X

Use Bump to share files between your phone and computer

The Bump app for Android and iOS can now share more than photos and contact info; it can share any file type between devices, including computers.

Ed Rhee
Ed Rhee, a freelance writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, is an IT veteran turned stay-at-home-dad of two girls. He focuses on Android devices and applications while maintaining a review blog at techdadreview.com.
Ed Rhee
2 min read
Bump files to a computer
Screenshot by Ed Rhee/CNET

Bump is a popular app for sharing photos and contact info between smartphones. Several months ago, they added the ability to share photos with a computer as well, but you could only share photos in one direction (phone to computer). Bump's announcement yesterday revealed that you can now use the app to share any file type between devices in both directions. Here's how to use Bump to share files between your smartphone and computer:

Phone to computer

Step 1: Install the latest version of Bump (iOS | Android) on your smartphone and enable location services.

Step 2: On your computer, go to http://bu.mp and make sure to allow location services for the site from your Web browser. Keep in mind that the Web version of Bump only works with Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

Step 3: From the Bump mobile app, select the file you want to share with your computer, then "bump" your computer keyboard's spacebar with your phone.

Step 4: You'll get a prompt on both devices, asking to connect to each other. Make sure you click the Yes button on your computer and tap "Connect" on your phone.

Bump connect confirmation
Screenshot by Ed Rhee/CNET

Step 5: Once the connection has been established, you'll see your file listed in the browser window. You can now download the file to your computer, delete it, or share it.

Bump file management
Screenshot by Ed Rhee/CNET

Computer to phone

Step 1: With your computer's Web browser pointed to http://bu.mp and the mobile app open, "bump" your smartphone to your computer keyboard's spacebar.

Step 2: Once the Bump page appears on your Web browser, click on the "Send files to your device" link and choose the files you want to send to your phone. When finished, click the Done button to begin the transfer.

Send computer files to phone
Screenshot by Ed Rhee/CNET

Step 3: In iOS, find your files from the Bump app in Documents and Received Files. On Android, the files will be located in the Bump folder of the internal memory card.

Bump file locations
Screenshot by Ed Rhee/CNET

That's it. Now you can easily share files between your smartphone and computer, just as long as the total size of the file(s) is under 30 megabytes. If you're having trouble establishing a connection, make sure that both devices have their location services turned on. You can also try switching to Wi-Fi, if you're unable to connect using your mobile connection.