SHAREit - Transfer & Share

SHAREit is an app for sharing files developed by SHAREit Technologies Co and initially released in 2013. The app is available on Windows, Android and iOS and is most commonly used to transfer photos, videos, software and other files between devices.

Design and navigation: Floating

The design of the app is pretty unique. In some menus, it looks fine and modern: the buttons are small, the fonts are pleasing for the eye, and it is easy to navigate. But from time to time, you have to get through overloaded interface screens or stumble upon some crooked fonts. In general, the design is fine, as it does not distract you too much. As for the navigation, it isn’t outstanding as well, it’s just fine. You will find a feature you need, though it may sometimes take a while.

Features and usability: Impressive, But…

According to SHAREit team, the features are:

• Sharing files between devices without Internet;
• Sharing files between different devices: PC, Android, iOS;
• Sharing all kinds of files, including installed apps, photos and videos;
•  Very simple transfers: you need to perform only two steps to send and receive files;
• Connection between smartphone and PC to view photos or presentations on a larger screen.

Although the features might seem impressive, there is always a “but” with them. You can share files without the Internet, but the devices have to be connected to the same Wi-Fi. You can share files with 20 M/s speed, but that is not always true, and some users report 200 KB/s speed. You can share files between PC, Android and iOS, but to receive something else than photos or videos on iOS you have to perform some hard manipulations with your device. The only positive thing users point out is that the app allows transferring installed games properly.

Security: Not for Public

The app has been part of several security controversies, as its device authentication system is very vulnerable. Hackers could easily access other people’s phones and freely download any files, including Facebook tokens and cookie files. Though the developers claim to have solved the issue, we still wouldn’t recommend using SHAREit with public Wi-Fi spots.

Conclusion: Is it really worth it?

To sum up, we would recommend using SHAREit only when there are no other options. It lacks security, most functions do not work as intended, and there are better alternatives in most cases. SHAREit might be helpful if you need to transfer an installed game, while for other files, it is safer to use Google Drive, Dropbox, or other file sharing software.