Why Does My File Transfer Keep Disconnecting?
Stop file transfers from failing midway. Resolve mobile screen timeout, aggressive browser background tab throttling, and Wi-Fi roaming drops.
If a file transfer regularly drops connection or aborts halfway through, the primary cause is almost always mobile screen timeouts, browser background tab sleep, or aggressive battery-saving features.
1. Mobile operating system sleep policies
Both iOS (iPhone) and Android enforce strict power-saving measures to prolong battery life. When a phone's screen locks or turns black:
- The operating system reduces CPU frequency.
- Background web browser networking is suspended within seconds.
- The active WebRTC socket times out and drops the transfer session.
The Fix: Keep your mobile browser active and prevent your screen from sleeping. On iPhone, go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock and select Never or a longer duration while moving large files.
2. Switching browser tabs on desktop
Modern desktop browsers (Chrome, Edge, Safari) include memory and energy savers (such as Chrome Memory Saver or Edge Sleeping Tabs). If you open another heavy tab or minimize the browser during a large transfer, the browser may throttle JavaScript execution on the background transfer tab. Keep the transfer tab active in the foreground.
3. Wi-Fi band hopping and mesh roaming
If your home uses a mesh Wi-Fi system with multiple nodes, a mobile device moving between rooms may switch access points. Mesh handoffs cause brief 500 ms connection drops that can sever active peer-to-peer data channels. Keep devices stationary while transferring large files.
Frequently asked questions
Can a disconnected transfer resume from where it stopped?
If the WebRTC socket closes completely, browser security prevents the browser from holding partial unverified binary state. You will need to refresh and restart the transfer session.
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