How can you remove WiFi, Bluetooth, and other basic network protocols and transfer photos from one smartphone to another? That’s where LiveDrop comes in.
This is a free app that uses what can best be described as a moving QR code to transfer from one smartphone to another without actually connecting the phones or using a wireless network.
Netherlands-based LiveDrop first unveiled its new app at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, with the Dutch royal family in attendance. Prince Constantine became the first person to receive photos on his LiveDrop completely offline. To demonstrate this, both phones were put into airplane mode in the demo, and Wi-Fi and his Bluetooth were turned off.
It’s also cross-platform, so it doesn’t matter which device is running on iOS or Android. Its simplicity and openness should, in theory, address many of the pain points of sharing images across platforms. petapixel We took a look at LiveDrop to see how it actually works and where there are caveats.
How does the actual transfer take place?
LiveDrop CEO Patrick Moreu said the biggest drawback, at least for now, is that file transfer speeds are limited to just 250Kbps. petapixel The plan is to increase to 1 Mbps in 2024.
Why is it so slow? Note that 1 Mbps is close to the typical transfer speed for Bluetooth. Bluetooth is never a great way to transfer photos because it requires a digital handshake between two devices. If one of your phones is already paired with the other, it can wreak havoc on the validity of the connection. Needless to say, this is clunky, and why don’t most phone manufacturers talk about it much, even though they’ve offered it as a feature for years?
LiveDrop eliminates the need for a digital handshake because the two devices aren’t actually communicating at all. No pairing required means no hassle. Select the image you want to share through the app and it will generate a moving QR code for others to read from the LiveDrop app on their phones.
Although it looks like a QR code, it is not exactly the same thing. I call this a “moving QR code” because it resembles the static or “snow” of old scrambled TV channels. The little squares in the code are constantly moving and are essentially data matrices that are the actual files themselves. Once you scan and receive it on your phone, the app will unscramble the code and generate a file.
Although there is technically no file size limit, it does not necessarily mean that the same file size will be transferred. For example, when I sent a 14MB high-resolution photo from my Google Pixel 8 Pro, it ended up being a 50kb file on the receiving iPhone 15 Pro.
When asked about compression, Moreu said that while LiveDrop ultimately controls the compression rate within the app, the sending device compresses the file, which at this stage is about 50kb. You can pull it up at any time, and clients using the underlying technology can pull it up easily too. The idea is that sending large images takes time to complete, so the faster the transfer rate, the less compression is required. The current concept is to prove that images and files can be sent offline “within seconds”, albeit with lower quality.
He also said there is an SDK (software developer kit) that any company can purchase and use without the same restrictions, based on the parameters the company chooses to set for itself. This means larger files may also work. Also, this is still a one-to-one approach, meaning one file at a time, but that may eventually change as well depending on transfer speeds.
Screen refresh rate can also have an impact. Most screens, mobile or otherwise, have a refresh rate of at least 60 Hz, but today’s flagship phones are typically 120 Hz or higher. Your phone’s camera can also record in 1080p HD at 60Hz or higher. LiveDrop works when the two devices have different refresh rates, so you can share your flagship device with a mid-range budget phone or an older phone without any problems, although there may be a slight delay in transfer speed. It may take some time.
It doesn’t have to be an image; it can be any file. If you have a PDF or document to share, LiveDrop makes it easy. Also, you don’t have to turn on airplane mode for it to work, but there’s no triangulation involved, so the file transfer doesn’t have the benefit of an internet connection. No need to go to the cloud or log into a local access point. QR codes have been commonly used for many years, except that they primarily lead to URLs, links, documents, or information, rather than as image delivery systems.
Future application examples
Without a doubt, one of the biggest potential use cases for offline file transfers like this would be getting photos directly from your camera to your phone, tablet, or laptop. Photo workflows are always different, but transferring photos and videos usually requires inserting a memory card into a computer at some point, especially if it’s not connected in the field.
If your camera manufacturer doesn’t support wireless transfer via its own dedicated app, you’ll have even less recourse to RAW files. LiveDrop’s SDK theoretically allows camera brands to implement an offline file transfer system on the camera screen itself.
That’s an attractive proposal. The very idea of having a moving QR code displayed on your camera’s LCD screen that you can retrieve on your phone or laptop without having to go through countless menu options is definitely useful. Not to mention, it can be done completely offline, with no need to connect either device to Wi-Fi or reach for a cable to physically connect the two.
Photo booths and similar services will probably also save a lot of time this way, as users can select the photos they want, read a code and quickly transfer them. The same goes for travel, where images taken by local photographers can be shared without the network connectivity required to pay tourists. This overcomes the more complex process of proprietary links and downloads that is common with these setups.
Offline file transfers without a wireless connection are more secure and anonymous, as the transfer cannot be hacked by a third party. According to Moreu, LiveDrop is already part of his pilot projects in healthcare at hospitals in the Netherlands and at his Vivent Health in the United States. One of his ideas is to allow doctors to share information with patients in a faster and more efficient way, without requiring a network connection. That’s why there’s another app in the iOS App Store called LiveDrop Flow.
Another test pilot at a university in the Netherlands allowed professors to share files and handouts with students by simply scanning a code with their mobile phones. Yet another option was to insert a code into the corner of the TV screen during the broadcast to share relevant information.
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LiveDrop isn’t the only company offering offline phone-to-phone transfer. Feem comes to mind as an alternative, but it doesn’t work with scrambled code and requires two devices to connect to each other via his Wi-Fi Direct. XDrop and PairDrop follow a similar path to make transfers work between cross-platform devices, including Windows and macOS in addition to iOS and Android. Wi-Fi Direct allows you to send large files, but the procedure makes the process longer than LiveDrop, so both methods have their pros and cons.
It’s great that LiveDrop’s offline process works with cameras to give you the flexibility to transfer images, potentially allowing for easier workflows, especially if you need a quick response or post to social media . Events, sports, and other live events come to mind. Currently, the LiveDrop app is free to download and use on iOS and Android.
Image credits: Ted Kritsonis of PetaPixel
