Mozilla launches Firefox Send, free and encrypted file-sharing service

Service is available at send.firefox.com An Android app will also launch later this week.

(Web Desk) – Firefox Send, Mozilla’s free and encrypted file-transfer service, has been officially launched with accessibility in all browsers at send.firefox.com.

The service allows web users to share files up to 2.5 GB in size through the browser, while protecting them with end-to-end encryption and a link that automatically expires to keep the shared files private.

It debuted first as a “Test Pilot” experiment back in August 2017.

It works just like any other file sharing service available online, however it lets users share a link to the file with their friends.

Importantly for security purpose, users can set files to expire after a certain period of time, or after a certain number of downloads. Uploaded files can also be protected by a password that the user can share with their friends in private and avoid unauthorized downloads of sensitive data.

Users can upload one file at a time, or multiple files at once, which Firefox Send will automatically assemble in one big ZIP file.

By default, the service supports files up to 1GB in size, but if users sign up or sign in using a Firefox account, they can send files as large as 2.5GB.

The system offers an alternative to email, where larger file attachments are more of an issue, as well as cloud storage sites, like Google Drive and Dropbox, which can be time-consuming when all you need to do is share a single file one time — not store the file, edit it or collaborate with others.

The service can particularly be helpful for sharing data like financial information, for example without any worries.

However, security experts would still caution the use of any tool for sharing highly sensitive files through an online service, as there’s always the potential that something could go wrong with regard to unauthorized access.

All files uploaded to Mozilla’s servers are encrypted, the browser maker said.

"We know there are several cloud sharing solutions out there, but as a continuation of our mission to bring you more private and safer choices, you can trust that your information is safe with Send," Nick Nguyen, Mozilla’s VP of Firefox Product, quoted as saying yesterday.

"As with all Firefox apps and services, Send is private by design, which implies that all of your files are protected, and we stand by our mission to handle your data privately and securely."

Firefox Send is currently available through the send.firefox.com web portal, but Mozilla said the service would also be available as an Android app in beta later this week.

The browser maker began working on Firefox Send in 2017.