Original data
File sharing statistics 2026: how people open shared links
Most shared files are opened on a phone, the median PDF reader spends 15 seconds actively reading, and only 26% of video viewers watch to the end. These numbers come from Link in Seconds' own anonymised, aggregate data: 3,304 human viewing sessions between 2026-10-04 and 2026-10-21, and 4,652 links created in the 90 days to 2026-10-21.
Key numbers
- 64% of shared files were opened on a phone, 34% on a desktop computer and 1% on a tablet.
- 12% of opens came from scanning a QR code; 87% came from the link itself.
- The median PDF reader spent 15 seconds actively reading, and 35% of multi-page PDF views reached the last page.
- Only 5.5% of PDF views downloaded the file.
- 26% of video viewers watched to the end; the median viewer reached 33% of the video.
- Images (53%) and PDFs (27%) were the most shared file types.
- People opened shared links in 77 countries.
Most shared files are opened on a phone
64% of opens were on phones, 34% on desktop computers and 1% on tablets. The person you send a file to is most likely looking at it on a small screen.
What this means for you: Make sure your file reads well on a phone: large text, one column, and open it on your own phone before you send it.
12% of opens come from a QR code
87% of opens came from the link itself, shared in a message, an email or a post. 12% came from someone scanning a QR code, and 1% from opening a file inside an album.
What this means for you: If your file belongs to a place, like a menu, a poster or a flyer, add a QR code. People do scan them.
Images and PDFs are what people share most
Of 4,652 links created by 1,894 people in the 90 days to 2026-10-21, 53% were images, 27% PDFs, 12% videos and 6.5% HTML pages. ZIP files were about 1% and audio under 1%.
What this means for you: One link works for all of these. You don't need a separate tool for photos, documents and video.
A PDF gets a quick read: 15 seconds at the median
Across 1,326 PDF viewing sessions, the median time spent actively reading was 15 seconds. 35% of views of PDFs with more than one page reached the last page, and only 5.5% of PDF views downloaded the file.
What this means for you: Put the key point on page 1. Most readers skim, many never reach the end, and very few save a copy, so the link is where your file gets read.
Most viewers don't watch a video to the end
Across 774 video viewing sessions, 26% watched to the end. The median viewer reached 33% of the video.
What this means for you: Put the most important part in the first third of your video, and keep it short if you can.
Shared links travel far
In the same window, people opened shared links in 77 countries.
What this means for you: Your file may be read far from where you are, so send something that opens in any browser, with no app or account.
All the numbers in one table
| Measure | Value | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Opens on a phone | 64% | 3,304 viewing sessions |
| Opens on a desktop computer | 34% | 3,304 viewing sessions |
| Opens on a tablet | 1% | 3,304 viewing sessions |
| Opens from scanning a QR code | 12% | 3,304 viewing sessions |
| Opens from the link directly | 87% | 3,304 viewing sessions |
| Opens from inside an album | 1% | 3,304 viewing sessions |
| Countries with viewers | 77 | 3,304 viewing sessions |
| Links that are images | 53% | 4,652 links, 90 days |
| Links that are PDFs | 27% | 4,652 links, 90 days |
| Links that are videos | 12% | 4,652 links, 90 days |
| Links that are HTML pages | 6.5% | 4,652 links, 90 days |
| Links that are ZIP files | about 1% | 4,652 links, 90 days |
| Links that are audio | under 1% | 4,652 links, 90 days |
| Median active reading time, PDF | 15 seconds | 1,326 PDF sessions |
| Multi-page PDF views that reached the last page | 35% | 1,326 PDF sessions |
| PDF views that downloaded the file | 5.5% | 1,326 PDF sessions |
| Video views watched to the end | 26% | 774 video sessions |
| Point the median viewer reached in a video | 33% | 774 video sessions |
How we measured this
- Viewing data covers 3,304 human viewing sessions on Link in Seconds links between 2026-10-04 and 2026-10-21. Bots and crawlers are excluded. Sessions may include owners previewing their own links.
- PDF figures come from 1,326 PDF viewing sessions and video figures from 774 video viewing sessions. Reading time counts only the time the page was visible and in focus, not time it sat in a background tab.
- The file mix covers 4,652 links created by 1,894 people in the 90 days to 2026-10-21.
- Every number is aggregated and anonymised. No individual file was opened or looked at to make this page, and no personal data is published. Percentages are rounded, so a group may not add up to exactly 100%.
- This is how people open files shared with Link in Seconds, not all file sharing everywhere.
Cite this: Link in Seconds, File sharing statistics, October 2026, https://linkinseconds.com/file-sharing-statistics