Changelog
Series of updates to the platform
Over the last months we have shipped a series of updates to the Free Transfer platform. Individually they may seem small, but together they make it easier to share files, transfer files and send files secure every day. This post summarises some of the most important changes.
Improved signalling reliability
We strengthened the underlying signalling infrastructure that helps peers discover each other and negotiate P2P connections. This included better handling of transient network errors, more resilient Redis usage in multi‑worker setups and clearer fallback logic when certain paths are blocked. The goal is simple: fewer mysterious connection failures when you just want to send files secure.
More informative error messages
Previously, some error messages were too generic. Users might see "something went wrong" without a clear hint about what to try next. We revisited many of these cases and added more descriptive messages. For example, when a browser lacks required WebRTC features, we now say so explicitly and suggest alternative browsers that are known to work well.
These improvements do not change how private file sharing works under the hood, but they make it easier for people to understand what is happening. When users can self‑diagnose simple issues, they spend less time frustrated and more time actually transferring files.
Refined timeouts and expiration logic
We also tweaked timeouts for room expiration and connection attempts. Rooms now last long enough to be useful in real‑world scenarios – for example when someone takes a few minutes to open a link – without staying around indefinitely. This helps keep server‑side memory usage predictable without storing any file data.
On the client side, progress indicators now more accurately reflect when the other side is still connecting versus when a transfer truly cannot continue. This clarity makes it easier to decide whether to wait, retry or send a new link.