Hoy 1.0.1 Makes Mac File Sharing Feel as Easy as Dropping Files on a Friend’s Face
Mac users already have plenty of ways to send files, from AirDrop and Messages to FaceTime and shared iCloud folders. But Hoy takes a different approach: it puts your favorite people right on your Mac desktop experience, making file sharing feel faster, more personal, and far less formal.
Hoy, a Mac app created by developer Dominik Kandravý, has now reached version 1.0.1. The app is designed around a simple idea: instead of opening a chat app, choosing a contact, attaching a file, and waiting through the usual steps, you can simply drag a file onto someone’s contact photo in your menu bar. That file then appears in their channel, whether they are nearby or on the other side of the world.
The result is a lightweight Mac file-sharing tool that feels closer to passing something across a desk than sending it through a traditional messaging platform.
What makes Hoy interesting is how it blends contacts, voice messages, files, notes, photos, screen recordings, and shared to-do lists into one quick-access Mac interface. If dragging and dropping a file is not enough, users can hold down a contact’s picture to record a voice message. Hoy can also transcribe spoken words directly on the Mac, making it useful for quick updates, reminders, and casual collaboration.
The app first appeared as a pre-release in August 2026, before receiving a larger 1.0 update on November 12. That release introduced a redesigned interface, better offline handling, file forwarding, message reactions, and FaceTime shortcuts. Hoy 1.0.1 followed one day later with bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements, including easier access to contact profiles, better profile picture syncing, and smoother invitations for private channels.
One of Hoy’s biggest differences from many messaging and file-sharing apps is that it does not rely on its own messaging servers. Instead, it uses Apple’s CloudKit. Each channel is stored in the host’s iCloud account, which means shared files count against that person’s iCloud storage. For Mac users already invested in Apple’s ecosystem, that may make Hoy feel more natural and private than yet another separate communication service.
Hoy also includes disappearing messages. Users can choose whether messages and shared content vanish after one day, three days, one week, or one month. There is also an option to keep messages permanently, depending on how each channel is meant to be used.
The free version of Hoy allows users to host up to three channels while joining as many channels as they want. For those who need more, Hoy Pro is available as a one-time $29 purchase. The Pro version removes the channel limit and adds extras such as Finder integration, making the app more useful for people who regularly share files from their Mac.
Hoy requires macOS 26 or later and an Apple account. iPhone and iPad versions are also planned, with early testing expected through TestFlight. That could make Hoy more practical for users who want the same simple file-sharing experience across Apple devices.
Hoy is not trying to replace every communication app on your Mac. Instead, it focuses on making everyday sharing feel instant. For people who send files, screenshots, voice notes, and reminders to the same contacts throughout the day, Hoy could become a convenient AirDrop alternative for both nearby and remote sharing.
Of course, because Hoy uses iCloud storage, users will still need to keep an eye on large files. Sending a quick screenshot is one thing; sharing a huge 4K video is another. But for Mac users who want a faster, friendlier way to share content, Hoy 1.0.1 brings a clever new idea to the desktop.
