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HOW TO USE SNAPLINX

SnapLinx must be manually started when your device is rebooted. Please ensure that Bluetooth is turned on before starting SnapLinx. Your device must have an active connection to the Internet (WiFi, cell data, etc.) to send and receive notifications, files and links through SnapLinx. In some instances, such as when SnapLinx has not been used for a while, SnapLinx must be brought to the foreground to receive notifications.

Note:  the Android version of SnapLinx is only guaranteed to receive notifications when SnapLinx is in the foreground and on the Receive screen.  Notifications may be received when SnapLinx is in the background in some cases.  Sending a file or link requires signing up with a name, email and password with email verification.  Once signed up, the email is shown on the Settings screen, along with an option to delete the account.

To share a file or link, open or select the file or link in an app or browser. Note that some apps and browsers may not work well with SnapLinx, and sharing a file or link may cause an error to be displayed. If this happens, please try a different app or browser.

Next, click the share button or icon on your Android or iOS device, and select SnapLinx. In iOS, confirm that you want to share the file or link in the popup dialog box and wait for the file or link to upload to the server.

Note that not all file types are supported by Android and iOS. PNG, JPG, GIF, MP4, MP3, WAV, DOC(X), XLS(X), PPT(X) and PDF (all fonts embedded) files should work for both Android and iOS. For DOC(X), XLS(X) and PPT(X) files, compatible viewers are recommended for Android (e.g.: Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides). Some file browsers may not support the sharing of some common file types; in this case please try a different browser.

Next, open the SnapLinx App (Snaplinx should open automatically on Android devices after an upload to the server), go to the Send screen, and click on the new item. Edit the Notification Label and Notification Text fields as necessary and click “Send” on iOS, Save and Send in the menu for the item on Android. The default Notification Label and Notification Text may also be used.

SnapLinx will transmit SnapLinx BLE Advertisements for three minutes, which may be scanned by nearby devices with SnapLinx installed and used to retrieve and display a notification of the shared file or link from the server. SnapLinx must remain in the foreground or SnapLinx BLE Advertisements may cease. The random Bluetooth MAC Address of the SnapLinx BLE Advertisement may be changed by Android during the three minute transmission window, and some Android devices may stop transmitting. If you find that smartphones with SnapLinx installed are not getting any notifications cancel and then resend the transmission.

In most cases, clicking on a notification on a receiving device will download and open the file or link in a viewer. The viewer may allow users to store the file or link in local device storage. On Android devices, a file may in some instances download but not open automatically; the user may open Chrome, select Downloads from the menu, or open a file browser and select Downloads, and open the file manually.

Users will have 12 hours to download and view a file or link before automatic deletion on the server. The file or link may also be manually deleted by the sender. The file size limit is 2 MB, and up to four files or links may be stored on the server at a time by each user. When sharing photos from your smartphone, please use a resolution that provides photos smaller than 2 MB.

Dismissed SnapLinx system notifications may be viewed on the Receive screen on the SnapLinx App.

Known Issues:

1. On Android, a file may occasionally be duplicated on the server when sharing. If this occurs, please delete any duplicated files from the Send screen.

 

2. If a file is shared through Files by Google on Android, a second instance of SnapLinx will be launched if SnapLinx is already running.  This may cause unexpected behavior when certain actions are attempted, such as deleting an account.  If this or other errors occur, quit all instance of SnapLinx, restart SnapLinx, and try the action again.

 

3. On Android, the all screens may be blank when SnapLinx is run for the first time after installation.  If this occurs, quit the app and restart.

 

4. On Android, clicking on a system notification for a received file may not load the file.  If this occurs, select back and open the file on the Receive screen.

5. On some Android phones, the transmitting screen may not appear immediately when sending a file or link. If this occurs, please try the following:

a. Quit all apps,

b. Disable Bluetooth from the Status/Notification bar,

c. From Settings → Apps or Apps & notifications → See all <n> apps or All Apps → Show System from menu → Bluetooth or Bluetooth Share → Storage → Clear Cache and Clear Data,

d. Enable Bluetooth from the Status/Notification bar and restart SnapLinx.

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