Permissions the app requests and why
Photo Transfer App asks for a handful of permissions on first launch. Here's what each one is for and what happens if you decline.
Photo Library access
Required. Photo Transfer uses it to show the photos and videos you can send, and to save the ones you receive. You can grant either:
- Full access — the app can browse your entire photo library to let you pick what to send.
- Limited / Selected photos — you pick a subset of photos in the system picker. The app sees only those.
You can change this anytime in your phone's Settings.
Local Network access (iOS)
Required for device discovery on iOS. Apple requires apps to ask for permission before they can find other devices on the same WiFi network. Without it, Photo Transfer can't find your Mac, PC, or other phone to send to, or reach an SMB or WebDAV network drive on your network.
If you previously declined this prompt, you can re-enable it: Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network → Photo Transfer App.
Local network access (Android 17 and later)
Required for nearby transfers on Android 17 and later. Android 17 asks apps for permission before they connect to devices on your local network. Photo Transfer asks for it during setup, right after the What's New screen when you update the app, and whenever you tap Allow access on the Home screen or a transfer screen.
Without it, Photo Transfer can't send to or receive from nearby devices, and can't reach a network drive on your local network. Cloud backup keeps working.
If you declined it: open Settings → Apps → Photo Transfer App → Permissions → Nearby devices and allow it.
Notifications
Optional. Notifications tell you when a transfer finishes, stops or fails while you're in another app. On Android, a notice also shows while a transfer runs in the background, with its progress and a Stop button. It doesn't show file names or device names. Notifications are also available so we can occasionally send news about Photo Transfer App — new features or important announcements.
To turn transfer notifications on or off, go to More → Settings and tap Transfer notifications, in the Transfer section. On iPhone and iPad, iOS asks for permission once. After that, the row opens iOS Settings.
If notifications are off:
- Android: the transfer still runs in the background, but you may not see its notice or the result. Open Photo Transfer to check on it.
- iPhone and iPad: you don't get a notification when the transfer ends, but the transfer screen still shows the result when you come back to the app.
To see what keeps going when you leave the app, read Leave the app during a transfer.
App Tracking Transparency (iOS)
Optional. If you allow tracking, AdMob and Adjust can use your device's advertising identifier (IDFA) for personalised ads and to see which marketing campaign brought you to the App Store. If you decline, the identifier isn't shared with anyone. Your photo transfers are not affected either way.