Android to Windows File Transfer Test: USB Beats LocalSend and Quick Share

That does not make USB universally fastest—or LocalSend universally faster than Quick Share. It does make this a useful comparison for Windows users, provided the stopwatch results stay attached to the hardware and conditions that produced them.

Five methods, one video, and a clear winner​

MakeUseOf writer Oluwademilade Afolabi tested a Samsung Galaxy S10+ against a Windows 11 laptop, transferring the same 3.01GB MOV video twice with each method. Both devices were in the same room and connected to the same Wi-Fi router.

These are MakeUseOf’s reported measurements, not WindowsForum testing:

Times are minutes and seconds; LocalSend’s average is rounded to the nearest second.

USB delivered the shortest and most consistent transfers. LocalSend took the wireless lead, finishing 29 seconds ahead of Quick Share by the published averages. FTP completed the job, but considerably more slowly. Windows’ wireless File Explorer integration could display folders, yet failed on both large-file copies.

The important distinction: a failed transfer is a reliability result, not a speed measurement. File Explorer cannot meaningfully be assigned last place in a throughput ranking when it never completed the task.

USB: the least glamorous option still delivered​

In Afolabi’s test, connecting the phone, choosing File transfer, and copying the video through File Explorer produced an almost identical result twice.

Google’s official Android instructions confirm that basic workflow:

1. Unlock the Android phone.
2. Connect it to the PC using a USB cable.
3. Tap the phone’s USB notification.
4. Under Use USB for, select File transfer.
5. Copy the required files using the window that opens on Windows.
6. Eject the device before disconnecting it.

If the phone charges but never exposes its files, try another cable before embarking on a driver-reinstallation expedition. Google specifically warns that not every USB cable supports file transfers and recommends testing another cable or USB port when troubleshooting.

The practical conclusion is narrower than “wired always wins”: for this phone, laptop, cable, and video, USB was the best-performing choice. That is enough to justify trying an existing data cable before installing anything else.

LocalSend won wireless—but not by a decisive margin​

LocalSend’s appeal extends beyond its second-place finish. Its project documentation describes a free, open-source application supporting Windows, Android, macOS, Linux, and iOS. Transfers operate over the local network without requiring an internet connection or third-party servers; the project documents HTTPS encryption for communication.

Afolabi installed it on both devices, selected the video, and sent it to the laptop. The two runs differed by 41 seconds—already more than its average advantage over Quick Share.

That matters. Two runs establish what happened twice; they do not establish a dependable 29-second advantage across other networks.

For discovery problems, LocalSend’s documentation provides more useful guidance than “restart everything”:

• Check whether the router uses AP isolation, particularly on a guest network.
• Check whether a VPN blocks local-network traffic.
• Allow the application’s required firewall traffic: incoming TCP and UDP port 53317, with outgoing TCP and UDP permitted.
• On a trusted home network, check whether Windows has classified the connection as public rather than private.

Do not disable Windows Firewall wholesale to transfer a video. A targeted application allowance is the more sensible starting point.

Quick Share trades a small timing gap for familiarity​

Quick Share finished close enough that convenience could reasonably outweigh the measured difference. In MakeUseOf’s test, the sender selected Share > Quick Share on Android and chose the Windows laptop.

Google documents a Windows companion application and encrypted transfers. Its requirements include Android 6.0 or later and 64-bit Windows 10 or later; ARM-based PCs require Windows 11 or later. Google directs Samsung PC owners to Samsung’s Quick Share application from Microsoft Store—the distinction concerns the computer, not simply having a Samsung phone.

For personal transfers, visibility deserves attention. Google’s Windows app offers Everyone, Contacts, Your devices, and No one. Selecting Your devices limits visibility to devices using the same Google Account. Google recommends that option or Contacts for more private sharing.

If discovery fails, Google recommends checking Bluetooth, network connectivity, and visibility. Some office networks block device-to-device communication; its documented workaround is connecting the PC to the phone’s hotspot. On managed equipment, follow organizational policy rather than bypassing restrictions.

FTP offered browsing control, not a speed victory​

The FTP test used WiFi FTP Server on Android and WinSCP on Windows. Afolabi could browse accessible phone storage from the laptop, but the transfers averaged 8:33.

That result evaluates this particular application pairing and configuration—not every possible FTP implementation.

Security also changes the calculation. WinSCP documents support for basic, unencrypted FTP, encrypted FTPS, and SSH-based SFTP. Installing a client that supports encryption does not automatically encrypt a connection: the phone-side server must support the selected protocol too.

For a one-off personal video, the additional server setup is difficult to justify from these results. Folder-level access may still make it useful for an established workflow, but plain FTP should not be mistaken for a secure transfer merely because it stays nearby.

File Explorer’s failure needs a careful reading​

MakeUseOf reported error 0x800701AA, described as a timeout, on both wireless File Explorer attempts. Reconnecting and restarting did not resolve it.

That is a legitimate failure report, but it does not establish a widespread Windows defect, a universal 3GB limit, or a confirmed cause.

Microsoft explicitly documents wireless copying through this integration. Its feature-specific requirements are Windows 11, Android 11 or later, and Link to Windows 1.24072.258.0 or later. To enable it:

1. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile devices > Manage devices.
2. Choose Add device if the phone is not paired.
3. Complete pairing.
4. Enable Show mobile device in File Explorer.

Microsoft says the feature supports browsing, opening, copying, moving, renaming, and deleting files. Only one linked mobile device can appear in File Explorer at a time.

For troubleshooting, first establish whether a small file copies successfully. That separates “the phone appears” from “file transfer works.” If a large copy repeatedly fails, use another method rather than treating successful folder browsing as proof the connection is healthy.

The best choice is the one that finishes reliably​

The sensible takeaway is not to crown one permanent champion. Start with USB for a large transfer when a data cable is available; consider LocalSend for cross-platform wireless use; choose Quick Share when its Android integration makes the task easier. Those recommendations reflect this comparison, not a universal benchmark.

Finally, copy before deleting. Confirm the destination file is complete and usable before removing the original from the phone.

The cable won this round. Wireless sharing still earned its place—just not the retirement party for USB.