Intare

Intare is an Android application that turns your device into an SMB file server. It shares a directory on your phone or tablet over the local network, so you can browse the device's files from a computer using the standard SMB protocol — no USB cable, no root required.

Download

The latest signed APK is attached to the Releases page. Download Intare-v0.1.apk and sideload it (you'll need to allow installs from unknown sources for the browser/file manager). The app is also easy to build from source — see Building.

If you previously sideloaded a debug build from source, uninstall it first: the release APK is signed with the project's own release key, so the two can't be installed over one another.

How it works

• The app runs a JFileServer-based SMB server in a foreground service.
• It shares one directory (default: external storage /storage/emulated/0) as a guest-accessible share named Intare.
• The server listens on TCP port 4450. Port 445 (the standard SMB port) is reserved for root on Android, so a non-standard port is required.
• The device advertises itself over mDNS/Bonjour (_smb._tcp, hostname INTARE.local), so it appears automatically as a shared computer in the macOS Finder sidebar and on Windows networks — no need to type an IP address.
• The app shows the IPs of connected devices (devices whose SMB session is actually active) on the screen, and beeps when a device connects or disconnects — even while the app is closed, because the server runs as a background service.

Protocol note: SMB1 only

JFileServer implements the SMB1 dialect. Most modern systems support it but hide it behind a flag:

• macOS: smb://INTARE.local:4450/Intare (or smb://<ip>:4450/Intare) — Finder still speaks SMB1, no setup needed, and the device shows up in the Finder sidebar under Network automatically.
• Linux: smbclient -p 4450 -m NT1 //<ip>/Intare
• Windows: enable the SMB1 client feature, or on Windows 11 24H2+ use net use Z: \\<ip>\Intare /TCPPORT:4450

No password is required (guest access). Keep it on a trusted network.

Requirements

• Android 7.0+ (API 24), targeting API 34
• Java Development Kit (JDK) 17 or higher to build
• Gradle 8.5 (or use the Gradle wrapper)
• "All files access" permission, granted from the app's settings screen

Building

To build the debug APK:

./gradlew assembleDebug

The debug APK will be generated at: app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk

Installation

Connect an Android device or start an emulator, then run:

./gradlew installDebug

Alternatively, install manually with ADB:

adb install -r app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk

Usage

1. Open the app — the SMB server starts automatically (once "All files access" is granted) and a persistent notification confirms it is running.
2. Optionally change the share directory in the field above the button before it starts (default is the whole of external storage).
3. The server keeps running as a background service after you close the app (back / swipe from Recents), so the share stays available. To stop it, open the app and tap Stop SMB server, or use the Stop action on the notification. If the system kills the service it restarts automatically, re-sharing the same directory.
4. From your computer, connect with one of the commands shown on screen — or, on a Mac, just click INTARE in the Finder sidebar under Network.
5. Watch the Connected devices line on the screen: it lists the IPs of devices with an active session. The phone beeps once when a device connects and once when it disconnects, so you notice activity without looking at the screen.

Syncing files from device

To easily sync folders (like DCIM) from your Android device to your computer, use the provided sync.sh script:

bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ntilau/Intare/refs/heads/main/sync.sh)"

This script:

• Tries ADB connection first (when device is connected via USB)
• Falls back to SMB when ADB is not available
• Preserves file attributes (equivalent to rsync -rav)
• Works with any folder name (default: DCIM)
• Accepts custom base directory (default: $HOME)

Usage examples:

# Sync DCIM folder to ~/DCIM (default)
./sync.sh

# Sync Pictures folder to ~/Pictures
./sync.sh Pictures

# Sync Documents folder to custom location
./sync.sh Documents /backup/storage

To verify the server is listening and advertised:

# port 4450 (0x1162) is listening on the device
adb shell "ss -tln" | grep 4450

# the mDNS advertisement is reachable from a computer on the same network
dns-sd -B _smb._tcp local.                 # should list INTARE
dns-sd -L INTARE _smb._tcp local.          # INTARE.local.:4450

Note: smbutil lookup INTARE will not resolve — that command uses NetBIOS name service (UDP 137/138), which needs root on Android and is deliberately not advertised. Finder's network browsing uses Bonjour/mDNS instead.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• JFileServer (org.filesys, LGPL-3.0): the SMB server engine. https://github.com/fanosta/JFileServer
• Server wiring modeled on SimbaDroid (MPL-2.0) by Jan Henning. https://github.com/buttercookie42/SimbaDroid
• jmdns (Apache-2.0): mDNS/Bonjour advertisement of the SMB service. https://github.com/openhab/jmdns
• AndroidX libraries