Getting Started with Files Remote

This guide walks you through sharing selected folders from a Mac or Windows computer, pairing nearby Android, iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Windows devices, browsing and downloading files, granting optional Write access, and reviewing completed activity.

1. Install Files Remote on Your Devices

Install Files Remote on the Mac or Windows computer that holds the folders you want to share. This device is the host.
Install Files Remote on the phone, tablet, Mac, or Windows computer you want to browse from. This device is the reader.
Connect both devices to the same local network. In most homes and offices, this means the same Wi-Fi router or wired LAN.
Keep Files Remote running on the host while another device browses or transfers files. Desktop Settings can enable autostart and background tray behavior so the host is easier to find.

Mac and Windows can host and browse shared folders. Android and iOS can browse and manage folders on a Mac or Windows host but do not share their own folders.

2. Allow Local Network and Folder Access

Files Remote needs local network access to find and contact nearby computers. If your phone, tablet, or computer asks for permission to access devices on the local network, allow it.

The desktop host also needs access to every folder you choose to share. On macOS, the operating system may ask you to approve the folder, and Files Remote stores a security-scoped reference so it can reopen that folder later. On Windows, access remains subject to the current user account, filesystem permissions, and security software.

3. Share Folders on the Host Computer

Open Files Remote on the Mac or Windows host.
During first-run setup, add at least one shared folder. You can also open Settings and find Shared folders later.
Select only folders whose contents you are comfortable exposing to paired devices.
Add more folders when needed or remove a root to stop exposing it through Files Remote. Removing a shared root from the app does not delete the original folder.

Each shared folder is presented as a separate root. Paired devices cannot use Files Remote navigation to move above a shared root or browse other parts of the host filesystem.

4. Pair Your Devices

Open the Browse tab on the reader.
Find the Mac or Windows host under Nearby devices.
Select an unpaired computer and send a pairing request.
On the host, review and approve the request.
After approval, the computer becomes trusted and can be opened from Browse when its permissions allow it.

Pair only devices you own or are authorized to use. You can rename, reorder, hide, edit, or delete paired devices from the Devices tab.

5. Choose Read or Write Access

Permissions belong to the Mac or Windows host. Open its Devices tab, select a paired reader, and choose the access level:

Read only: allows that device to list shared folders, browse their contents, view metadata, and download files.
Read & Write: also allows that device to create folders, upload files, rename items, and request deletion inside shared roots.

Write access includes Read access. Permission choices are stored only on the host and can be changed or revoked without editing the reader. New-device defaults can be configured in desktop Settings.

6. Browse a Shared Folder

Open Browse and select an online, paired Mac or Windows computer.
Choose one of the folders shared by that host.
Open subfolders to navigate. Select a file to download or use its available actions.
Use Search to filter the items currently displayed. Change sorting to Name, Date, Size, or Type, and switch between list and grid views as preferred.

A listing can show up to the first 2,000 items in a folder. Search filters that displayed listing; it does not perform a whole-computer or deep-folder search.

7. Download, Save, Share, or Open a File

Select a file and choose Download. Files Remote transfers the file directly from the host over the local network and keeps a temporary local copy for the current browser session.

On Android, you can save images and videos to the system gallery or save any file to Downloads. On iPhone and iPad, you can save supported media to the system gallery or send a received file to the Share sheet. On desktop, you can choose a local destination and open a downloaded file using the applications available on that computer. Operating-system dialogs and destination apps control what happens to saved, shared, or opened copies.

Before closing the file browser, save any downloaded files you want to keep. Temporary downloaded copies may be removed when the session closes or when the operating system clears the app's cache.

8. Create, Upload, Rename, and Delete

If the host has granted Read & Write permission, additional actions appear inside a shared root:

Folder: create a new folder in the current location.
Upload: choose one or more files and send them to the current folder. Mobile readers can also select images or videos from the system media library. Desktop readers support file selection and drag and drop.
Rename: change the name of a selected file or folder.
Delete: ask the host to move the selected item to Trash or Recycle Bin, or permanently delete it when that behavior is configured or separately confirmed.

The Upload page shows total and per-file progress. When a destination name already exists, choose the available conflict action, such as keeping both files, replacing the existing file, or canceling. Keep the sender and host awake and connected until active transfers finish.

Write actions change the host filesystem. Review the selected computer, shared root, destination folder, names, and deletion prompt before you continue.

9. Review Activity in History

When Save to History is enabled, Files Remote stores a local record of completed activity such as downloads, saved files, uploads, new folders, renames, items moved to Trash, permanent deletions, and files opened locally.

Use History to filter entries by device, inspect details, open a containing folder or repeat a supported action, and clear entries. The history-depth setting controls how many recent records are retained. Clearing a History entry does not delete the original file or a copy you already saved.

10. Keep Your Device List Organized

The Devices tab is where you manage trusted devices. Rename them to make them easy to recognize, drag them into a preferred order, change host-side permissions, hide devices from Browse, remove old pairings, or add a computer by local IP address.

If a host does not appear automatically, use Add and enter its local IP address. Make sure Files Remote is running, both devices use the same port in Settings, and a firewall, VPN, guest network, or router isolation setting is not blocking local connections.

11. Privacy and Security

Files Remote communicates over your local network or Wi-Fi.
No Files Remote account is required.
Your files are not uploaded to or relayed through a Files Remote cloud service.
Pairing must be approved before a device can browse shared folders.
Requests between paired devices are encrypted and use pinned device certificates.
Shared folders are identified remotely by opaque root IDs rather than host paths.
The host stores and enforces Read and Write permissions locally.
Settings, shared-root references, paired-device records, and History are stored locally.

For the safest experience, share only the folders that are needed, use Files Remote only on networks you trust, grant Write access sparingly, remove old pairings when a device is sold or shared, and keep your devices and operating systems updated.

Quick Troubleshooting

A computer does not appear: Confirm that both devices are on the same network, local network access is allowed, Files Remote is running on the host, and firewall or VPN software is not blocking local traffic.
Pairing does not arrive: Refresh nearby devices, verify the port in Settings, allow pairing requests on the host, or look up the computer by local IP address.
No shared folders appear: Add at least one folder on the Mac or Windows host and confirm that the operating system still allows Files Remote to access it.
Browsing is disabled: On the host, open Devices and give the paired reader Read only or Read & Write access.
File-management actions are missing: The host has granted only Read access. Change that paired device to Read & Write if you trust it.
A download or upload stops: Keep both apps open, check available storage and file access, reconnect to the same network, and retry the transfer.
A deletion cannot use Trash: Trash or Recycle Bin may be unavailable for that volume or network share. Permanently delete only if Files Remote asks and you are certain the correct item is selected.
Search does not find a nested file: Search filters only the current displayed folder. Open the relevant subfolder and search again.

Once your devices are paired, everyday use is simple: open the host, choose a shared folder, and work with the files you need.

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