FileShare: Kashmiri web developer releases alternative to banned SHAREit, dedicates it to Valley

Days after the Centre banned 53 Chineses apps, a Kashmiri engineer has developed an alternative for the banned app SHAREit. FileShare, a 5.3MB application facilitates the instant transfer of data without any limit and is available on the Google play store.

Tipu Sultan Wani, 29, who hails from the Chadoora area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district has developed the application. The core feature of the app is to send and receive files, music, photos, videos, and apps across devices within the same network – just like SHAREit.

At first boot, it asks for permission to access files, photos, and media on the device. It also asks for permission to make and manage phone calls. Once set up, users can easily send and receive files by connecting through the hotspot process.

Speaking to groundreport.in Tipu Sultan said, "I belong from a middle-class family and I was an avid science student. But later I developed an interest in information and technology". He has developed several apps under the name of “Travager Wani”.

“I have dedicated this application to people of Kashmir so that they don’t face any difficulties while transferring information. In Kashmir there is always internet issue that was my main focus so that people can share files without any difficulty,” Wani said.

"This application is working faster than Shareit. Unlike Shareit, I have developed this application without advertisements, which can be used to share movies, documents and audios, without any limit,” Wani, said.

"We developed this file-sharing app only for a social cause. There has been no intention to make money from this application. I expect a good response from the locals who have time and again extended support,” Tipu, who completed an MBA from Bharathiar University, said.

Tipu said it took them almost two and a half months to release the product and face multiple hurdles, including slow internet speed over the 2G platform.

“I have faced a lot of hardships due to slow internet connection. However, I managed to access broadband services before coming up with the app. To be honest, it has been a long walk, but a satisfying one that I was able to do something for my Kashmir,” he told Groundreport.in.

It must be noted that for the files to be transferred using the app, both the Android devices must be on the same network. Moreover, the interface of the app is simple and reports said that the section on privacy policy is also well detailed.

Aside from FileShare Tool, Wani has created several other apps including a photo collage tool.

Until July 17, the application had been downloaded more than 10,000 times with almost 1,000 reviews.

The Chinese apps were banned after a violent skirmish between the Indian Army and the PLA at the Line of Actual Control in the Galwan Valley. Apart from Shareit, TikTok, UC Browser, NewsDog were some of the prominent apps to be evicted from the country.

Reported By Wahid Bhat, He is a Journalist based in Jammu and Kashmir.

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