Text, files and photos
Paste a note or a config, or pick any single file. Received photos preview inline and save to Photos on iPhone and iPad.
No network required
Move a file across an air gap.
One screen shows an animated QR code. The other device's camera reads it. Text, files and photos cross over with no Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cable, account or server — just light.
iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Requires iOS 16 or macOS 13 and later. A transfer needs LightDrop on both ends — and one purchase covers all three.
Nothing to pair, join or sign in to.
- Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth
- Cable
- Cloud upload
- Account
How it works
Point one screen at another camera
That's the whole protocol. Nothing is paired, nothing is discovered, and nothing has to be on the same network — because there is no network.
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Pick what to send
Choose text or a file on the sending device. LightDrop turns it into a stream of QR frames and starts playing them on screen.
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Point the camera
Open Scan on the receiving device and aim it at the sending screen. Fragments land continuously and a progress grid fills in as they arrive.
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Save or share it
When the grid is full, the file is rebuilt on the receiving device. Copy the text, preview the photo, or save and share the file.
Fountain coding
Miss a frame. Lose nothing.
Frames can arrive in any order, and a dropped one costs a moment rather than the whole transfer. The sender simply keeps broadcasting until the receiver has enough.
- No pairing, no handshake, no retries to manage
- Short text fits in a single static code
- Turbo packs raw binary into every frame, LightDrop to LightDrop
Password encryption
Film every frame. Still get nothing.
Lock the payload with a password before it ever reaches the screen. Anyone recording the code sees only ciphertext; the receiver types the same password to open it.
- Cipher
- AES-256-GCM
- Key derivation
- PBKDF2-SHA256 · 600,000 rounds
- Where it runs
- On device, both ends
- The password
- Never shown, never sent
Features
Built for the moment nothing else will work
An offline machine, a network you'd rather not trust, a room with no signal, or two devices that simply won't talk to each other.
Turbo transfer
Turbo writes raw binary straight into each code instead of text, so every frame carries more of your file. It works LightDrop to LightDrop.
Tune it to the room
Close, standard, and far presets trade frame size against frame rate, and the frame rate slider is live while the code is playing. A dim screen or a shaky hand is a setting away from working.
One purchase, every device
The same app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Pro unlocks on every device signed in to your Apple Account, from a single transaction, with Family Sharing on the lifetime option.
Transfers work offline
QR transfers work offline. Loading plans, buying or restoring Pro and syncing paid access require internet; valid cached Pro access remains available offline.
No size cap, no watermark
There is no file-size quota and nothing is stamped on what you send. For multi-gigabyte files a cable is still faster — LightDrop is for when that isn't an option.
Platforms
A transfer needs two ends
Any two LightDrop devices can send to each other — and a device with a screen but no camera can still be the sender.
iPhone
Sends and receives. iOS 16 and later.
On the App StoreiPad
Sends and receives. A large, bright screen makes it a good sender. iPadOS 16 and later.
On the App StoreMac
Sends and receives. Usually the sender, since the phone is the thing with the good camera. macOS 13 and later.
Windows
A desktop build is in development. It is not available for download yet — when it is ready it will be published here.
In developmentPrivacy by design
We couldn't see your files if we wanted to
Your files travel only between the screen and camera. Apple processes payments, and RevenueCat verifies Pro using purchasing data; neither receives transfer content.
Nothing leaves the room
Your file travels from one screen to one camera. There is no upload, because there is nowhere to upload to.
No account, ever
There is nothing to sign up for. We never ask for your name, email address, or phone number.
No tracking, no ads
No analytics SDKs and no advertising identifier. Apple and RevenueCat handle purchases; neither ever sees what you transfer.
The camera only decodes
Frames are decoded in memory and discarded. No video or still image is recorded, and nothing from the camera is written to disk.
Encryption stays on your device
The password never leaves the device and is never transmitted. It is used locally to derive the key, and the receiver needs the same password to open the file.
Nothing collected means nothing to leak
We never receive your files, so there is no store of them for anyone to breach or subpoena.
Pricing
Try every feature free for 3 days.
An active monthly subscription, its 3-day trial, or Lifetime purchase is required to send and receive. All modes, turbo transfer and password encryption are included, with no size cap or watermark.
Lifetime
BEST VALUE$19.99 one time
Pay once. Yours forever, on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with Family Sharing for everyone in your group.
Monthly
3 DAYS FREE$2.99 per month
3 days free for eligible new subscribers, then billed monthly through your Apple Account. Cancel anytime.
Confirm the monthly subscription with Apple to begin the trial. Eligible new subscribers are first charged after 3 days unless they cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends. Prices are shown in USD and may vary by region. Eligible new subscribers get a 3-day free trial; the monthly plan then renews automatically at the monthly price unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the trial ends. Manage or cancel it any time in your Apple Account settings. The Lifetime plan is a one-time purchase with no renewal.
FAQ
Good questions.
Do both devices need LightDrop?
Yes. One device shows the code and the other reads it with its camera, so LightDrop runs on both ends. Any two of iPhone, iPad and Mac work, and one purchase covers your devices on the same Apple Account.
Does it need an internet connection?
Not for transfers. Buying, restoring and refreshing Pro need a connection; after that, a valid plan keeps working offline until it expires.
Could someone nearby record the code?
Anyone who films an unencrypted transfer could rebuild it. Turn on password encryption and a recording is useless without the password, which is never displayed or sent.
How big a file can I send?
There's no size cap. Speed depends on the screen, the camera and the light, so LightDrop suits notes, documents, configs and photos better than multi-gigabyte videos. To send several files, put them in one archive first.
Is there an Android or Windows version?
A Windows version is in development but not yet available. Android and browser-based receivers are not offered.
Send your first file by light.
iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Requires iOS 16 or macOS 13 and later. A transfer needs LightDrop on both ends — and one purchase covers all three.