Files, photos, and the things you copy. AirBridge is building a more natural way to move between your Android and your Mac.
Open-source prototype available / Android app coming soon
01 THE IDEA
There are already ways to send a file from Android to a Mac. But the little everyday moments—copying a bit of text, sharing a photo, picking up right where you left off—still feel like a detour.
Apple’s Universal Clipboard makes copy on iPhone, paste on Mac feel natural between eligible Apple devices signed into the same account. AirBridge aims to bring that kind of ease to Android and Mac, without pretending the two ecosystems are the same.
A closer look ↗02 THE EXPERIENCE
Thoughtful tools for everything you want to move—and a little less friction along the way.
Share text and images between devices. The prototype can watch copied text on the Mac; Android sharing and clipboard access depend on the browser. Effortless cross-device copy and paste is the goal, not a promise of the current build.
Photos, documents, and more, without a cable. Stage up to 100 files, choose a device, and keep an eye on progress.
Files and clipboard messages are end-to-end encrypted between browsers. Compare the six-digit verification code before sharing to help verify your peer.
Connect over your local network, discover nearby devices through the shared service, or use a pair code or QR link.
Accept or decline transfers, choose visibility, track progress, cancel, and review recent transfers and clipboard beams.
Direct-to-disk receiving on the Mac · Interrupted-transfer partials · SHA-256 verification · Clipboard history · Dark mode · PWA share target · CLI tools
Drag and drop or pick mixed files; preview eligible images in transfer offers; accept, decline, auto-accept trusted peers, or cancel. See speed, ETA and recent history. On the Mac, received files stream to a configurable folder and can be revealed in Finder. Partial files support resuming in supported flows; SHA-256 results are displayed for verification.
Beam text and images, browse the last 50 clipboard items, copy text, open links or save images. Toggle sending and receiving, choose Nearby, Paired only or Hidden visibility, rename devices, and pair with a QR link or code. Browser permissions and device restrictions apply.
Install the web app as a PWA for Android share-sheet access. Switch themes and sounds, try the clearly labelled demo phone, or use the CLI for a daemon or one-shot file link. CLI links have different security properties from the encrypted app; see the README.
03 WHAT’S NEXT
A native Android app is coming soon. The direction we’re exploring: install on Android, open a browser on your Mac, and get sharing—with no Mac installation.
This is our product vision, not a released feature. The current prototype requires a service running on your Mac, and browser and OS restrictions limit automatic clipboard access.
Talk to us about the Android app ↗THE NEXT CHAPTER04 GET STARTED
The current release is a source-built prototype, not a native app. You’ll need a Mac, Android phone, Node.js 20+, npm, and Git. Both devices should be on the same Wi-Fi.
Explore the repositoryOn your Mac, open Terminal and run:
git clone https://github.com/DigantaDey/AirBridge.git
cd AirBridge
npm ci
npm run devKeep Terminal running. Open http://localhost:3000 on the Mac. The terminal also prints your phone’s HTTPS address and a CA fingerprint.
On the phone, visit http://<mac-ip>:3000/airbridge-ca.crt, replacing <mac-ip> with the address printed in Terminal. Install it as a CA certificate through Android’s security settings and compare its fingerprint to the one in Terminal. Menu names vary by device.
A CA certificate can affect device trust. Verify the fingerprint and only install a CA you trust. See the full security notes before proceeding.
Open the printed https://<mac-ip>:3000 address in your phone browser. Use Nearby on both devices, or join with the same pair code. Compare the six-digit verification codes, then choose files or share clipboard content.
Keep both browser pages and the Mac service open. For a production-style build and more options, see the full setup guide.
05 GOOD TO KNOW
Something else on your mind? We’re always happy to help.
Say hello ↗Not yet. A native Android app is coming soon. Today, AirBridge is an open-source prototype that runs a service on your Mac and opens in browsers on both devices. There is no APK or Mac installer in this repository.
Phone browsers require a secure context for Web Crypto. The local service creates a certificate authority (CA) so your phone can use HTTPS. Verify the fingerprint printed in Terminal against the certificate on your phone. Don’t bypass browser warnings. See the certificate instructions for details and removal.
Make sure you installed the CA certificate and are opening the printed https:// phone address—not the plain HTTP address. On the Mac, http://localhost:3000 is fine.
Check that the service is running, both browsers can reach the same server, and Nearby is enabled on both devices. Try the same pair code on both sides. Guest Wi-Fi, VPNs, firewalls, and client isolation can block connections; try another network or a phone hotspot.
Install Node.js 20 or newer, which includes npm, and Git. Open a new Terminal window and check node -v, npm -v, and git --version. Then repeat the setup commands.
Stop the other process, or start AirBridge on a different port with PORT=3001 npm run dev. Use the addresses printed in Terminal and replace 3000 with the chosen port in the steps above.
On the Mac running the service, the default is ~/Downloads/AirBridge; you can change it in Settings. On the phone, storage behavior depends on browser support: choose a directory when offered, or use the download fallback. Large files may use substantial memory in the fallback.
The current Mac service can watch copied text while it runs. On Android, the browser relies on page copy events, the PWA share sheet, or permitted clipboard reads when returning to the tab. Browser and OS restrictions mean fully automatic cross-device clipboard behavior is not guaranteed.
Keep the Mac service and both browser pages open; backgrounded mobile tabs can be throttled. Try a smaller batch if the phone is using the memory-based download fallback. The Mac keeps partial files for supported resume flows, but an in-flight offer does not recover across a page reload.
No. AirBridge is an independent project and does not use or implement Apple’s AirDrop protocol. AirDrop and Universal Clipboard are Apple features and trademarks; AirBridge is not affiliated with Apple or Google.
06 GET IN TOUCH
Questions, issues, ideas, or a collaboration in mind? Our inbox is open.
hello@airbridge.fyi ↗