Peer-to-peer file transfer between computer systems and storage devices

The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates communication with a storage device. During operation, the system provides a physically operated mechanism for enabling detection of the storage device in proximity to a computer system using a discovery protocol. If detection of the storage device using the discovery protocol is enabled, the system uses the physically operated mechanism to establish a wireless peer-to-peer connection between the storage device and the computer system. The system then uses the wireless peer-to-peer connection to transfer a file between the storage device and the computer system.