A QR code is the fastest way to hand a file to someone sitting next to you: no typing a code, no spelling out a link. Shafle turns every share into a QR code automatically, so the receiver just points their camera and taps.
How QR file sharing works
When you start a send, Shafle creates a short connection code and encodes a link containing it into a QR image. Scanning the QR opens Shafle on the other device with the code already filled in, which starts the peer-to-peer connection. The QR only carries the connection code — not the file. The file itself streams directly between the two browsers once they’re linked.
Steps
- Open Shafle, choose Send File, and select your file.
- A QR code appears alongside the share code.
- The other person opens their camera app (or any QR scanner) and points it at the code.
- Their browser opens Shafle ready to receive; they accept and it transfers.
The QR encodes a one-time connection code, not your file. Even if someone photographs the code, the transfer still happens directly between the two browsers — and once the transfer is done the code is useless.
When QR sharing is the right choice
- In person — handing a file to someone across a table or desk.
- Phone to computer— scanning a laptop’s screen with your phone is quicker than typing. See phone-to-laptop transfers.
- No typing — avoids dictating a code over a call.
If the other person isn’t nearby, you can skip the QR entirely and just send them the short code or link instead.