Ever Wonder How Your Photos End Up “In the Cloud”? Meet FTP

Source: Dev.to

You just snapped a photo on your laptop.
What do you do?
You don’t email it to yourself. Instead, you transfer the actual file—byte for byte—from your computer to a remote server. Think of it like hiring a courier: that’s FTP—File Transfer Protocol.

What Is FTP?

• Small business websites use it to update menus or product photos.
• Logging in to a server is like showing ID to a courier.

Is FTP Secure?

Most modern setups use its secure siblings:

• SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) – Encrypted, runs over SSH.

You’ve Probably Used FTP—Without Knowing It

FTP (or SFTP) works behind the scenes. It’s not as flashy as REST APIs or cloud storage dashboards, but it’s the backbone that moves files across the web.

Fun question: What was the first file you ever uploaded to the internet?