# Transient Files

> Transient Files is a free, no-signup way to send files — documents, videos, archives, images, anything up to 1 GB — with links that delete themselves after a set time or after one download, plus a set of free in-browser utilities (hash checker, Base64, JSON formatter, unit converter). Get a shareable link or QR code in seconds; the file is automatically deleted when the link expires — no account, no app, no ads.

Transient Files is a privacy-friendly alternative to email attachments and cloud drives for quick sharing. Files are stored encrypted (SSE-C) and are never public: only people with the link can see them. Recipients need no account and no app — the link opens in any browser and videos/photos preview inline in WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, and most messaging apps.

## Key facts

- **Free** — no account, no sign-up, no ads, no watermark, no speed limits.
- **Up to 1 GB per file**, including videos, photos, archives, and documents.
- **Self-destructing links** — choose an expiry of 1 hour, 12 hours, 24 hours, or a one-time download (the file is deleted after the first download).
- **Private by default** — nothing is listed, searchable, or public; files are encrypted at rest and deleted automatically when they expire.
- **Works everywhere** — drag & drop, paste, or pick a file (or take a photo) on the home page; share the link or scan the QR code on any device.
- **File requests** — create an upload link, share it, and collect files from anyone in a private inbox. Senders need no account and can't see each other's files; requests stay open 1, 3 or 7 days and everything is deleted 24 hours after they close.

## Privacy & trust

- **No account, no sign-up** — uploads are not linked to an identity; no email or phone number is collected.
- **Private by default** — files are never listed, searched, or suggested; search engines are blocked from file and folder URLs (robots.txt). Only people with the link can open a file.
- **Encrypted at rest** — files are stored encrypted (SSE-C) on Cloudflare R2 and are never scanned, altered, or compressed. Files are sent byte-for-byte as uploaded.
- **Auto-delete** — links expire by time (1 h / 12 h / 24 h) or after one download. Files are permanently deleted within a maximum of 36 hours, even if never downloaded.
- **No recipient tracking** — only anonymous download counts are kept to enforce download limits; no personal data is collected from people who download files.
- **Uploader IP** — the uploader's IP address is stored briefly (while the file is live) for abuse prevention, then deleted together with the file.
- **Report abuse** — misuse can be reported at [https://transientfiles.com/terms#report-abuse](https://transientfiles.com/terms#report-abuse).

## Main pages

- [Home / Uploader](https://transientfiles.com/): Upload any file and get a self-destructing share link in seconds.
- [Bulk upload](https://transientfiles.com/bulk/): Share up to 50 files (2 GB) behind one private folder link.
- [Request files](https://transientfiles.com/request/): Create a file request link — others upload to your private inbox without an account.
- [Terms of Use & Privacy Policy](https://transientfiles.com/terms): How the service works and what data is stored.

