14 votes

What's the easiest way to queue downloads to my PC?

I mean this in the sense of "I find a file on a website that I want to have download directly to my laptop without having to download to my phone and then transfer from my phone to my laptop?"

Something I can use in the case "ope that's an interesting file that I'll forget about before I'm at my laptop"

23 comments

  1. [3]
    unkz
    Link
    I feel like the easiest thing would be using any of the various bookmark syncing tools that are already built in to your browser, like Firefox sync or whatever chrome uses. Maybe make a bookmark...

    I feel like the easiest thing would be using any of the various bookmark syncing tools that are already built in to your browser, like Firefox sync or whatever chrome uses. Maybe make a bookmark folder specifically for that purpose.

    14 votes
    1. [2]
      blackstar
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      Based on what you've said the problem is that this wouldn't actually get the file onto my computer. I meant something that would actually end up in the file being on my computer without having to...

      Based on what you've said the problem is that this wouldn't actually get the file onto my computer. I meant something that would actually end up in the file being on my computer without having to pull up a bookmark and download it later.

      4 votes
      1. arch
        Link Parent
        I use Firefox's "send to device" for this. The new tab I send will pop up when I open Firefox on my PC. I queue a bunch of things that I find on my phone over the weekend to look into on weekdays...

        I use Firefox's "send to device" for this. The new tab I send will pop up when I open Firefox on my PC. I queue a bunch of things that I find on my phone over the weekend to look into on weekdays when I'm at my computer.

        2 votes
  2. [2]
    cfabbro
    (edited )
    Link
    If you're on Windows, Remote Desktop could be used for this: https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/access-a-pc-from-your-iphone-or-android-device Just remote into your laptop from your phone, and download...
    • Exemplary

    If you're on Windows, Remote Desktop could be used for this:
    https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/access-a-pc-from-your-iphone-or-android-device

    Just remote into your laptop from your phone, and download the file via your laptop's browser.

    Regardless of OS, if you're comfortable with a command line you could also set up an SSH server on your laptop, remote into it from your phone, then have your laptop download whatever files from the web you want using wget.

    4 votes
    1. blackstar
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      This sounds the closest to a clean way to do it. But it's still not ideal. I think I'll go the route of the ssh. Doesn't require the file to be on my phone, doesn't require it to be hosted...

      This sounds the closest to a clean way to do it. But it's still not ideal. I think I'll go the route of the ssh. Doesn't require the file to be on my phone, doesn't require it to be hosted somewhere else separate from the original download site.

      It's messy, but less messy. I don't have to remember to delete the files from my phone. Thank you.

      3 votes
  3. [8]
    FeminalPanda
    Link
    Dropbox or onedrive on phone and then keep a folder synced on PC.

    Dropbox or onedrive on phone and then keep a folder synced on PC.

    4 votes
    1. [7]
      blackstar
      Link Parent
      Doesn't that require the file to be burning up storage space on my phone that I have to get rid of later?

      Doesn't that require the file to be burning up storage space on my phone that I have to get rid of later?

      1 vote
      1. [5]
        umbrae
        Link Parent
        No, on iOS you can just open the file and click the export doodad and go “Save to Dropbox” and it will store it in Dropbox without local storage

        No, on iOS you can just open the file and click the export doodad and go “Save to Dropbox” and it will store it in Dropbox without local storage

        6 votes
        1. [4]
          blackstar
          Link Parent
          That still doesn't fulfill the ask of "downloading it directly to my computer" but I do appreciate the input

          That still doesn't fulfill the ask of "downloading it directly to my computer" but I do appreciate the input

          2 votes
          1. [3]
            umbrae
            Link Parent
            You can set up Dropbox to automatically sync a folder to the hard drive, so it actually would Essentially they have a thing called “smart sync” that you would want to turn off, and if your desktop...

            You can set up Dropbox to automatically sync a folder to the hard drive, so it actually would

            Essentially they have a thing called “smart sync” that you would want to turn off, and if your desktop is on, it’ll download it when it gets saved.

            8 votes
            1. [2]
              blackstar
              Link Parent
              What's the file size limit for free Dropbox looking like these days?

              What's the file size limit for free Dropbox looking like these days?

