# LightDrop — detailed product guide > LightDrop transfers text and files between nearby devices using QR codes. The sender displays the data on screen; the receiver reconstructs it with a camera. The transfer itself needs no Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cable, shared network or file-upload server. Publisher: Yangworks. Facts reviewed: 2026-10-04. - Platforms: iPhone / iPad / Mac - Requirements: iOS / iPadOS 16+ · macOS 13+ - Transport: Screen → camera - Access: Active LightDrop Pro ## What LightDrop is for Use LightDrop to move a note, a configuration file, a document or a small image when the two devices cannot share a network or use a cable. A Mac screen and an iPhone camera are a typical pairing. Both devices need LightDrop and valid Pro access; the receiving device needs an available camera. The devices must be within camera range, with the sending screen visible. This is a local optical transfer tool, not remote file sharing, cloud storage, backup, screen mirroring or a public download link. Use it only where you are allowed to transfer the content. ## Send and receive, step by step 1. Install LightDrop on both supported Apple devices. While online, purchase or restore Pro on each device using the appropriate Apple Account. A valid cached entitlement can be used offline until it expires. 2. On the sender, open Create, enter or paste text, or choose Select File. The file picker accepts one file at a time. To send several files or a folder, make an archive first and select that archive. 3. Optionally enable password encryption and give the receiver the password separately. Choose standard mode or Turbo, then generate the QR display. 4. On the receiver, open Scan, allow camera access, and aim at the complete QR code. Keep its edges in view, reduce glare and hold both devices steady. Watch the fragment grid and progress indicator. 5. Keep the sender running until decoding completes. Enter the transfer password if prompted. Copy received text, or use the result screen to save or share the file. Supported images can be previewed and saved to Photos on iPhone or iPad. ## Text, files and images - Text: enter or paste a message, code snippet or configuration. Short received text is copied automatically, with a manual Copy to Clipboard action available. Larger text remains available to read and copy manually. - Files: select one readable file from the system file picker. The transfer carries its filename and bytes. Examples include a PDF, JSON file, image or ZIP archive; transferring a file does not guarantee that the receiving device has an app to open it. - Images: the receiver detects supported image formats from file content rather than just the extension. It shows a preview when the system can decode the image. Saving to Photos on iPhone/iPad requires photo-library permission. - Image size: the current file-selection path sends the selected bytes without automatically resizing or compressing the image. Resize or compress a large photo before selecting it if you need a smaller transfer. - Size: there is no user-facing file-size quota. Available memory, QR decoding conditions and transfer time impose practical limits. Large videos, disk images and bulk backups are poor fits for an optical transfer. ## Static QR, animated QR and Turbo Standard mode uses a single static QR for a small enough encoded text payload and animated fountain frames for larger payloads. Files use animated frames. The static threshold is 800 bytes of encoded payload, including packaging and optional encryption; it is not an 800-character text limit. Fountain coding allows useful frames to arrive out of order. Missing a frame does not require restarting a healthy scan session: leave the camera aimed at the screen until enough data has arrived. Progress belongs to the current scan session; this is not a guarantee of recovery after closing the app. Turbo places binary fountain data directly in QR frames and requires LightDrop on both ends. The receiver recognizes standard and Turbo formats. It is not a format that an ordinary Camera app or generic QR reader can reconstruct. - Animation control: 4–30 frames per second, with an 8 fps default. The sender can adjust frame rate while the QR display is running. - Standard fragment setting: 50–800 bytes, with a 300-byte default. The current Turbo sender uses 1,400-byte fragments; its underlying encoder supports 400–2,900 bytes, but that range is not a separate user-facing slider. - These are encoder and display settings, not measured delivery rates. A larger or faster QR stream can be harder for the receiver to read. Actual speed depends on screen size, focus, camera quality, glare, movement and decoding overhead. - The app shows an estimated duration. It is an estimate, not a promised completion time or a network-equivalent throughput benchmark. ## Password encryption and what observers can see When enabled, LightDrop encrypts the payload locally before displaying QR frames. It uses AES-256-GCM with a password-derived key; the implementation uses PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256, a random salt and 600,000 iterations. The receiving device needs the same password to decrypt locally. The password is not included in the transfer. Share it separately and use a strong, unique password. An incorrect password or corrupted payload produces an error; Yangworks cannot recover a forgotten transfer password. The sender can send the original again with a new password. Without encryption, anyone who records the sending screen can potentially reconstruct the same data. Encryption protects the content, but does not hide that a transfer is taking place, protect an already-compromised device, or make weak passwords unguessable. Keep screenshots, screen sharing and nearby cameras in mind. ## Offline transfer and purchase connectivity The file and text payload move only from screen to