AirDrop for the BYOD classroom

Apple AirDrop makes transferring files from one device to another a breeze. Have a photo on your iPhone you need on your Mac? No problem, just AirDrop it! This is great if you are in an environment that has only Apple products. Another cool thing that can be done in this type of environment is that a picture taken on the iPhone can automatically be transferred to your computer as you take it.

What about a learning environment has many types of devices? Many schools have BYOD (Bring your Own Device). In this environment the ease of transferring files with AirDrop only works between Apple devices. It appears that the student who have Windows computers or Chromebooks are out of luck!

This is not the case, however, and the progressive web app I am writing about today, makes file transfer between any device just as easy as Apple AirDrop.

I have already included this application in my last post titled, Chrome Can: Integration with Android Phones.  However, I felt this app needed its own post because of how useful it can be. According to the awesome developer of the app, SnapDrop is “a progressive web app for local file sharing.” You can access Snap Drop at the following web address. https://snapdrop.net.

What Makes SnapDrop So Special?

Progressive Web Apps are great for several reasons. According to the Google Developer’s Website,

What this means for a BYOD school is far greater than what is described above. It specifically means that it doesn’t matter what kind of device a student uses because the progressive web app works from within the browser. This means that it levels the playing field for everyone. Now any student with any device can use the app in the exact same way. The $199 Chromebook works just as good as the $1500 Macbook.

Progressive web apps are the future in my opinion as they are cross-platform and updates are quick and easy to push out to the end user.

So How Does SnapDrop Work

I have tested SnapDrop on several devices (Macbook, Chromebook, Pixel and an iPad). In each case the user interface was exactly the same, however, in some instances there was a few more step needed. When using the Macbook, Chromebook and the Android phone it was simple and straight forward because I was using the Chrome browser. However, on the iPad I found I needed to use Safari and there was another step needed to get the transferred image into my camera roll. To see SnapDrop in action, checkout this great video from YouTube.

What About Privacy? Is This Safe?

Great question. According to the developer’s Git Hub Page, “None of your files are ever saved on any server. Snapdrop doesn’t even use a database. If you are curious have a look at the Server.” The developer provides a link to check out the server if you are interested. It is, in my opinion, a safe app to use. It doesn’t gather any user data and just transfers the file from one device to another over the WiFi network.

This is a game changer for BYOD environments and an application I am sure many teachers, students and administrators will find super useful.

Thanks for reading

Dr. Shannon H. Doak