How to use OmniBeam
OmniBeam sends files and text between your devices straight from the browser. Here is everything it can do, step by step.
1. Devices on the same Wi‑Fi
- Open omnibeam.site on both devices.
- Each device shows the other one automatically, with a random name like “Blue Fox”. Tap your name at the bottom to rename this device.
- Tap the other device and choose files, or drag and drop files onto it. On a computer you can also hover over it and pick Send files or Send message.
- The other device asks to accept. After that the files arrive and can be saved or opened.
2. Devices on different networks
Phones on mobile data, a VPN or iCloud Private Relay put devices on different networks, so they don't see each other automatically. Pair them once:
- Tap the link button at the top and choose Create a pairing code.
- On the other device, enter the 6‑digit code, scan the QR code with the camera, or open the shared link.
- From then on the two devices find each other on any network. You can unpair them in the same window.
3. Public rooms for several devices
In the pairing window, create a public room. Share its 5‑letter code or link, and any number of devices can join from any network. Good for classrooms, meetings and family photo swaps. Add a password before creating the room to keep strangers out.
4. Share a file by link
In the ⋯ menu at the top, tap Share files by link, choose files and how long the link should work. The files are encrypted on your device, uploaded, and you get a link and a QR code that anyone can open, even later and on any device. See sending a file with a link for details.
5. Send text and links
Right-click a device (or long-press on a touch screen) and choose Send message to send text, a link or something you copied. You can also paste into the page to send what is on your clipboard.
6. Received files
Tap the download button at the top to see the files you received in the last 7 days and save them again. Several files can be saved at once as one ZIP file. iPhone HEIC photos can be saved as JPG.
7. Install OmniBeam as an app
On Android and on computers with Chrome or Edge, OmniBeam offers Install at the bottom of the page. On iPhone, tap the Share button in Safari and choose Add to Home Screen. Installed on Android, OmniBeam also appears in the Share menu of your gallery and other apps.
8. Windows: tray app and right-click → Send to → OmniBeam
Install the OmniBeam tray app: an icon next to the clock sends files and clipboard text to your phone without opening the browser, and it adds OmniBeam to the right-click Send to menu. See the Windows tray guide for the download and steps (needs Node.js 22 or newer).
9. Faster transfers on the same Wi‑Fi
Tap ⚡ Faster Wi‑Fi transfers at the bottom and allow the microphone once. Nothing is recorded; browsers only share the device's local network address with sites that have this permission, and with it the devices can connect directly over your Wi‑Fi instead of through the router's internet connection. Tap the network ID next to your device name to run a connection check.
10. Folders, queue, cancel and auto-accept
- Folders: drag a folder onto a device, or hover over it and choose Send folder. It arrives as a ZIP with the same folders inside.
- Queue and cancel: files you send while a transfer runs wait in line. Tap ✕ on a device to stop. With several devices visible, Send to everyone sends to all of them.
- Auto-accept: in the link window, turn on Auto-accept for a paired device to receive its files without being asked.
- Trusted devices: in the link window, tick Trusted next to your own remembered devices. They always show on the main screen, greyed out while offline, and their files arrive without asking.
- Shrink photos and videos: in Settings (in the ⋯ menu at the top), turn on shrinking for slow connections. Photos are scaled to 2560 px and videos to 720p before sending; the originals stay as they are.
- Interrupted transfer: if a page reloads or the connection drops, send the same files again within a day and only the missing part is sent.
- Language: choose English, العربية, Français, Español, Türkçe, Deutsch, Português, हिन्दी or Bahasa Indonesia at the bottom of the page.
Troubleshooting
- Devices don't appear: check both are on the same Wi‑Fi and not using a VPN, or pair them with a code.
- “Sending via server” or “internet” route on the same Wi‑Fi: see how to fix slow transfers on the same Wi‑Fi. It still works, just slower, and stays end-to-end encrypted.
- Transfer stops when the screen locks: keep the page open on both devices until it finishes.