## Use cases

- [Share Photos Without Losing Quality](https://transientfiles.com/en/photo-sharing): Send photos in original quality — no compression, no account, links that self-destruct.
- [Share a Video Link Without YouTube](https://transientfiles.com/en/video-sharing): Upload a video and share a link that plays inline in chat apps — no account, no public profile.
- [Send Large Files on Discord Without Nitro](https://transientfiles.com/en/discord-file-sharing): Send files bigger than Discord's free 20 MB cap — up to 1 GB, no compression, no Nitro, links that preview inside Discord.
- [One-Time Download Link](https://transientfiles.com/en/one-time-link): Create a link that works once and is deleted after the first download.
- [Send Large Files Free](https://transientfiles.com/en/send-large-files): Send files up to 1 GB without an account — bigger than email allows.
- [Transfer Photos Phone to Computer](https://transientfiles.com/en/phone-to-computer): Get photos from your phone to your computer without a cable or app — open the link or scan the QR code.
- [Self-Destructing Link](https://transientfiles.com/en/self-destructing-link): Create a link that expires automatically after 1 hour, 12 hours, 24 hours, or one download.
- [Send Photos iPhone to Android](https://transientfiles.com/en/send-photos-cross-platform): Send photos between any phones in original quality — no AirDrop, no app, no compression.
- [AirDrop Alternative for Android](https://transientfiles.com/en/airdrop-alternative): Share files between iPhone, Android and any device with a private link — no app, original quality, links that self-destruct.
- [Photo Dump to Your Group Chat](https://transientfiles.com/en/photo-dump): Send the whole photo dump to your group chat — private, no post, no followers.
- [Share Photos Without Social Media](https://transientfiles.com/en/share-photos-without-social-media): Share trip and family photos without Facebook or Instagram — one private link, no accounts.
- [No-Account File Sharing](https://transientfiles.com/en/no-account-file-sharing): Share files with no account, no email, no sign-up — encrypted at rest, auto-delete within 36 hours.
- [WeTransfer Alternative](https://transientfiles.com/en/wetransfer-alternative): Send files up to 1 GB, or 50 at once, with no email address and no account — and an honest comparison, with WeTransfer and GrosFichiers size limits, of when WeTransfer fits better.
- [file.io Alternative](https://transientfiles.com/en/file-io-alternative): Self-deleting links that a whole group can open for 1–24 hours, 50-file folders with passwords — and an honest comparison of when file.io fits better.

These use-case pages are also available in French ([fr](https://transientfiles.com/fr/photo-sharing)), Spanish ([es](https://transientfiles.com/es/photo-sharing)), Portuguese ([pt](https://transientfiles.com/pt/photo-sharing)), and German ([de](https://transientfiles.com/de/photo-sharing)).

## Guides

In-depth articles (available in English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French and German):

