FAQ
Answers to the most common questions about WFAS.
General
Yes, completely free, no premium tier, no feature gates, no time limits, no ads. All the features described on this site are available to everyone, and the full source code is on GitHub. There is no business model that requires you to pay.
No. WFAS doesn't have user accounts, cloud registration, or sign-in of any kind. Install the app, open it, connect, that's it.
Yes. WFAS only uses your local area network (LAN). The audio travels directly between your devices, it never goes through the internet or any external server. Internet access is only needed to download the app initially.
In native WFAS protocol mode, latency is very low and the audio stream is smooth and fluid (typically varying between 15 and 50 ms depending on network conditions and hardware), making it suitable for watching videos or gaming without distracting lip-sync delay. DLNA and Snapcast modes operate with medium latency (buffering for whole-home synchronization or smart TV playback). HTTP/AAC and HTTP/Opus modes have high latency (100–400 ms) due to browser audio buffers, but offer universal compatibility.
Compatibility
Yes to both. Any combination of WFAS clients and servers can communicate, regardless of platform: Windows → Android, Android → Windows, Windows → Linux, Android → Android, and so on. The protocol is the same across all platforms.
On macOS 14.2 and later, the system audio capture API (Core Audio tap) falls under the Screen Recording permission umbrella, even though no video is captured. This is a macOS security design choice; WFAS only accesses the audio portion of that API. You can verify this in the source code.
The AudioPlaybackCapture API that allows capturing internal audio (e.g. from Spotify or YouTube) was introduced in Android 10. On older versions, only microphone input is available for capture. WFAS still works as a receiver (client) on older Android versions.
Yes. You can stream directly to your Smart TV or soundbar via DLNA/UPnP without installing anything on the TV. Alternatively, switch to HTTP/AAC or HTTP/Opus streaming mode on the Desktop server and open the generated URL in the Smart TV's built-in browser.
Security
No. Audio travels exclusively between the devices you choose on your local network. There is no cloud component, no relay server, and no telemetry. If you need to verify this, the network layer source code is fully public on GitHub.
To enable encryption, open the app on the sender device (Send / Server mode), scroll down to the security section, select the Key security mode, and set your shared key. Just below it, turn on the encryption switch toggle. Make sure the client device connects using the exact same key. The connection will then use ChaCha20-Poly1305 end-to-end encryption automatically. Read the full security page →
If the network is untrusted or you are on public Wi-Fi, the best and safest approach is to connect your devices with a USB cable (USB tethering) and stream over USB. While WFAS supports strong ChaCha20-Poly1305 end-to-end encryption with 256-bit keys, using a direct cable completely eliminates the primary risk vector—the Wi-Fi airwaves—while also ensuring rock-solid stability and zero wireless interference.
Common issues
Check these in order:
- Both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (not one on 2.4 GHz and one on 5 GHz if the router has client isolation between bands).
- The firewall on the server machine allows UDP traffic on the WFAS port (default: 9090).
- The WFAS server is running and not minimized to tray without being started.
- Try entering the server's IP address manually in the client instead of relying on auto-discovery.
A VPN creates a virtual network interface and often changes the default routing, which can prevent WFAS from discovering devices on your LAN or binding to the correct network interface. Try: temporarily disable the VPN while streaming, or manually specify the server's LAN IP in the client app, bypassing auto-discovery. If your VPN allows split tunneling, exclude the WFAS port from the tunnel.
WFAS is licensed under the EUPL, which requires that the source code remains public. Google Play doesn't require this, but publishing there involves additional fees and policy constraints. WFAS isn't on the official F-Droid repository, but it's available through IzzyOnDroid, a third-party F-Droid-compatible repository for apps that don't fit F-Droid's own inclusion criteria, as well as a direct APK from GitHub Releases (also mirrored on GitLab), so you never need a Google account to install it.