camera. The app does not upload the transferred content to a relay or file-storage service. Camera frames are used for decoding, not recorded as a transfer video. Loading plans, purchasing, restoring and refreshing Pro status require internet access. Apple handles payment; RevenueCat verifies purchase history and an anonymous app-user identifier. No LightDrop login is required. “Offline transfer” does not mean that billing and entitlement verification never contact an online service. Prepare both devices online before going offline. An unexpired cached entitlement can continue to work offline; an expired subscription does not extend itself because the network is unavailable. A remote or cloud-only source file must first be downloaded and readable on the sending device. ## Pro, the three-day trial and Lifetime Sending and receiving require active Pro access. Monthly, an active eligible trial, and Lifetime unlock the same transfer modes, including Turbo and password encryption. This is not a permanent free tier or a free period measured from installation. Monthly: Apple must confirm the subscription before access begins. If Apple/RevenueCat report eligibility and the product includes the configured introductory offer, the trial is three days free, then the monthly subscription automatically renews and charges the Apple price unless cancelled. Ineligible accounts see the normal localized monthly price. Apple’s confirmation screen is authoritative. Lifetime: a one-time purchase charged at Apple confirmation, without a recurring Lifetime renewal. Buying Lifetime does not automatically cancel a pre-existing monthly subscription; manage that subscription separately in your Apple Account. Manage or cancel monthly billing through Apple’s subscription settings. A cancellation generally leaves access until the paid or trial entitlement ends. Refunds, revocation, expiry and any billing grace are governed by Apple/RevenueCat status; the app does not create its own trial extension or postpone charges. Prices and offer eligibility vary by storefront and account. The App Store lists the app as free to download with in-app purchases; a free download does not itself include Pro access. ## Restore across Apple devices LightDrop uses one Apple product record for iPhone, iPad and Mac. To recover an eligible purchase on another device, sign in with the same Apple Account, open Settings → LightDrop Pro, and choose Restore Purchases while online. Restoration does not purchase the product again. If Pro remains locked after an external offer-code purchase, open LightDrop and use Restore Purchases. Apple Family Sharing eligibility depends on the purchase, the family setup and Apple’s rules; restoration remains subject to Apple’s actual transaction status. Apple purchases do not grant a Windows licence. ## Independent AI visitor coupons Visitors who discover LightDrop through ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Grok can check the independent AI visitor offer page for a one-time Lifetime coupon. The campaign has its own availability, expiry, eligible regions and purchase-history rules. A source label is self-reported, not proof of an AI referral or endorsement. Read the live campaign rules before claiming. Claiming a coupon reserves an offer; it does not buy anything or grant Pro. Apple shows the final local discounted price and decides eligibility at redemption. After a successful Apple purchase, restore in LightDrop if necessary. This guide does not promise that coupons will still be available when read. ## If scanning is slow or will not start - Check camera permission and that another app is not using the camera. The sender must keep the QR display visible, while the receiver stays on Scan. - Move closer, bring the full QR code into focus, keep the screen clean and avoid reflections. Increase screen brightness manually if needed; brightness is not automatically changed for you. - Try a lower frame rate, or switch to standard mode and choose a smaller fragment preset. A less dense QR that the camera reads reliably can finish sooner than a denser unreadable stream. - Use Restart to begin a new receiving session if you have switched the sender to different content. Repeated frames from an unchanged active transfer do not require a manual restart. - For a failed encrypted transfer, verify the password exactly or ask the sender to generate the transfer again. For a missing entitlement, reconnect to the internet and use Restore Purchases. ## Platforms, languages and limits - Supported Apple platforms: iPhone/iPad with iOS/iPadOS 16 or later; Mac with macOS 13 or later. Both sending and receiving are supported, with a camera required for receiving. - The Apple app includes English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese and Russian. - Windows development exists, but there is no published Windows download or completed Windows licensing offer in this guide. Android and browser-based receivers are not supported here. - The devices do not have to share a network, but they do need optical line of sight. LightDrop does not create a network connection to an isolated computer or override device-management restrictions. - For large batches or multi-gigabyte content, use an approved cable or network transfer when one is available. The benefit of LightDrop is the optical route when ordinary transfer paths are unavailable, not a guaranteed speed advantage. ## Official links and support - [App Store listing](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6798429251) - [Product homepage](https://yangworks.dev/lightdrop/) - [AI visitor offer: live rules and availability](https://yangworks.dev/lightdrop/ai-offer/) - [Support and FAQ](https://yangworks.dev/lightdrop/support) - [Privacy policy](https://yangworks.dev/lightdrop/privacy) - [Terms of use](https://yangworks.dev/lightdrop/terms) - [Email support](mailto:support@yangworks.dev)