1.3.6.1.4.1.61513
Solved but now unsolved problems in computer science:
- copying files off a phone without using a network/cloud/internet
Mar 4 at 3:59amWeb
Show thread1.3.6.1.4.1.61513Mar 4

Tech bros be like:
- we built 16k 120fps camera into your phone
- beam forming wireless
- advanced ai multi core gigacore 2TB 3d array ram

The end user:
why does it still take 3 hours to copy vidoes off my phone

Show threadTheaMar 4
@xssfox Surprise!
Show threadmilasMar 4
@xssfox I've never gotten past the "MTP hangs indefinitely while trying to list all files" stage to appreciate such luxuries
Show threadElladanMar 4

@xssfox the only reliable methods to transfer files off Android that I've ever found are:
- run an ssh server on the phone and scp or
- get the developer kit and adb pull over usb

It's kinda... Amazing.

Show thread1.3.6.1.4.1.61513Mar 4
@elladan developer mode can fail for files that are to large
Show threadElladanMar 4
@xssfox 🤦 OK so... SSH. Other than the ssh server all the other apps I found to copy files crashed the app/phone too. Android is amazing.
Show threadalex helveticaMar 4

@elladan @xssfox my "solution" is a USB-C to A adapter and a USB drive

Which requires a USB drive and an USB C to A adapter, both of which I'd have to dig out from the place I put it, from the last time I tried to copy files off of my phone

Show threadRay McCarthyMar 4

@elladan @xssfox
you can use ADB on Linux without a developer kit.

Not very user friendly, so I use Total Commander and the SMB plugin on WiFi. SMB is like Windows share, so available on Linux. Windows Share works with Total Commander and the SMB plugin too. About 100x faster than USB!
Crazy.
Google doesn't allow Android apps with full file manager unless they are only a file manager!
Also they keep changing how SD card access works.

Show threadDavid Chisnall (*Now with 50% more sarcasm!*)Mar 4

@xssfox

Good news! That camera can be used to transfer data rapidly as streaming QR codes!

Show threadRiley S. FaelanMar 4

@xssfox Well, you know Teter Phiel?

He's written a tract about how it's more important to build fancy one-of-a-kind tech for singular kings than mass-produce useful tech tor the dirty democratic masses, and now a bunch of his sillionaire friends are actively scouting for university students who would agree with the tract to recruit them as techbros.

https://annas-archive.gl/md5/5a61325354564f74ef65e93ac7cafc6c

Zero to One - Anna’s Archive

Peter Thiel If you want to build a better future, you must believe in secrets.The great secret of our time is th Crown Publishing Group

Show threadTerrorBite 🦁Mar 4
@xssfox remember IrDA? Remember that thing where you touched two Android phones together to send something over Bluetooth? All this technology is lost to time, like tears in rain
Show thread1.3.6.1.4.1.61513Mar 4
@TerrorBite hilariously I'm trying to transfer videos of me playing with IR to my computer to edit
Show threadNazoMar 4

@TerrorBite @xssfox Wouldn't IrDA refer to the much older devices (PDAs and such) using IR to transfer data?

I think NFC file share (that actually uses Bluetooth) is still a thing.

You can definitely actually manually make bluetooth connections and send a file that way via the built-in share function.

Show threadColinMar 4
@xssfox See this is why you should let go of material concerns like “files” or “surviving in society” and just go with vibes.
Show threadDaniel LakelandMar 4

@xssfox

Have you tried LocalSync? or are you talking without WiFi at all (not just without cloud/internet)

Show threadAlesandro Ortiz 🇵🇷🏳️‍🌈Mar 4
@xssfox It's still unbelievable to me that phones in 2026 break the law of physics by making it slower to transfer files over USB than any other method, including "wifi -> fiber modem -> data center" and back to the other device.
Show threadNazoMar 4

@AlesandroOrtiz @xssfox Hmm. I don't use USB enough to say for sure about speeds, though I thought I remembered them being decent enough speed. (Mind you, most of my USB drives are kind of slow, so that may be the limiting factor there.)

I wonder though. If you're right, maybe they're actually limiting them on purpose? Eg switching to a lower spec connection and etc to decrease power usage? After all, with OTG you have to power the USB device from the phone's battery normally. That's also probably stressful on its voltage regulators and etc. (They used to make crazy adapters that could utilize external power, but I haven't seen those in forever.) I could absolutely see them actually limiting on purpose in such a case.

Show threadNazoMar 4

@xssfox You know, jokes aside, I have to say that the number of Android devices that support OTG connections and standard UMS devices has actually grown to be almost 100% these days. Yes, believe it or not, a huge number didn't support OTG back in the not so distant past. I'm not sure if type-C just makes it easier or what. And OTG adapters are a dime a dozen (if that much.)

Of course Apple always limited such access, but they did have basically an equivalent to OTG, just much more limited access. I think at this point most Android devices will actually let you physically plug in a USB drive or memory card reader or whatever.

I've even seen a few with type-C connectors.

That said, lazy me, I just use LocalSend or sftp (yeah, I have something to sftp to my Android devices, lol.)

Show threadRiley S. FaelanMar 4
@xssfox The reason it was anti-solved — and it took considerable and concerted effort, starting from Microsoft's work on WinCE — is, direct connection between your desktop and your handheld device gives you power that it would be more profitable to the monopolist for you to not have.
Show threadRay McCarthyMar 4
@riley @xssfox
Yes, MTP, used on Android since 4.0, was designed by MS for the Zune to make DRM easier to implement.
Before Android 4.x it used faster USB Mass Storage.
The only real MTP advantage is that the File system doesn't need to be FAT32 (for universal support) but can be ext3 or ext4 etc.
FAT32 is very poor compared to NTFS or ext2, ext3 or ext4.
Show threadGallen 🔜 Gdakon, EFMar 4
@xssfox
I use two ways, a thumb drive (transferring video when phone out of space) or usb cable direct to pc?
Show threadJ.V.B.Mar 4
@xssfox usb mtp mode is perfect. Except speed wise on phones where the oem did not wire up more than usb 2.0 even though the soc can usually do usb 3.whatever.
Show threadLyrialMar 4
@xssfox You could theoretically use IP over carrier pigeon for this.