DirectConnectSend files to another computer
When the other computer is set to Receive only, drop files onto its window in DirectConnect. They arrive in its Downloads folder, and your originals stay where they are.
Before you start
The other computer must choose Receive only for your computer. Its window on your computer then says it’s in receive mode and shows Send files. See Sharing options.
Send files
- Open the other computer’s window in DirectConnect.
- Drag files or folders onto the window. It shows Drop files to send to and the computer’s name.
- Drop them. A progress bar shows each stage: preparing, sending and checking.
To choose files instead of dragging them, click Send files in the bar at the bottom of the window, then Choose files… or Choose folder….
What the other computer sees
- Files and folders appear in Downloads, or the folder chosen under Save received files to, with their folder structure kept.
- A file appears only once DirectConnect has checked it’s complete. A folder appears only when everything in it has arrived.
- If a file with the same name is already there, the new one is renamed. Nothing is overwritten.
- A notification says how many files arrived, with Show in folder.
The sending computer never sees what else is in the folder or where the files were saved.
How fast sending is
Between two Macs on a Thunderbolt cable, a folder of 2,000 small files (53 MB) arrived in 1.2–1.7 seconds. One 1 GiB file arrived at 9.8–10.5 Gb/s.
When the transfer finishes, the window shows how much was sent and how long it took, for example “Sent small. 2,000 files, 52.5 MB in 1.4 s”.
Cancel a transfer
Click Cancel next to the progress bar. Files and folders that had already arrived complete stay on the other computer. Anything unfinished is removed and never appears.
Closing the window doesn’t stop a transfer. Reopen it to see the progress.