WeTransfer has been a popular file-sharing platform for many creatives and professionals, but one major pain point has been the issue of expiry dates. Users often find themselves in a predicament where they forget to download files before the link expires, leading to the need to ask for files to be resent.
Recently, WeTransfer announced a new feature on its mobile app called “Save for Now” which allows receivers to modify the expiry date of files. However, this feature is not a complete solution to the problem. In a confusing message, WeTransfer claimed that links will no longer expire and users can extend the expiration date up to 30 days on the mobile app, but later clarified that the number of days for extending the expiry date depends on your plan.
Users were not impressed with WeTransfer’s messaging, as it gave the impression that link expiration was being done away with completely, which is not the case. In reality, users still need to take action to prevent links from expiring. The “Save for Now” feature allows users to save links to a separate folder on the app, resembling a bookmark icon, to prevent link expiration.
In testing, it was found that with a free account, users can extend a link’s expiry date for up to seven days on the app, with the default expiry period being just three days from link creation. This new feature provides some flexibility for users but may still leave some feeling frustrated with the limitations.
Italy-based Bending Spoons recently acquired WeTransfer, adding to its app portfolio which includes other well-known properties such as Evernote and Meetup. WeTransfer CEO Alexandar Vassilev stated that the platform has acquired 600,000 subscribers and has 80 million monthly active users over the last decade of its development.
While WeTransfer’s new “Save for Now” feature attempts to address the issue of link expiration, there is still room for improvement in terms of communication and functionality. Users continue to face challenges with expiry dates, and it remains to be seen whether WeTransfer will implement further changes to alleviate this ongoing frustration for its users.