Mini-review: Roamit UWP, clipboard and files back and forwards

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There have been a number of these data transfer utilities in recent times, all tied through your Microsoft account, local Wifi, and in the UWP 'one app fits all' environment under Windows 10. They each work acceptably, albeit usually limited to a single file or a plain text block. And Roamit is, in a sense, no different. Except that it's very polished (with one - literal - exception, shown below) and also promises to extend the clipboard-sending facilities to Android phones as well. This last is interesting because of Microsoft's new found enthusiasm for the platform - if you're running a Windows 10 Mobile phone and an Android device in parallel while you work out what you like best, then this is a fairly simple way to copy text and URLs backwards and forwards without having to resort to pasting things into emails to yourself.

From the Store description:

Roamit brings your Windows 10 and Android devices a lot closer. With Roamit, you can send the webpage you're reading, or something that's on your clipboard, to your PC, mobile or even your Xbox¹, it'll open immediately.

  • Furthermore, you can transfer your photos and files as fast as possible, via local Wi-Fi network.
  • The universal clipboard allows you to have a seamless clipboard experience between your PC and phone. Everything you copy on your PC will be mirrored to your phone, without even opening the app.
  • However, if you don't want to use universal clipboard, you can also always send your keyboard content manually by simply pressing a button in the app.
  • Roamit integrates with the Share menu, so you can share any content from any app, and access it from your other device.

¹ Xbox only supports URL sharing at this time.

I've been trying Roamit out, here are some screenshots and comments:

Screenshot, RoamitScreenshot, Roamit

A tutorial set of panes introduce the application and then you're right into a graphical menu and a scrolling list of your signed in phones and laptops, etc. The one you tap becomes 'bold' and that's the one your file or clipboard text will be sent to, etc. In this case, 'ZTE A2017U' is an Android phone, significantly. The one starting with 'DESKTOP' is my Surface Pro.

Screenshot, RoamitScreenshot, Roamit

There are a few permissions screens to step through before the Windows-Android gap is bridged(!), but it does all work, and very well. Note that you don't have to get Roamit for Android from the web site mentioned - it's also in the Play Store, just install it from there in the normal way.

Screenshot, RoamitScreenshot, Roamit

There. All done. I then played with sending various rich content backwards and forwards between various devices and confirmed that all you can really copy in the clipboard are blocks of plain text, as here. You can also copy binaries, usually documents and media, but I was more interested in the universal clipboard!

Screenshot, RoamitScreenshot, Roamit

Roamit includes a history browser, keeping copies of the clipboard contents that it's been asked to transfer from device to device; (right) plus a handy 'recent photos' browser (in this case showing my own screenshots, but in normal life this would be your most recent snaps), should you want to send one of these, a common enough requirement.

Screenshot, RoamitScreenshot, Roamit

Everything did work. But I also often got this error. So, if you do get involved via the Github link below then see if you can fix this?(!) (right) The Donate page, if you find the utility useful. Go for it.

Roamit UWP is free in the Store here. It's also Open Source, should you want to help tinker with it. There's an In-App-Purchase (IAP), but it's just an optional donation to help development, should you feel the urge.

Source / Credit: Store