File Transfer

Transfer photos and files from your iPhone to your Mac using VybeCoding. Toast notifications, automatic file path insertion into the terminal for AI tools.

VybeCoding lets you send photos and files from your iPhone directly to your Mac over your local network. When a file arrives, your Mac shows a toast notification with the file name, and the file path is available to insert into your active terminal session with one click. This is designed specifically for AI-assisted development workflows where you need to pass images or files to CLI tools.

How It Works

Your iPhone and Mac connect through VybeCoding's companion pairing over your local network. On your iPhone, open the companion panel and tap Send File. Choose a photo from your camera roll or a file from the iOS file picker. The file transfers to your Mac and is saved in a designated VybeCoding transfer directory. A toast notification appears on your Mac confirming the transfer, and the full file path is copied to a quick-insert buffer.

Inserting File Paths into the Terminal

After a file arrives, click the toast notification or use the file transfer panel to insert the file's absolute path directly into your active terminal tab. This is faster than navigating to the file manually and eliminates typos in long file paths. The path is inserted at your cursor position, ready to be used as an argument to any command.

tipThis is especially powerful with AI coding tools. Send a screenshot from your iPhone, then use Claude Code to analyze it: just type 'claude "analyze the UI in' and insert the file path. The AI tool receives the image path and can process it.

Use Case: Screenshots for AI Tools

The most common use case for file transfer is sending screenshots to AI coding tools. Take a screenshot of a bug on your phone, a design mockup, an error message, or a UI element. Send it to your Mac with VybeCoding. Insert the path into a Claude Code session or any other tool that accepts image inputs. The entire flow takes about five seconds from screenshot to AI analysis. This turns your iPhone into a visual input device for your AI powered development workflow.

Use Case: Deploying Files

File transfer also works for sending files you need to deploy or process. Take a photo of a document for OCR processing on your server, send a configuration file you edited on your phone, or transfer a quick sketch or wireframe to reference during development. Any file your iPhone can access through the Files app or camera roll can be sent to your Mac through VybeCoding.

Transfer Directory and Cleanup

Transferred files are saved in a VybeCoding-managed directory on your Mac. You can configure this directory in VybeCoding settings. Files are not automatically deleted, they persist until you remove them manually. For workflows that generate many screenshots, periodically clean out the transfer directory to free up disk space.

infoFile transfer requires both devices to be on the same local network or connected through a VPN mesh like Tailscale. Transfer speed depends on your local network, most photos transfer in under a second on WiFi.