Frequently asked questions
Plain answers about NotesQR: free WebRTC peer-to-peer file sharing with no signup and no file storage on our disks.
Answers are in the page HTML and in structured data (FAQPage), so search engines and AI systems can read them even when sections are collapsed.
General questions
Is NotesQR free?
Yes. The product at notesqr.com is free to use for P2P sharing. Optional donations help keep signaling and TURN online.
Do I need an account?
No. You can send and receive without signing up.
Are my files uploaded to NotesQR servers?
File contents are not stored on NotesQR for later download. Peers exchange data over WebRTC. NotesQR provides signaling and TURN only when a direct path is not possible. Both sides must stay online until the transfer finishes.
Is there a file size limit?
NotesQR does not impose a product size quota. Practical limits are your devices, browser memory, and network. There is no “free tier MB cap” like many upload-and-store services.
What happens if the sender closes the page or CLI?
The live P2P path ends. Receivers who have not finished cannot complete that transfer. Keep the sender online until downloads finish.
Can I protect a room with a password?
Yes. Hosts can set an optional room password before guests join. Treat unpassworded room links like secrets.
What is “Close after download” / CLI --once?
When enabled, the room closes after every shared file has been downloaded at least once (including every file inside folders). Same idea as the CLI --once flag.
Can I share a whole folder?
Yes. On web, desktop, and extensions: drop a folder or use Browse → Folder. Peers see share-relative paths only (not absolute disk paths). The CLI accepts directories on send and recreates the tree on recv.
Does NotesQR work on mobile?
Yes. Open the room URL or scan the QR code. The sender (often desktop or CLI) must remain online.
Can I use NotesQR from the command line or an AI agent?
Yes. Use the open client notesqr-share (CLI send/recv and MCP tools). Both peers must stay online. Prefer --once for agent sends when you want the host to exit after delivery.
How private is the transfer? What about TURN?
Transfers use WebRTC between peers. NotesQR does not keep a hosted copy of file bytes after a successful handoff. If a direct path fails, traffic may relay through TURN while the session is active: still not stored as a download archive.
Where is NotesQR on GitHub?
Product overview: github.com/NotesQR/NotesQR. Open CLI/MCP client: github.com/NotesQR/notesqr-share.
Terminology
Short definitions for words you will see in NotesQR docs, the CLI, and room UI.
What is WebRTC?
Web Real-Time Communication: browser and native APIs for direct audio, video, or data between peers. NotesQR uses WebRTC data channels to move file bytes.
What does P2P mean?
Peer-to-peer: devices talk to each other for the file bytes. NotesQR is not an upload-and-store drive that keeps a hosted copy for later anonymous download.
What is signaling?
The small messages that help peers find each other and set up WebRTC (offers, answers, ICE candidates). NotesQR runs signaling; file contents are not stored as a download archive on our disks.
What are STUN and TURN?
STUN helps discover your public network address. TURN is a relay used only when a direct peer path fails (strict NAT/firewall). Bytes may transit TURN during the session; they are not kept as a NotesQR file host.
What is ICE?
Interactive Connectivity Establishment: the process of trying candidate network paths (direct, STUN-assisted, TURN) until peers connect or fail.
What is a room?
A short-lived share session identified by a URL like https://notesqr.com/abc-defg-hij. Guests join while the host stays online.
What is a DataChannel?
The WebRTC channel that carries binary file chunks between peers after the connection is up.
What is the CLI?
Command-line interface: the notesqr-share tools (send / recv) so you can host or download from a terminal without the full browser UI.
What is MCP?
Model Context Protocol: a way for AI agents and IDEs to call tools. NotesQR exposes notesqr_p2p_send and notesqr_p2p_recv via notesqr-mcp.
What is a QR code here for?
A scannable encoding of the room URL so a phone can join the same P2P room quickly.
What is Close after download / --once?
A mode where the room closes after every shared file has been downloaded at least once (including every file inside folders). Same idea as CLI --once.
What is a share-relative path?
The path peers see inside the room (for example project/src/app.ts), never your absolute disk path (for example /home/you/...).
Who is the host / sender?
The peer that creates the room and offers files. Must stay online until downloads finish.
Who is the guest / receiver?
Anyone who opens the room URL or runs notesqr recv and downloads while the host is still online.
Also see
Deep pages for search and agents. Kept out of the main menu on purpose so the product UI stays clean.
