npx instbyteYou're three feet from your teammate. A quick share still leaves your building before it reaches them.
Your chat app is for conversation. Your cloud storage is for files. Your email is for async.
None of them are for right now, on this network, gone tomorrow.
That's what Instbyte is for.
Requires Node.js 18 or higher.
The fastest way — no installation needed:
npx instbyteOr install globally and run from anywhere:
npm install -g instbyte
instbyteData and config live in the directory you run the command from. To keep a permanent instance, always run from the same folder or use a process manager like pm2.
That's it. Open the displayed URL in any browser on the same network.
One person runs the server — everyone else on the same WiFi opens the URL in their browser. No accounts, no setup on client devices.
[Your Machine] — runs: npx instbyte
↓
http://192.168.x.x:3000
↓
[Phone] [Laptop] [Tablet] — open URL in browser
Sharing is instant:
- Type or paste text → hit Send
- Paste anywhere on the page → auto-sends text or uploads images directly
- Drag a file anywhere onto the page → uploads
- Click any text item → copies to clipboard
- Click any file item → downloads
Everything syncs in real time across all connected devices. Content auto-deletes after 24 hours.
Run npx instbyte on the machine that will act as the server. Share the displayed network URL with your team. Done.
For teams who want auth, custom retention, or branding — create instbyte.config.json in the directory where you run the command:
{
"server": {
"port": 3000
},
"auth": {
"passphrase": "yourteampassword"
},
"storage": {
"maxFileSize": "2GB",
"retention": "24h"
},
"branding": {
"appName": "Team Hub",
"primaryColor": "#7c3aed",
"logoPath": "./logo.png"
}
}Then run npx instbyte in the same directory. The config is picked up automatically.
For persistent deployment options including pm2, systemd, and Docker, see the Deployment Guide.
For Docker setup, persistent data, and config file mounting, see Deployment Guide.
For Nginx, Caddy, and HTTPS setup, see Deployment Guide.
Instbyte works out of the box with zero configuration. All options are optional — only include what you want to override.
| Key | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
server.port |
3000 |
Port to run on. Overridden by PORT env var if set |
auth.passphrase |
"" |
Shared passphrase for access. Empty = no auth |
storage.maxFileSize |
"2GB" |
Max upload size. Accepts KB, MB, GB |
storage.retention |
"24h" |
How long before items auto-delete. Accepts h, d, or "never" to disable cleanup entirely |
branding.appName |
"Instbyte" |
App name in header and browser tab |
branding.primaryColor |
"#111827" |
Primary brand color in hex. Full palette auto-derived |
branding.logoPath |
— | Path to your logo file relative to where you run the command |
branding.faviconPath |
— | Path to custom favicon. Auto-generated from logo if omitted |
Instbyte can be fully white-labelled — no code changes required. Set a name, a color, and a logo and the entire UI updates automatically including the login page, favicon, buttons, and active states.
{
"branding": {
"appName": "Team Hub",
"primaryColor": "#7c3aed",
"logoPath": "./my-logo.png"
}
}The difference between a tool you use and a tool you own.
Real-time sync — every action is instantly reflected across all connected devices via WebSockets.
Channels — organise shared content into named channels. Create, rename, pin, and delete channels on the fly. Pinned channels are protected from accidental deletion.
Rich content — markdown rendering, syntax highlighting for code, inline image preview, video and audio playback, PDF preview, and text file viewing — all without downloading.
Search — full-text search across all channels.
Smart port handling — if port 3000 is busy, Instbyte finds the next available port automatically.
Short-lived by design — content auto-deletes after 24 hours by default. Configure retention per your needs, or disable cleanup entirely.
QR join — built-in QR code so phones can join instantly without typing the URL.
Dark mode — follows system preference automatically. Override with the toggle in the header.
Undo delete — recover accidentally removed items instantly before they’re gone.
New drop alerts — get a notification sound when something is added in your current channel and visual indicators for activity in others.
Presence awareness — see how many people are currently connected in real time.
Live broadcast — share your screen in real time with everyone on the network. Viewers join instantly from their browser, no plugins or installs needed. Built on WebRTC for smooth, low-latency video. Includes mic audio, viewer mute/unmute, raise hand, and screen capture to channel.
Read receipts — see how many devices have viewed each shared item. Updates live as teammates open the page.
Item management — add optional titles to label any item for future reference. Edit text items inline without deleting and re-pasting. Pinned items are protected from both manual deletion and auto-cleanup.
Mobile ready — install as a PWA directly from your browser. Add to Home Screen on iOS or Android for a native app feel without the App Store.
Security hardened — rate limiting on all write endpoints, magic number file validation, filename sanitisation, and forced download for executable file types.
One person shares their screen — everyone else on the network watches live in their browser. No plugins, no accounts, no external services. Built on WebRTC.
Viewers can save the current frame to a channel, raise a hand to notify the broadcaster, and toggle audio from the panel.
For HTTPS setup and advanced network configuration, see the Deployment Guide.
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| `/` | Focus search |
| `Escape` | Close previews, menus, or blur input |
| `Ctrl/Cmd + Enter` | Send message |
| `Ctrl/Cmd + K` | Jump to message input |
| `Tab` | Cycle channels |
---
## Manual / Self-hosted from Source
```bash
git clone https://github.com/mohitgauniyal/instbyte
cd instbyte
npm install
node server/server.js
- Moving content between your phone and laptop, or just any device over WiFi
- Sharing API payloads, logs, or screenshots during a sprint
- A lightweight team clipboard during standups or pair sessions
- Home lab file sharing without setting up NAS or cloud sync
- Piping build logs or stack traces from CI or terminal directly into a shared channel
- Sharing sensitive credentials or config files over LAN without leaving a cloud trail
- Live screen sharing during standups, design reviews, or debugging sessions — no Zoom link needed
Push content from your terminal using curl — no browser needed. See Terminal Usage Guide.
Instbyte follows Semantic Versioning. See Releases for full changelog.
Instbyte is intentionally lightweight and LAN-first. If you want to extend it — CLI tools, themes, integrations — open an issue or submit a pull request.
The codebase has a full test suite (195 tests across unit and integration). Run npm test before submitting anything. Issues tagged good first issue are a good starting point.
This project is licensed under the MIT License — see the LICENSE file for details.