Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is SRT Drop free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no subscription and no ads.
Does SRT Drop work without internet?
Yes, on the same Wi-Fi. Open SRT Drop once while online (installing it is best), then tap + and then Connect offline on both devices. One shows a QR code, the other scans it and shows one back, and the first scans that. Chat, files and voice and video calls then go straight over your Wi-Fi, with no limits, even if the router has no internet.
Do both devices need to be online at the same time?
Yes. Files go directly from one device to the other, so keep the page open on both until the transfer finishes. A saved device gets a notification to open SRT Drop, so it does not have to be open when you start.
Are my files or messages uploaded to a server?
No. Files and messages go peer to peer and are never stored on a server. When a relay is needed, it only forwards encrypted data. Files sent through the relay are limited to 5 GB per device per day; direct and same Wi-Fi transfers have no limit.
How do I know nobody is listening in?
Every chat is encrypted between the two devices. To be sure the connection really goes to the right person and nobody, not even our server, sits in the middle, open the chat menu, tap Safety code and compare the 60 digits with the other person, side by side or on a call. If they match, you are talking directly. In a group, Safety codes in the group menu shows one code for each person. For saved contacts, SRT Drop also remembers the code and tells you in the chat if it ever changes.
Will I get a notification for new messages?
Yes. While SRT Drop is in the background you get a notification that says who wrote. It shows the message text only if you turn on Message previews in Settings, and even then it is made on your device. If a saved device has closed the page, it gets a notification that only says who wrote, and the message arrives when it opens SRT Drop. Messages never pass through our servers. You can turn notifications off in Settings.
Are my chats saved?
Not unless you want them to be. Chat history is off by default, and a chat disappears when it ends. In a chat's menu you can turn on Keep chat history: then that chat is kept encrypted in your browser only, never on a server, and you can export it as a text file. The other person is told, and they keep a copy only if they turn it on on their side too.
What does Delete chat for everyone do?
It removes the messages and files of that chat on your device and on the other device, including any saved history, as soon as the other device can be reached. It cannot remove what someone already downloaded, exported or photographed.
Can I chat with several people at once?
Yes. Each chat is its own private, direct connection, and your chats show in a list like in WhatsApp, with unread counts. Switch between them at any time. For everyone in one conversation, start a group chat of up to 8.
Can I reply to a message or send a voice message?
Yes. Swipe a message to the right (or tap Reply next to it on a computer) to answer it with a quote. Hold the mic button to record a voice message and let go to send, slide left to cancel, or tap the mic to record hands-free. Voice messages go straight to the other device like any file, in one-to-one and group chats, and play in the chat with a waveform.
Can I stop or take back a file I sent?
Yes. While a file is still sending, tap Cancel under it to stop it; the other side can cancel receiving the same way. After it arrives you can take it back until the other person downloads it: tap Unsend next to the file and it is deleted from their device. Once they download it you see a blue download mark, and it can no longer be unsent.
Can I send a whole folder?
Yes. On a computer, tap Folder or drop a folder on the page. The receiver can save everything at once with Save all, into a folder or as one zip, with the sub-folders kept.
Can more than two people chat or share files?
Yes. Start a group chat and share its link. Up to 8 people can join, and messages, photos, videos and files up to 200 MB go directly to everyone in the group. The group shows in your chat list like any chat, and the person who created it can give it a name and an icon that everyone sees.
How do I know my message was seen?
Like in WhatsApp: one tick means sent, two ticks mean delivered, and two blue ticks mean seen. You also see when the other person is typing.
Why does someone not show up under Contacts or Online?
Contacts are the people you saved. Everyone else with SRT Drop open appears under Online, which only shows when someone is there. People on your Wi-Fi only appear when they are really on the same local network, which SRT Drop checks with a direct local connection; guest Wi-Fi that keeps devices apart blocks this, so use the QR code or link instead. Same ISP and Global only show people who chose that too, and anyone set to Nobody never shows up. Saved contacts always show, with a green dot when they are online.
Who can see me online?
By default only people on the same Wi-Fi. In Settings, Who can find you has four choices: Wi-Fi only; My ISP, which also shows you to people on the same internet provider who picked My ISP too; Everyone, which also shows you to people anywhere who picked Everyone (18+ only); and Nobody, which hides you so people can only reach you with a link or QR code. Only your name, avatar and device type are shown, never your IP address, and nobody can chat with you until you accept. Between people who are not on the same Wi-Fi, transfers are often direct, but some networks block that and then they go through our relay.
Is it safe to chat with strangers?
Global is off unless you choose Everyone, and it is for adults only. Someone you meet there can only send you messages until you tap Allow files, so no photo, video or file reaches your device without your OK. You can block anyone, and Report and block in the chat menu anonymously flags them; people reported by several others are kept out of Global for a day. You can start up to 5 new relayed chats with strangers an hour. Chats are encrypted between the two devices, so we never see them; never share anything you would not want a stranger to keep.
Can I block someone, and unblock them later?
Yes, anyone: a contact, someone on your Wi-Fi, or someone from ISP or Global. Open the chat menu and tap Block, or hold a person in the Online list. They can no longer see you, ask to chat, or ring your device, and a blocked contact is removed. Report and block also flags them anonymously. Changed your mind? Settings lists everyone you blocked with an Unblock button. A contact you unblock needs a QR code scan once to be added again. They are never told either way.
What is kept on my device, and how do I move to a new phone?
Your contacts, saved chats, blocked people, name and settings are kept only in this browser, never on our server. Clearing this site's data, or the browser's, deletes them for good: saved chats are gone, contacts need a QR code again, and people you blocked can find you again. To change phones or computers, open Settings, tap Move to another device, and scan the QR code with the new one while both are on the same Wi-Fi. Everything moves directly between the two, encrypted, never through our server or relay, and the old device is cleared so only one is active. Received files stay behind, so save them first. Your contacts see a new safety code once.
Can I make audio or video calls?
Yes, one to one, from any chat: tap the phone or camera button at the top. Calls go straight between the two devices, encrypted like the chat, and the safety code covers them too. On the same Wi-Fi there are no limits and video is as sharp as your cameras allow. When a network forces a call through our relay, each device can use it for up to 30 minutes per audio call and 120 minutes a day, and up to 10 minutes per video call and 60 minutes a day; you see a countdown 2 minutes before, and at a video limit the call simply goes on as audio. Our relay is in Bangladesh on BDIX, so when both of you reach it within the country, calls through it have no limit either. To call a saved contact, open Calls and tap the phone or camera next to them: their device rings even when SRT Drop is closed, and the call starts as soon as they answer. Missed and past calls are listed in Calls, only on your device. Video from someone you do not know stays blurred until you choose to show it. On a phone, switch between the earpiece and the loudspeaker with the speaker button; during an audio call at your ear the screen goes black and ignores touches, so your cheek can't press anything.
What happens if my internet connection drops?
The transfer pauses and continues from where it stopped once both devices are back online.