# Frequently Asked Questions

### Instructions / Discussions
* [Video Instructions](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XN02GkcHUM) (Big thanks to [TheiTeckHq](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_DUzWMb8gZZnAbISQjmAfQ))
* [idownloadblog](http://www.idownloadblog.com/2015/12/29/snapdrop/)
* [thenextweb](http://thenextweb.com/insider/2015/12/27/snapdrop-is-a-handy-web-based-replacement-for-apples-fiddly-airdrop-file-transfer-tool/)
* [winboard](http://www.winboard.org/artikel-ratgeber/6253-dateien-vom-desktop-pc-mit-anderen-plattformen-teilen-mit-snapdrop.html)
* [免費資源網路社群](https://free.com.tw/snapdrop/)
* [Hackernews](https://news.ycombinator.com/front?day=2020-12-24)
* [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/et4qny/snapdrop_is_a_free_open_source_cross_platform/)
* [Producthunt](https://www.producthunt.com/posts/snapdrop)

### Help! I can't install the PWA!
if you are using a Chromium-based browser (Chrome, Edge, Brave, etc.), you can easily install PairDrop PWA on your desktop by clicking the install button in the top-right corner while on [pairdrop.net](https://pairdrop.net) (see below).
<img src="pwa-install.png">

### On iOS received images cannot be added to the gallery!
Apparently, iOS does not allow images shared from a website to be saved to the gallery directly.

Shortcuts to win:
I created a simple iOS shortcut, that takes your photos and saves them to your gallery:
https://routinehub.co/shortcut/13988/

### What about the connection? Is it a P2P-connection directly from device to device or is there any third-party-server?
It uses a P2P connection if WebRTC is supported by the browser. WebRTC needs a Signaling Server, but it is only used to establish a connection and is not involved in the file transfer.

If your devices are paired and behind a NAT, the public TURN Server from [Open Relay](https://www.metered.ca/tools/openrelay/) is used to route your files and messages.

### What about privacy? Will files be saved on third-party-servers?
None of your files are ever sent to any server. Files are sent only between peers. PairDrop doesn't even use a database. If you are curious have a look [at the Server](https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/pairdrop/blob/master/index.js).
WebRTC encrypts the files on transit.

If your devices are paired and behind a NAT, the public TURN Server from [Open Relay](https://www.metered.ca/tools/openrelay/) is used to route your files and messages.

### What about security? Are my files encrypted while being sent between the computers?
Yes. Your files are sent using WebRTC, which encrypts them on transit.

### Why don't you implement feature xyz?
Snapdrop and PairDrop are a study in radical simplicity. The user interface is insanely simple. Features are chosen very carefully because complexity grows quadratically since every feature potentially interferes with each other feature. We focus very narrowly on a single use case: instant file transfer. 
We are not trying to optimize for some edge-cases. We are optimizing the user flow of the average users. Don't be sad if we decline your feature request for the sake of simplicity. 

If you want to learn more about simplicity you can read [Insanely Simple: The Obsession that Drives Apple's Success](https://www.amazon.com/Insanely-Simple-Ken-Segall-audiobook/dp/B007Z9686O) or [Thinking, Fast and Slow](https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0374533555).


### Snapdrop and PairDrop are awesome! How can I support them? 
* [Buy me a cover to support open source software](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/pairdrop)
* [File bugs, give feedback, submit suggestions](https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/pairdrop/issues)
* Share PairDrop on social media.
* Fix bugs and make a pull request. 
* Do security analysis and suggestions


### How does it work?
[See here for Information about the Technical Implementation](/docs/technical-documentation.md)

[< Back](/README.md)
