u/Palunath

Hey everyone!
I’m a physics student building my first product solo: a simple tool for transferring files between iPhone, Android, Windows, macOS and Linux.
The problem: transferring files between different ecosystems is still surprisingly complicated. There are already solutions like LocalSend, AirDrop, Quick Share, iCloud, OneDrive, USB drives, etc., but from my research on Reddit, I’ve noticed recurring frustrations around reliability, compatibility and setup.
My idea:

• Local → direct device-to-device transfers, for free.
• Remote → transfers between devices on different networks, potentially as a paid feature.
I’m still developing it, especially the technical side: WebRTC, device discovery, large files and browser limitations.
Do you think this problem is still worth solving despite the existing solutions? And what would it take to make this meaningfully different from LocalSend or AirDrop?
I’m mainly looking for honest feedback and criticism. I’m still early enough to change direction.
If you’re interested in the project, let me know!

I'm building a cross-platform file transfer service and I'm currently stuck on the local transfer part.

I want users to be able to transfer large files directly between their phone and Windows PC when they're on the same network.

I'm hesitating between two approaches:

WebRTC: no installation required, everything happens in the browser, which makes the UX much simpler. But I'm concerned about browser/device limitations and reliability with large files.

Windows companion app (.exe): it would give me much more control over local discovery and transfers, but requiring users to download an executable feels like a significant barrier for a consumer product.

I'm especially concerned about making the product feel trustworthy since users will be transferring personal files.

For those who have built something similar, which approach would you recommend and why?

I'm building a cross-platform file transfer service and I'm currently stuck on the local transfer part.

I want users to be able to transfer large files directly between their phone and Windows PC when they're on the same network.

I'm hesitating between two approaches:

WebRTC: no installation required, everything happens in the browser, which makes the UX much simpler. But I'm concerned about browser/device limitations and reliability with large files.

Windows companion app (.exe): it would give me much more control over local discovery and transfers, but requiring users to download an executable feels like a significant barrier for a consumer product.

I'm especially concerned about making the product feel trustworthy since users will be transferring personal files.

For those who have built something similar, which approach would you recommend and why?

I'm a student and I'm currently building my first real product completely on my own.

I'm building a simple file transfer tool between iPhone, Android and Windows, because I've always found transferring files between different devices more complicated than it should be.

I recently asked Reddit how people currently handle this, and I got thousands of views and dozens of comments. People mentioned LocalSend, iCloud, OneDrive, Blip, Phone Link, etc.

It was really interesting, but it also made me realize that there are already a lot of solutions out there.

And honestly, that's what worries me the most. I'm still learning and this is my first time building something like this, so I'm scared that I'm spending a lot of time building something that people simply don't care enough about.

For those who built their first product: how did you know whether you were solving a problem people actually cared about?I’m open to any kind of advice, I’m all ears.