{"id":"bridge-devices.do-my-files-go-through-a-server-with-bridge","url":"/faq/bridge-devices/do-my-files-go-through-a-server-with-bridge","category":{"id":"bridge-devices","title":"Bridge & your devices"},"subcategory":{"id":"privacy-security","title":"Privacy & security"},"question":"Do my files go through a server when I use Bridge?","alt_questions":["Does Bridge upload my files?","Is Bridge peer-to-peer?","Are Bridge files stored online?","Does Storage Studio keep a copy of what I send?","Bridge without a server","Where do Bridge transfers go?"],"short_answer":"No. Bridge sends files and clipboard straight between your devices, end-to-end encrypted, and never stores them on a server. Only the brief step of finding each other may use public internet infrastructure.","answer_markdown":"No. Your files and clipboard travel directly between your two devices and are never stored on a server or in the cloud.\n\nWhen two devices that are far apart first find each other, that brief step may use public internet infrastructure — and **Find each other automatically** can help with it — but that's only about locating each other. Your actual files and clipboard stay end-to-end encrypted the whole way and are never readable by anyone else.\n\nIf you want Bridge never to touch the internet at all, turn on **Use local network only**.\n\n- [Is Bridge private?](/faq/bridge-devices/is-bridge-private)\n- [Local network only](/faq/bridge-devices/what-does-use-local-network-only-do)","answer_html":"

No. Your files and clipboard travel directly between your two devices and are never stored on a server or in the cloud.

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When two devices that are far apart first find each other, that brief step may use public internet infrastructure — and Find each other automatically can help with it — but that's only about locating each other. Your actual files and clipboard stay end-to-end encrypted the whole way and are never readable by anyone else.

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If you want Bridge never to touch the internet at all, turn on Use local network only.

\n","answer_text":"No. Your files and clipboard travel directly between your two devices and are never stored on a server or in the cloud.\n\nWhen two devices that are far apart first find each other, that brief step may use public internet infrastructure — and Find each other automatically can help with it — but that's only about locating each other. Your actual files and clipboard stay end-to-end encrypted the whole way and are never readable by anyone else.\n\nIf you want Bridge never to touch the internet at all, turn on Use local network only.\n\n- Is Bridge private?\n- Local network only","tags":["bridge","privacy","server","peer to peer"],"related":[{"id":"bridge-devices.is-bridge-private","question":"Is Bridge private and secure?","url":"/faq/bridge-devices/is-bridge-private"},{"id":"bridge-devices.what-does-use-local-network-only-do","question":"What does “Use local network only” do in Bridge?","url":"/faq/bridge-devices/what-does-use-local-network-only-do"},{"id":"bridge-devices.what-does-find-each-other-automatically-do","question":"What does “Find each other automatically” do in Bridge?","url":"/faq/bridge-devices/what-does-find-each-other-automatically-do"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Do my files go through a server when I use Bridge? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"No. Bridge sends files and clipboard straight between your devices, end-to-end encrypted, and never stores them on a server. Only the brief step of finding each other may use public internet infrastructure.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Bridge & your devices","path":"/faq/bridge-devices/"},{"name":"Do my files go through a server when I use Bridge?","path":"/faq/bridge-devices/do-my-files-go-through-a-server-with-bridge"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/bridge-devices/do-my-files-go-through-a-server-with-bridge","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Do my files go through a server when I use Bridge?","alternateName":["Does Bridge upload my files?","Is Bridge peer-to-peer?","Are Bridge files stored online?","Does Storage Studio keep a copy of what I send?","Bridge without a server","Where do Bridge transfers go?"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"No. Your files and clipboard travel directly between your two devices and are never stored on a server or in the cloud.\n\nWhen two devices that are far apart first find each other, that brief step may use public internet infrastructure — and Find each other automatically can help with it — but that's only about locating each other. Your actual files and clipboard stay end-to-end encrypted the whole way and are never readable by anyone else.\n\nIf you want Bridge never to touch the internet at all, turn on Use local network only.\n\n- Is Bridge private?\n- Local network only","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/bridge-devices/do-my-files-go-through-a-server-with-bridge"}}]},"fragment":"
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Bridge & your devices · Privacy & security

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Do my files go through a server when I use Bridge?

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Short answer: No. Bridge sends files and clipboard straight between your devices, end-to-end encrypted, and never stores them on a server. Only the brief step of finding each other may use public internet infrastructure.

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No. Your files and clipboard travel directly between your two devices and are never stored on a server or in the cloud.

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When two devices that are far apart first find each other, that brief step may use public internet infrastructure — and Find each other automatically can help with it — but that's only about locating each other. Your actual files and clipboard stay end-to-end encrypted the whole way and are never readable by anyone else.

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If you want Bridge never to touch the internet at all, turn on Use local network only.

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Last reviewed

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Related questions

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Also available as Markdown and JSON.

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