Everything you need to know about how Clex handles your files, transfers, and privacy.
Clex uses WebRTC to establish a direct browser-to-browser connection. When you share files, Clex creates a unique session and uses a lightweight signaling server to help the two browsers find each other. Once connected, the files stream directly from your browser to the recipient's browser. No server stores or relays the actual file data.
When both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network, Clex can detect this and transfer files over the local network instead of routing through the internet. This gives you LAN-speed transfers — ideal for large files, video, or batch transfers between your own devices.
Google Drive is a fallback option. It's used when direct P2P or local network transfer isn't possible — for example, when devices are on restrictive networks or behind strict NATs. When you choose Drive, the file uploads to your Google Drive account, not to Clex's servers. The recipient gets a secure link to download from your Drive.
Yes. For P2P and local network transfers, both sender and receiver need to keep their browser tabs open until the transfer completes. If either tab closes, the transfer stops. For asynchronous transfers (where the recipient isn't online yet), use the Google Drive fallback.
No. During P2P and local network transfers, your files are never stored on any Clex server. They exist only in the sender's and receiver's browsers during the transfer. The only server involvement is a lightweight signaling server that helps the two browsers find each other — it never sees or stores file data.
No account is required for P2P or local network transfers. Just open Clex and go. The only time authentication is needed is when you choose to use Google Drive as a fallback, which requires signing in with your Google account to upload files to your personal Drive.
WebRTC connections are encrypted by default using DTLS (Datagram Transport Layer Security). This means your P2P transfers are encrypted end-to-end between browsers. Google Drive transfers use Google's TLS encryption.
P2P transfers run at the speed of your internet connection — there's no server bottleneck. Local network transfers are even faster since they use your Wi-Fi's LAN speed (often 100+ Mbps). Google Drive speed depends on your upload bandwidth and Google's infrastructure.
For P2P and local transfers, the limit is your browser's available RAM. Most modern browsers handle files up to several GB comfortably. For Google Drive, limits depend on your Drive storage quota (15 GB free tier). Extremely large files may work better with local network transfer.
Clex works in all modern browsers with WebRTC support: Chrome 80+, Firefox 78+, Safari 14+, Edge 80+, and their mobile equivalents. For the best experience, use the latest version of Chrome or Firefox.
Yes. Clex is fully responsive and works on mobile browsers. You can drop files, use preparation tools, and share — all from your phone or tablet. The interface adapts to smaller screens while keeping full functionality.
Partially. After Clex loads in your browser for the first time, the preparation tools work offline. You can compress images, merge PDFs, convert documents, and bundle ZIPs without internet. Sharing requires a connection (since it needs to reach the other device), but you can prepare everything offline and share when you reconnect.
Clex supports image compression and conversion (JPEG, PNG, WebP), PDF operations (merge, split, extract, export), DOCX to PDF conversion, and ZIP bundling for any file types. You can share any file type through the transfer system, even if Clex doesn't have specific preparation tools for it.
For P2P and local transfers: nothing. The files existed only in browser memory during the transfer. When you close the tab, they're gone from Clex entirely. For Google Drive transfers, the file remains in your Google Drive until you delete it — Clex doesn't manage or retain it.
Absolutely. You can use Clex purely as a file preparation tool. Drop files, compress images, merge PDFs, convert formats, and download the results — all without ever touching the sharing features. It works as a standalone utility.