Flying Carpet10.0.4

Flying Carpet transfers files directly between nearby devices over ad hoc Wi-Fi, avoiding the setup of a conventional network. A Mac can exchange files with Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows devices, giving the program a cross-platform AirDrop role. In hotspot mode, one device creates the connection while the two devices use their Wi-Fi chips, with Bluetooth optionally available, and they must remain close to each other. Transfers work without an internet or cellular connection.

The macOS release is in the Communication category, uses a freeware license, and is currently listed as 10.0.4,10.0.0. It runs on macOS 13 Ventura or later and supports both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. Shared Network mode lets version 10 use an existing Wi-Fi or wired network instead of creating a hotspot, including a phone on Wi-Fi transferring with a desktop connected by Ethernet.

This suits people moving files between different operating systems, especially when a flash drive is unavailable, no wireless network can be used, or a network share would be excessive for a file larger than 2 GB. The same-device pairing can use Wi-Fi or Ethernet hardware in Shared Network mode, while hotspot transfers remain a close-range operation.

Version 10 introduced Shared Network mode but is incompatible with version 9 and earlier, producing a version-mismatch message when the two sides differ. Every device used in a transfer must be updated to the version 10 line, and Linux, macOS, and Windows editions are available alongside the mobile clients.