Mozilla Releases Free File Transfer Service, Firefox Send

The Mozilla Foundation has officially released its Firefox Send file-sharing service, after nearly two years of product testing.

The Firefox Send website allows users to send files (via a link that automatically expires) to anyone around the world, avoiding email systems whose servers often have restrictions on the sizes of files they can send.

Receipts using any modern browser can click on the link and download the file, which makes it ideal for families or businesses spread out around the world, who wish to share data such as photos or documents, with each other.

File transfers

The release of Firefox Send was revealed in a Mozilla blog post, in which the Foundation touted its commitment to the end-user privacy and security.

Firefox Send was actually a Test Pilot experiment that Mozilla had been developing since August 2017.

“Send is a free encrypted file transfer service that allows users to safely and simply share files from any browser,” wrote Mozilla. “Additionally, Send will also be available as an Android app in beta later this week.”

The way it works is the person uploading the files, can send a link to anyone and set conditions for access. This could be for example a time period or number of downloads, before the file expires.

The uploader can also set a password of their own choice, and Firefox Send then generates a link that he or she can email to the recipient to download the file.

Oh yes, and the files are protected by end-to-end encryption.

A video of how Send works can be found here.

And the files can be big. Very big indeed.

Users can create a (free) Firefox account to send files of up to 2.5GB.

Privacy commitment

“Send makes it easy for your recipient, too,” wrote Mozilla. “No hoops to jump through. They simply receive a link to click and download the file. They don’t need to have a Firefox account to access your file. Overall, this makes the sharing experience seamless for both parties, and as quick as sending an email.”

“We know there are several cloud sharing solutions out there, but as a continuation of our mission to bring you more private and safer choices, you can trust that your information is safe with Send,” it added. “As with all Firefox apps and services, Send is Private By Design, meaning all of your files are protected and we stand by our mission to handle your data privately and securely.”

Last September Firefox demonstrated its privacy commitment when it said it would begin blocking advertising trackers (ad trackers) by default.

Mozilla wanted to stop firms tracking the web surfing habits of people to help with their adverts. And by stopping ad trackers, Mozilla also hoped to improve privacy and reduce the loading speeds of web pages.

Are you a Firefox fan? Try our quiz!