Application Survey
We have chosen and tested a variety of available, meaning publicly released software available on app stores or through mobile web, apps to understand previous approaches to designing and developing mobile P2P applications. We have not found that many stable and publicly released mobile applications in the P2P space as most development has concentrated on the desktop. The apps we found were from iOS and Android app store searches as well as from referrals to various P2P platforms in development.
The applications in the Mobile Application Survey all share P2P as the transport layer but vary drastically in feature sets, allowing us to see a broad spectrum of current use cases. This will help us help others design better and more useful apps, choosing the right features, and how to implement them in an interface that works for users. What follows are summaries of how the apps work for users to be used in comparing feature sets and findings to inform further design.
ManyVerse
Messaging, posting
Available on both iOS and Android
Uses SSB (Scuttlebutt) communications and syncs via Bluetooth, LAN, or internets
P2P is used primarily to handle chat
Connecting to other users requires explicit invites to or invites to "pubs" chat rooms
Sharedrop
File transfer
Web app only (tested on iOS Firefox, iOS Safari and Android Chrome)
HTML5 clone of Apple AirDrop service using WebRTC for secure P2P file transfer
Does not require accounts or installation
Avatars and anonymous profile names are used to identify users. Every time the browser window refreshes, they change
The user is made aware they are sharing directly with another user
A file transfer of a 2MB photo was instantaneous
Status
Messaging, posting
Available on both iOS and Android
Messaging uses P2P Whisper protocol and end-to-end encryption
Chat discoverability allows for finding of other users
Does not have file transfer functionality built-in and any file transfer can only happen through a loaded dApp in the Browser
No ability to share files directly through through Chat.
FrostWire
File sharing
Torrent application available for mobile on Android only
Freemium model with the app ad-supported unless upgraded to a month by month, 6 month or yearly terms. Also has a 30 minutes free with 1 video ad play
Can download and seed torrents from the mobile client
In-app torrent search
User able to select which files in torrent they would like to download
Has an integrated media library which also allows you to preview video and audio while downloading
uTorrent Mobile
File sharing
Torrent application available for mobile on Android only
P2P is used to download and seed files
Torrent search is not integrated into the app and instead uses Google search web page
Downloading may require the user to copy and paste the torrent link from a search results page and then add through the app manually
Features DLive, a live video stream site which features no torrent downloading or sharing
Integrated media player
Haven
Messaging, posting
Available on both iOS and Android
Haven uses IPFS to run the OpenBazaar P2P network
Users can sell and chat about items for sale, create post and make payments with cryptocurrency multiwallet
Other users can be followed and messaged without invites or acceptances
User does not need to create an account and can remain anonymous if they choose
Fairdrop
File transfer
Web app only (tested on iOS Firefox, iOS Safari and Android Chrome)
Runs on the Ethereum network and uses Swarm’s decentralised storage system for file storing and sending
Ability to send files of up to 100 MB
File transfer can be done anonymously
Features accounts which allow the user to have a history of downloads and transfers
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