              2 votes
      2. FeminalPanda
        Link Parent
        I have it delete from my phone and keep it in the cloud.

        I have it delete from my phone and keep it in the cloud.

        1 vote
  4. [3]
    Comment deleted by author
    Link
    1. [2]
      blackstar
      Link Parent
      This is an incredibly insightful and thought-out comment. Thank you for that. Someone will definitely find that helpful. The question, however, was more along the lines of I want to download a...

      This is an incredibly insightful and thought-out comment. Thank you for that. Someone will definitely find that helpful. The question, however, was more along the lines of I want to download a large file directly to my computer just using my phone as the remote

      1 vote
      1. [2]
        Comment deleted by author
        Link Parent
        1. blackstar
          Link Parent
          Actually I have to apologize. You did it right, I read it wrong.

          Actually I have to apologize. You did it right, I read it wrong.

          2 votes
  5. oidar
    Link
    There is nothing that I've found like this currently on the market. The best solution that I've come up with is to send the URL to my email and then when I am at my computer I download the file.

    There is nothing that I've found like this currently on the market. The best solution that I've come up with is to send the URL to my email and then when I am at my computer I download the file.

    2 votes
  6. [2]
    blackstar
    Link
    Overall it feels like Dropbox sync and SSH are pretty good options. It's interesting to me that in the age of most people using a phone as their main device, there's not a nice elegant solution....

    Overall it feels like Dropbox sync and SSH are pretty good options. It's interesting to me that in the age of most people using a phone as their main device, there's not a nice elegant solution.

    It reminds me of when the pandemic started, nobody had a good solution to watch things together remotely that was "average consumer" accessible. I remember being on a video call with my SO and we would count down "3-2-1" to start a movie or show together. It would drop out of sync pretty quickly and we would have to recalibrate multiple times during a movie. Same thing when someone would have to go to the bathroom.

    2 votes
    1. earlsweatshirt
      Link Parent
      Idk if you’ve heard of it but Teleparty is the way to go for watching things together remotely. They’ve been around since long before the pandemic. I used to use it with a long-distance girlfriend...

      Idk if you’ve heard of it but Teleparty is the way to go for watching things together remotely. They’ve been around since long before the pandemic. I used to use it with a long-distance girlfriend back in 2017, when they were just called Netflix Party.

  7. [2]
    CaptainAM
    Link
    https://pypi.org/project/pyload-ng/ It has a web interface, so you should be able to access it remotely. Let me know if this suits your needs.

    https://pypi.org/project/pyload-ng/

    It has a web interface, so you should be able to access it remotely. Let me know if this suits your needs.

    2 votes
    1. psi
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Tailscale yet. @blackstar: Install Tailscale on your phone and computer. Install an application on your computer to manage downloads that has a web interface...

      I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Tailscale yet.

      @blackstar:

      1. Install Tailscale on your phone and computer.
      2. Install an application on your computer to manage downloads that has a web interface (pyload would be perfect).
      3. Run the pyload server on your computer.
      4. Connect via your phone to pyload's web interface using your computer's Tailscale IP ([computer tailscale ip]:[pyload port]).
      5. Queue downloads.
      2 votes
  8. ApostleMatthew
    Link
    How about JDownloader2 on the desktop signed into My JDownloader , which allows you to access it from outside your home.

    How about JDownloader2 on the desktop signed into My JDownloader , which allows you to access it from outside your home.

    2 votes
  9. CptBluebear
    Link
    I think Pushbullet comes closest though I'm hesitant to say it has the exact specific requirement you mention since it's been a while since I last used it. I know there's functionality that allows...

    I think Pushbullet comes closest though I'm hesitant to say it has the exact specific requirement you mention since it's been a while since I last used it.

    I know there's functionality that allows the sharing of file URLs.

    1 vote
  10. gareppa
    Link
    I use syncthing (https://syncthing.net/) to sync the Downloads folder of my phone with my desktop. So when I download something on my phone, it appears magically on my desktop PC. It does not work...

    I use syncthing (https://syncthing.net/) to sync the Downloads folder of my phone with my desktop. So when I download something on my phone, it appears magically on my desktop PC. It does not work exactly like you want, but it's pretty close.

    1 vote