- [What Is Ephemeral File Sharing?](https://transientfiles.com/en/guides/what-is-ephemeral-file-sharing): What an ephemeral link is, how self-destructing links work, when to use them, and how to evaluate a service. ([en español](https://transientfiles.com/es/guides/what-is-ephemeral-file-sharing)) ([em português](https://transientfiles.com/pt/guides/what-is-ephemeral-file-sharing)) ([en français](https://transientfiles.com/fr/guides/what-is-ephemeral-file-sharing)) ([auf Deutsch](https://transientfiles.com/de/guides/what-is-ephemeral-file-sharing))
- [Are Free File-Sharing Sites Safe?](https://transientfiles.com/en/guides/are-file-sharing-sites-safe): Short verdicts on Workupload, Filebin and file.io, plus a 7-point checklist covering encryption, retention, access model and data collection. ([en español](https://transientfiles.com/es/guides/are-file-sharing-sites-safe)) ([em português](https://transientfiles.com/pt/guides/are-file-sharing-sites-safe)) ([en français](https://transientfiles.com/fr/guides/are-file-sharing-sites-safe)) ([auf Deutsch](https://transientfiles.com/de/guides/are-file-sharing-sites-safe))
- [How to Share a Photo Dump Without Posting It](https://transientfiles.com/en/guides/photo-dump-guide): Curate, bundle and share photo dumps in original quality with an expiring link. ([en español](https://transientfiles.com/es/guides/photo-dump-guide)) ([em português](https://transientfiles.com/pt/guides/photo-dump-guide)) ([en français](https://transientfiles.com/fr/guides/photo-dump-guide)) ([auf Deutsch](https://transientfiles.com/de/guides/photo-dump-guide))
- [Photo Dump Ideas](https://transientfiles.com/en/guides/photo-dump-ideas): Ten photo dump ideas that land — trip, party, monthly, throwback dumps — plus how to share the batch privately with an expiring link. ([en español](https://transientfiles.com/es/guides/photo-dump-ideas)) ([em português](https://transientfiles.com/pt/guides/photo-dump-ideas)) ([en français](https://transientfiles.com/fr/guides/photo-dump-ideas)) ([auf Deutsch](https://transientfiles.com/de/guides/photo-dump-ideas))
- [How to Password-Protect a Shared Folder or File](https://transientfiles.com/en/guides/password-protected-file-sharing): How to add a password on Windows, Mac, Google Drive, OneDrive or a link, what passwords protect against, hashing done right, and the second-channel rule. ([en español](https://transientfiles.com/es/guides/password-protected-file-sharing)) ([em português](https://transientfiles.com/pt/guides/password-protected-file-sharing)) ([en français](https://transientfiles.com/fr/guides/password-protected-file-sharing)) ([auf Deutsch](https://transientfiles.com/de/guides/password-protected-file-sharing))
- [The Discord File Size Limit](https://transientfiles.com/en/guides/discord-file-limit-guide): Discord's current upload limits (20 MB free, 50 MB Nitro Basic, 1 GB Nitro), how long a video that fits is, why compressing is a trap, and the link approach that keeps quality. ([en español](https://transientfiles.com/es/guides/discord-file-limit-guide)) ([em português](https://transientfiles.com/pt/guides/discord-file-limit-guide)) ([en français](https://transientfiles.com/fr/guides/discord-file-limit-guide)) ([auf Deutsch](https://transientfiles.com/de/guides/discord-file-limit-guide))
- [How to Request Files From Someone](https://transientfiles.com/en/guides/how-to-request-files): How file request links work, how to write a request people finish, privacy checks, and the options compared. ([en español](https://transientfiles.com/es/guides/how-to-request-files)) ([em português](https://transientfiles.com/pt/guides/how-to-request-files)) ([en français](https://transientfiles.com/fr/guides/how-to-request-files)) ([auf Deutsch](https://transientfiles.com/de/guides/how-to-request-files))
- [How to Upload Multiple Files at Once](https://transientfiles.com/en/guides/how-to-upload-multiple-files): Selection shortcuts for Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, sharing up to 50 files behind one link, and when zipping helps. ([en español](https://transientfiles.com/es/guides/how-to-upload-multiple-files)) ([em português](https://transientfiles.com/pt/guides/how-to-upload-multiple-files)) ([en français](https://transientfiles.com/fr/guides/how-to-upload-multiple-files)) ([auf Deutsch](https://transientfiles.com/de/guides/how-to-upload-multiple-files))
- [How to Send Large Files for Free](https://transientfiles.com/en/guides/how-to-send-large-files): Why email stops at 25 MB, free options compared, how long a 1 GB upload takes, and what to do above 1 GB. ([en español](https://transientfiles.com/es/guides/how-to-send-large-files)) ([em português](https://transientfiles.com/pt/guides/how-to-send-large-files)) ([en français](https://transientfiles.com/fr/guides/how-to-send-large-files)) ([auf Deutsch](https://transientfiles.com/de/guides/how-to-send-large-files))
- [Alternative à GrosFichiers](https://transientfiles.com/fr/guides/alternative-grosfichiers): Envoyer de gros fichiers sans e-mail ni compte (jusqu'à 1 Go, lien qui s'efface seul), avec un tableau comparatif et les cas où GrosFichiers reste meilleur (French only).

## Sister site: Furtiva (private photos)

Transient Files is for files. Private, personal photos — a picture meant for one person, with a view limit and an unsend button — belong to its sister site [Furtiva](https://furtiva.app/) (English, [Português](https://furtiva.app/pt/), [Español](https://furtiva.app/es/)). Transient Files' former private-photo pages (private photo sharing, self-destructing photos, Snapchat alternative, unsend photos, WhatsApp photo quality, close-friends sharing) now permanently redirect to their Furtiva equivalents.

## Online tools

- [Tools index](https://transientfiles.com/tools/): Free online utilities, no sign-up.
- [Hash Checker](https://transientfiles.com/tools/hash-checker): Compute and compare file hashes (MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256) directly in your browser.
- [Base64](https://transientfiles.com/tools/base64): Encode and decode text or files to and from Base64.
- [Unit Converter](https://transientfiles.com/tools/unit-converter): Convert length, temperature, weight, speed, volume, data and more — keyboard-first, entirely in your browser.
- [JSON Formatter](https://transientfiles.com/tools/json-formatter): Format, validate, and minify JSON.