Sending a 300MB video on WhatsApp costs you bundle, costs them bundle, and WhatsApp compresses it into something worse than what you started with. If the person is standing next to you, none of that is necessary.
The built-in way, phone to phone
Both Android and iPhone have this built in now, and it uses Bluetooth to find the other phone and then a direct Wi-Fi link to do the actual transfer. Fast, free, and no internet involved.
Android to Android, Quick Share:
- Both phones: switch on Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Location. All three, even though no data is used.
- Open the file, tap Share, then Quick Share.
- Your phone lists nearby devices. Tap theirs. They accept, and it goes.
If their phone does not appear, have them open Quick Share from their own quick settings panel and set visibility to Everyone for a few minutes.
iPhone to iPhone, AirDrop: swipe down for Control Centre, press and hold the Wi-Fi block, turn AirDrop on and set it to Everyone for 10 Minutes. Then share the file and pick their name.
Android to iPhone does not work with either of these. Use one of the options below.
Between any two phones
The app most people already have for this in Ghana is SHAREit or Xender. They work by turning one phone into a temporary hotspot that the other joins, so no data is used.
They do the job. Be aware of what you are accepting: these apps carry advertising, they ask for broad permissions, and they push content you did not ask for. If you use one, go through its settings afterwards and turn off the news and recommendation panels.
A cleaner alternative if both phones are on the same Wi-Fi is a local sharing app such as LocalSend, which is free, has no adverts, and works between Android, iPhone, Windows and Mac.
Phone to computer
A cable is still the fastest and most reliable method, and it needs nothing installed.
Plug the phone in, then pull down the notification that says something like Charging this device via USB. Tap it and change the mode to File transfer. The phone appears on the computer as a drive. On an iPhone, photos appear automatically but other files go through iTunes or the Apple Devices app.
If the phone charges but never appears on the computer, the cable is the usual culprit. Many cables sold cheaply are charge-only and have no data wires in them at all. Try the cable that came with the phone.
Bluetooth, and why not
Bluetooth will transfer files between almost anything, and it is painfully slow: a large video can take an hour. Use it for a contact card or a single photo, not for anything bigger.