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How to share files between your Mac and iPhone

FileClipSync gives your Mac and iPhone a shared shelf. Drop a file on the shelf that lives in your Mac's notch - or summon it with a cursor shake on any Mac - and it lands on your iPhone a fraction of a second later. The same works in reverse. Because both are Apple devices, they discover each other automatically on the same Wi-Fi and hand files over directly, with no server in the middle. When the two are apart, sync continues through your own private iCloud, still end-to-end encrypted.

The annoying bit

AirDrop is fine until it is not: the other device will not show up, the transfer stalls at "Waiting...", or you are moving something between a Mac and iPhone that are in different rooms. AirDrop also keeps nothing - once a file lands it is gone from the hand-off, with no history to scroll back through. So you end up emailing files to yourself or dropping them into a cloud drive you never wanted to use.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Install FileClipSync on your Mac

    Drag the app to Applications and launch it. It sits in your menu bar, and on a MacBook with a notch it adds a shelf you can drop files straight into.

  2. 2

    Add the free iPhone companion

    FileClipSync is a Universal Purchase, so the iPhone and iPad app is included at no extra cost. Install it from the App Store and open it.

  3. 3

    Pair the two devices

    On the iPhone, tap Connect next to your Mac and accept the prompt on the Mac. The encryption keys are exchanged directly between the devices - nothing is registered with a server or an account.

  4. 4

    Drop a file to send it

    Drag a photo, PDF or any file onto the Mac shelf - via the notch, a screen edge, or a cursor shake. It appears on your iPhone's shelf, ready to save, share, or drag into another app.

  5. 5

    Pull a file the other way

    On the iPhone, share a file into FileClipSync and it shows up on the Mac shelf, where you can drag it straight into Finder or any app.

Questions

Do I need AirDrop or Bluetooth turned on?

No. FileClipSync moves files over your Wi-Fi network, or your own iCloud when the devices are apart. It does not rely on AirDrop, so it keeps working when AirDrop refuses to connect.

Is there a size limit on files?

You can move documents, photos, folders and larger files. On the same network the transfer is direct and fast; over the iCloud relay, larger items simply take a little longer.

Does the file get uploaded to a company server?

Never. FileClipSync runs no servers. On the same Wi-Fi the file goes straight from device to device; apart, it passes through your own private iCloud, encrypted so that neither Apple nor we can read it.

Can I send more than one file at once?

Yes. Drop several files, or a whole folder, on the shelf and they travel together. The shelf keeps them until you clear it or Auto-Wipe removes them.

Does it work between a Mac and an iPad, or two iPhones, too?

Yes. Any pair of your Apple devices can share the shelf in any direction - iPhone to iPad, Mac to iPad, even iPhone to iPhone.

← All use cases

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