An open-source Python command-line tool that sends and receives files with Apple AirDrop over Wi-Fi, using reverse-engineered protocol compatibility.
9.9K+11 this week319PythonGPL-3.0Updated 3 months ago
t4t5/owly
Command-line AirDrop for Linux, letting iPhones and Linux machines send files to each other over AWDL on supported non-Apple Wi-Fi cards.
Open-source alternative to:AirDrop
- Stars
- 3,300
- Forks
- 257
- Open issues
- 28
- Last commit
- 4 days ago
What is it?
Owly is an AirDrop implementation for Linux. It lets iPhones and Linux computers send files to each other, which normally requires an Apple Wi-Fi chip. It works by running Apple's AWDL peer-to-peer Wi-Fi link on a supported non-Apple card, so the phone sees the Linux machine as an AirDrop receiver.
The project has two parts: owlyd, a system service that takes over the Wi-Fi card and runs AWDL, and the AirDrop layer, which runs as a normal user. Usage is a few commands: start the radio with `owly radio up`, then receive with `owly receive` or browse and send with `owly send`. Packages exist for Arch, NixOS, Debian/Ubuntu and Fedora, and it can be built from source with Rust.
Hardware support depends on the card and driver. The project keeps a table of tested Intel, MediaTek, Realtek and Qualcomm cards with their status in shared or exclusive mode, and `owly doctor` reports what a given machine can do. The Rust crates for AWDL, AirDrop and the radio layer are also usable separately.
Key features
- 01Sends and receives files with iPhones over AWDL on supported Linux Wi-Fi cards
- 02Provides a CLI with commands to start the radio, receive, browse nearby devices and send
- 03Includes `owly doctor` to report a card's mode and known problems
- 04Offers a test workflow that writes a hardware compatibility report
- 05Ships packages for Arch, NixOS, Debian/Ubuntu and Fedora, and builds from source with Rust
- 06Exposes its AWDL, AirDrop and radio layers as reusable Rust crates
Use cases
- Sharing photos from an iPhone to a Linux laptop without a Mac
- Sending files from a Linux desktop to nearby iPhones
- Checking whether a non-Apple Wi-Fi card on Linux can support AirDrop before buying hardware
- Building AWDL or AirDrop support into other Rust projects
Quick start
- 1
Install the CLI on Arch via AUR
yay -S owly - 2
Download the .deb from the releases page (Debian/Ubuntu)
- 3
Install the downloaded .deb package
sudo apt install ./owly_*_amd64.deb - 4
Start the radio in your terminal
owly radio up
Things to know
- Only works between iPhones and Linux devices whose Wi-Fi chip is not Apple's Broadcom chip.
- Works only on supported Wi-Fi cards, and behaviour varies by card.
- Some cards are unreliable or fail entirely, and exclusive mode on channel 6 is slow.
- Requires root-level setup such as a systemd service and firewall changes.
Featured in Repolode Weekly
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Command-line AirDrop for Linux that swaps files with iPhones over AWDL on supported non-Apple Wi-Fi cards. It ships owly doctor to report a card's mode and known problems.
Topics
FAQ
- What is owly?
- Command-line AirDrop for Linux, letting iPhones and Linux machines send files to each other over AWDL on supported non-Apple Wi-Fi cards. Owly is an AirDrop implementation for Linux. It lets iPhones and Linux computers send files to each other, which normally requires an Apple Wi-Fi chip. It works by running Apple's AWDL peer-to-peer Wi-Fi link on a supported non-Apple card, so the phone sees the Linux machine as an AirDrop receiver.
- Is owly free to use? What license does it have?
- owly is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
- Is owly still maintained?
- Actively maintained. The last commit to owly was on Nov 3, 2026.
- What can I use owly for?
- Sharing photos from an iPhone to a Linux laptop without a Mac Sending files from a Linux desktop to nearby iPhones Checking whether a non-Apple Wi-Fi card on Linux can support AirDrop before buying hardware Building AWDL or AirDrop support into other Rust projects
- How do I install owly?
- Install the CLI on Arch via AUR: yay -S owly Download the .deb from the releases page (Debian/Ubuntu) Install the downloaded .deb package: sudo apt install ./owly_*_amd64.deb Start the radio in your terminal: owly radio up
- Where can I get owly?
- The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/t4t5/owly
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