Short answers, each with a link to the page that covers it properly. If you are looking at an
error message, go to Troubleshooting instead.
Files and transfers
Where do my files go?
Straight to the other person’s device. In most transfers they never touch a server at all, and
when a network forces a relay, that relay carries encrypted packets it cannot
read. See How a transfer works.
How big a file can I send?
Floe sets no limit on a direct connection, which is what most
transfers get, and caps a relayed transfer at 2 GB. A browser on the receiving end adds a limit of
its own: it can only take as much as that browser can hold, and a phone holds less than a computer.
See File size limits, and
Known limitations
for a large file to a phone.
Can I send a folder?
Yes from Floe Desktop and the CLI, which walk the folder for you. Floe Desktop or
the CLI on the other side rebuilds it, and a browser rebuilds it only inside Download ZIP. In the
browser, drop the folder on the Send page at floe.one, or pick it on the page a request link
opens. See Which Floe to use.
How do I get files from someone who does not have Floe?
Ask them to open floe.one, drop the files, and send you the link; they install nothing. Or make a
request link in Floe Desktop and send it to them: they open it in a
browser, and the files land on your PC once you accept. See
Request links.
How fast is it?
As fast as the slower of the two internet connections allows: Floe adds no throttling of its own.
A relayed transfer is usually slower, because every byte takes a detour. See
Direct connections.
How long does the sender have to stay connected?
For the whole transfer. Files stream from their device, so closing the tab, quitting the app, or
stopping the process ends it, and so does a laptop that sleeps when its lid is closed. A transfer
that stops cannot be resumed: files that finished are kept, and the rest has to be sent again in a
new transfer. See Receiving files and
A device that sleeps ends the transfer.
Are my files stored anywhere?
No. Files are never stored on a server, because the
signaling server never receives them and a relay only forwards
encrypted packets. A room is dropped when the last device leaves it, and its
room code stops working sooner, as soon as the receiver joins. What the
server does keep in memory for a while, mostly for request links, is listed under
Security and privacy.
Is a file checked when it arrives?
Yes. The receiving side compares each file with the size the sender announced, and with its
SHA-256 when the sender provides one. It discards a file that fails either
check. When every file passes both, the app shows a mark that says so. That mark means the files
arrived intact, not that they are safe to open. A browser that runs out of time for the SHA-256
check on a very large file keeps the file without the mark. See
File checks.
Why did a file not arrive?
The file failed a check on arrival, so Floe threw it away rather than hand you a file that looks
whole and is not. Either its size did not match what the sender announced, or its SHA-256 did not
match the sender’s. The transfer stops at that file, so ask them to send again. See
Troubleshooting.
Using Floe
Which browsers work?
Any current browser with WebRTC: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, and most
browsers built on Chromium, Chrome’s engine. Sending through a request link is supported in
current Chrome and Edge on a computer: see Sending through a request link.
Why does Floe tell me to open the link in a different browser?
You opened it inside another app’s built-in browser, and those handle file transfers poorly. The
page does not join the room until you switch or dismiss the prompt, so nothing is lost. See
Receiving files.
Why does it say Direct when the other device is on mobile data?
Because it really is direct. WebRTC can open a path between two devices on completely different
networks without a server in the middle, and most mobile data connects that way. Some carriers’
networks can force the relay instead, and then the badge says Relay. See
Direct connections.
Can I type a room code in the browser?
No. The web app has no code field and never makes a code; room codes are a desktop and CLI feature
in both directions. A browser recipient always needs the link. See
Which Floe to use.
Do both people need the same version?
Not for an ordinary transfer. The transfer protocol is the rules two Floe apps follow to talk to each
other. The web app, floe 1.12 and later and Floe Desktop 1.1 and later speak version 2 of it and
still accept version 1. A mismatch is detected before any data moves. See
Protocol versioning.
Some features do need a newer release:
- A link key is checked only by the web app,
floe receive 1.12 and later and
Floe Desktop 1.1 and later. An older app ignores it, and the transfer goes ahead with no check.
floe send --link-only needs floe 1.12 or later, and stops a receiver too old to prove the link.- Request links need Floe Desktop 0.3.0 or later and a server that has them turned on. To send from
the terminal they need
floe 1.11.0 or later, or floe 1.12 or later for a link from Floe Desktop
1.1 or later.
Which one should I use?
The browser unless you need folders, a place on disk, or a script. See
Which Floe to use.
Privacy and the project
Do I need an account?
No. There is no account, no sign-up, and no registration on any surface. See
Quickstart.
What does Floe collect?
The website runs cookieless, anonymous analytics and error monitoring. The CLI and the desktop app
contain none of that: their only optional requests are a byte count and an update check, and both
have an off switch. See Security and privacy.
What is the counter on the homepage?
A public all-time total of bytes Floe has moved, fed by receivers reporting a size and nothing
else. Every receiver can turn it off. See
Aggregate statistics.
Is a transfer encrypted?
Yes. Every transfer runs over an encrypted data channel, direct or
relayed, and nothing in between can read the files, Floe’s own servers included. What that rests
on is the next question. See Encryption.
What does Floe not protect against?
Three limits matter most:
Those and the rest are written down in Known limitations, each
with what you can do about it.
Someone sent me something harmful. What can I do?
Do not open more links or codes from that sender. Floe cannot see or remove files people send each
other, or tell who sent one afterward, but you can still report it. See
Reporting abuse.
Is Floe open source?
Yes. The web app, the signaling server, the CLI and the desktop app are all MIT licensed, in one
repository. See GitHub.
Can I run my own server?
Yes. The web app and the signaling server can be self-hosted, from
Docker Compose or straight from source, and the CLI and Floe Desktop
can be pointed at your instance. See Self-hosting overview. Last modified on November 6, 2026
