tools?”
- “Can we turn this image into a shareable link?”
- “Can this link (deep link) be turned into a QR code so I can just scan it with our app?”
These sound like small things, but when you need them right now they waste the most time. I want ChatTransfer to make these “quick share” moments effortless.
These needs are always “temporary”, but the usual solutions are heavy: install an IM app, sign in, upload to a third-party platform, worry about privacy, uninstall, and clean up borrowed devices. So I built ChatTransfer on weekends — a cross‑platform, no‑install, use‑and‑leave LAN transfer tool that makes this workflow simple and low‑friction. After iterating for about 2 years, it has proven effective across multiple real scenarios, so I decided to share it here.
I use it every day and keep iterating based on real scenarios. It will stay free. If you run into issues or have better ideas, please open an Issue — your feedback directly helps it grow.
- Scan to Connect — Generates a QR code on startup; scan with your phone to open the chat in your browser
- Real-time Group Chat — Multiple users online simultaneously with instant message sync
- File Transfer — Send text, images, and files in seconds
- Batch Upload — Drag and drop multiple files at once
- Pin Messages — Pin important messages to the top for easy access
- Top Messages — Highlight key messages at the top of the chat
- Message QR Code — Generate a QR code for any message for easy sharing
- Chat History — Local caching of chat history with clear option
- Cross-platform — Supports Windows and macOS
- Multi-language — Chinese and English interface
- No more “temporary sharing is painful”: no login, no friend requests, just open and use
- Less device fragmentation: fast transfers across devices on the same LAN, fewer copy/paste round-trips
- More privacy control: no third-party cloud drive/IM involved by default
Go to the Releases page and download the package for your system:
| System | Filename |
|---|---|
| macOS | ChatTransfer-macos-x64-v{version_with_underscores} (example: v2_0_8_8) |
| Windows | ChatTransfer-windows-x64-v{version}.exe |
Windows
- Download the Windows executable
- Double-click to run
- If Windows shows a security prompt, choose “Run anyway”
macOS
- Download the macOS executable and move it to your preferred location (e.g., Applications)
- On first launch, if macOS says it can’t verify the developer, click “Cancel”
- Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → in the Security section, click “Allow Anyway” and enter your password
- Go back to the file and open it again; when prompted, click “Open”
- Switch language (Chinese/English) in Settings
- Drag files onto the chat window for quick upload
- Press
/twice to quickly focus the input box - View changelog in the top-right Settings menu
Current version: v2.0.8.8
See CHANGELOG.en.md for the full changelog.
- macOS 10.15+ or Windows 10+
- No Node.js or other dependencies required
Q: The page won't open after scanning the QR code? A: Make sure your phone and computer are on the same local network.
Q: File transfer failed? A: Check if the file size exceeds the limit, or try uploading again.
Q: How do I switch languages? A: Click the Settings icon in the top-right corner and choose your language.
ISC License
created by suncx