Sending files is easy. Create a new email, attach a file, and send. Done. Simple. The problem, however, arises when you either need to send a larger file or the file in question needs to be shared via other means.
To that end, numerous services have been created for this very purpose. One of my favorites was Firefox Send (RIP). Since that service is no longer available, I’d been using platforms like Google Drive to share files. But that’s not always convenient (especially when the recipient doesn’t have a Gmail account or access permissions becomes an issue. On top of that, Google doesn’t have the ability to expire a shared link after a given time automatically.
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Enter Internxt, a company that offers an open-source, secure, decentralized, cloud-based storage service and gives you 10GB of storage for the free plan or up to 2TB of storage for roughly $9.00/month.
That same company has a new trick up its sleeve, Internxt Send. This new service is probably one of the easiest file-send services on the market and is free to use and allows users to send/share images, videos, documents, and just about any type of file with a high level of security. Even better, you don’t even have to create an account to use Internxt Send.
According to Fran Villalba Segarra, Founder and CEO of Internxt, “Internxt’s mission is to help shape a new, ethical internet that doesn’t compromise user privacy, respects individual rights, and bolsters honest conduct online.” Fran continues, “Our new file transfer service, Internxt Send, was built to round out our growing privacy ecosystem. Like Internxt Drive and Photos, we developed Send to provide users with more functionality and control of their personal data while still protecting their fundamental right to privacy.”
There are a couple of caveats to using Internxt Send. The first is that it has a 5GB size limit for files which cannot be increased (even with a paid account). The second caveat is that there is no way to password protect and change the expiration date of the share. You can, however, add custom text messages to the email that is sent to the recipient.
The good news is that Internxt Send is encrypted, so if you’re concerned about privacy, set those fears aside. Files that are uploaded to Internxt Send use the company’s “disruptive architecture” to maximize the security and privacy of all sent files. Although I cannot find any detailed information on how Internxt Send uses its “disruptive architecture,” I’m assuming it takes advantage of the decentralized nature of Internxt Drive to split the shared file into pieces and only reconnects the bits back together when a recipient downloads the file. What that means is that even though you’ve uploaded the file to the Internxt servers, only the recipient will be able to access the pieced-together file.
That is file sending security you can trust.
So, how does Internxt Send work? Let me show you.
Sending a file via Internxt Send
Open a web browser and point it to https://send.internxt.com. In the resulting window (Figure 1), click + to upload your file.
Figure 1: The Internxt Send service is easy enough that anyone can use the service. Image: Jack Wallen
Once you’ve uploaded your file, click either Send link (to create a shareable link) or click Send email to create an email that will include the link. If you click Send email (Figure 2), you add a recipient email address, your email address, and optional information (a title and message) about the file.
Figure 2: Composing an email for your Internxt Send file. Image: Jack Wallen
Once you’re ready to send, click either Get a link (to create and access the share link) or Send files (if you’ve gone the email route).
For the Get a link option, you’ll be presented with a Copy Link button (Figure 3), which will copy the send link to your clipboard, where you can then paste it into messages, emails, or whatever method of sharing you use.
Figure 3: Copying the Send link to your clipboard so you can share it with recipients. Image: Jack Wallen
After 15 days, your file and link will be destroyed, so you don’t have to worry about it remaining on the Internxt servers for too long.
And that’s all there is to using Internxt Send. If you need to share large files securely, this might well be the simplest, most convenient method available.
