From Linux to anything — the platform everyone else forgets
AirDrop, Quick Share and Phone Link all skip Linux. pastehere doesn't care what you run — open a room in the browser on both, type the 6-digit code, and copy on one to paste on the other.
Linux users are used to being the afterthought: AirDrop is Apple-only, Quick Share covers Android/Windows/ChromeOS but not desktop Linux, and Phone Link is Windows-only. The usual answers — scp, a self-hosted Syncthing, KDE Connect — are great if you set them up, and overkill when you just want a link or a file to jump to your phone right now.
pastehere works on Linux because it's a website — Firefox, Chromium, GNOME Web, whatever you run. Open a room on the Linux box, type the six-digit code into your phone or another computer's browser, and copy on one to paste on the other. Text, links, images and files all cross, with no account and end-to-end encryption.
How to do it in three steps
- 1
Open a room on your Linux machine
Go to pastehere.app in any browser and create a room. You'll get a six-digit code — no sign-up, nothing to install.
- 2
Enter the code on your other device
Open the same site on your other device and type the six-digit code to join. The two devices agree on a key directly, so the server never sees it.
- 3
Copy on one, paste on the other
Add text, a link, a screenshot or a file on either device and it appears on the other within a second. The room stays open until you destroy it.
Everything is encrypted in your browser with AES-256 before it leaves the device. Devices agree on the room key through a PAKE exchange over the 6-digit code, so the key never reaches the server — it only ever stores ciphertext.
What you can send
Anything that fits in a room moves both ways between your Linux machine and your other device:
- TextNotes, passwords, addresses, long passages — no length limit.
- LinksOpen a tab on the other device with one tap.
- ImagesScreenshots and photos, kept at full quality.
- FilesPDFs, archives, any file type — up to 15 MB each, 100 MB per room.
Where the Linux-native tools fit
If you live in KDE, KDE Connect is excellent for phone integration on the same network, and Syncthing is the right call for continuous folder sync between your own machines. Those are worth setting up if you'll use them daily. pastehere isn't trying to replace them — it's the zero-setup option for a one-off transfer, or for reaching a device that isn't yours and isn't on your network.
Because it's browser-only and account-free, it also works the other direction with no fuss: pull a file from your phone onto a Linux server you're SSH'd into but browsing on, or hand something to a colleague on a different OS without either of you installing anything. The privacy model — AES-256, key never on the server, destroyable rooms — tends to suit the Linux crowd too.
Questions
Is there an AirDrop or Quick Share for Linux?
No — AirDrop is Apple-only and Quick Share doesn't support desktop Linux. pastehere fills the gap over the web: open a room in any browser on the Linux machine and on the other device, pair with a 6-digit code, and transfer.
How do I send a file from Linux to my phone without a cable?
Open a room on both, add the file in the room on Linux, and download it on your phone. Files are up to 15 MB each, 100 MB per room. No cable, no account.
Does it work in Firefox and Chromium on Linux?
Yes. It runs in any modern browser, including Firefox, Chromium and GNOME Web. There's nothing to install and no sign-up.