How to Share Files Between Android and Ubuntu on Your Network

When your PC and mobile devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, you can easily make them “see each other” and “communicate” with each other. This makes it easy for you to share files between your PC and mobile devices. However, the connection between them doesn’t happen automatically, though there are plenty of tools that we can use to create the connection. Here you’ll learn how to share files between Android and Ubuntu on your local network.

Also read: How to Utilize Python for Basic Linux System Administration and Networking Tasks

Accessing Android Files from Ubuntu

If you want to connect from your Ubuntu to your Android device, you can make use of the Sweech app to create a file server.

Start by installing the app on your Android device.

Run Sweech on your mobile device, and when it asks, grant it access to files, photos, or anything communications-related.

Tap the “Play” button in the middle of your screen. At the top and center of your screen, you’ll see your device’s IP and port through which Sweech makes its web interface available to other devices on your network.

Type this address in your computer’s web browser, press Enter, and in seconds you’ll have Sweech’s interface on your screen.

You can access all files in your device through the File Browser section.

By clicking on a file’s name, if possible, and depending on filetype, Sweech will present a preview of its contents.

To select multiple files, click on their icon instead of their name. Then, click on the “download” symbol that appears on the top right. Sweech will allow you to download a zip of the selected files. Save it somewhere on your PC.

Extract the zip in whatever way you fancy to access your files on your PC.

To send files from Ubuntu to your device, first point Sweech’s File Browser to the folder on your mobile device where you want to save them. Click on the icon in the blue circle on the bottom right of Sweech’s interface.

Choose the files you want to upload from the requester that appears.

And that’s it. After a while, you’ll see the File Browser update, showing your files inside the active directory.

Also read: How to Use tcpdump for Packet Capture

Accessing Ubuntu Files from Android

To access Ubuntu’s files from your Android device, Samba sharing remains the simplest way to do that. It may seems a bit complicated, but we have you covered.

With your PC’s folder available on the local network, run a file manager that supports access to LAN/Samba shares on your Android device. This tutorial is using the default file manager found in Xiaomi’s latest MIUI, but you can use alternatives like Total Commander, ASTRO File Manager, or AndSMB.

Your File Manager of choice may allow access to Samba shares differently. For Xiaomi MIUI’s default File Manager, tap on the menu button at the top left, then choose “Remote.”

Select “Add remote device” on the screen that appears.

Enter the details of your PC when asked. You’ll need its IP and can find it by running ipconfig in Ubuntu.

With your device added to the File Manager, tap on it to access its contents.

You can copy and move files from Ubuntu to your Android phone (depending on your Samba share’s permissions) as you wish.

Another way you can share files between devices is by using Resilio Sync, which creates a P2P network between your devices. What other ways are you using to share files between Android and Ubuntu?

Also read: What Is the Yggdrasil Network and How to Install It