Wirelessly Access Your Android Files: A Simple Guide

In today’s digital age, managing files across multiple devices can often feel cumbersome, especially when dealing with wired connections. Imagine the convenience of accessing your Android files wirelessly, right from your computer, without the need for cables or cloud services. With the right tools, you can transform your Android device into a local server, making file transfers seamless and efficient. This guide will walk you through the process of setting up your Android to enable wireless file access, simplifying your digital life.

Step 1 : Install an FTP Server App

I’m using this one : WiFi FTP Server – Apps on Google Play (the free version will do), but there can be others. The thing is using an FTP Server App, your choice.

You will be presented with a screen like the above. Click settings.

Configure your Port, UserID, Password, and Root Folder (the folder you want to access via a Client device, this will be the starting point for your access). You may activate read only for public networks.

Go back to the main screen, and press START. But make sure you’re on the same WIFI network with the client device (Mobile Hotspot is permitted, but not necessary)

Step 2 : Use an FTP Client

On the device you’ll use to access your files, such as a Windows or Mac laptop or another mobile device such as an iPad, iPhone, or another Android device, download an FTP Client. I use Cyberduck.

Cyberduck

“Cyberduck is a free and open source file transfer tool for Mac and Windows with support for FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, OpenStack Swift, Backblaze B2, Microsoft Azure & OneDrive,…”

Download (cyberduck.io)

Basically Cyberduck is very versatile. I use it for FTP local transfers and SSH FTP (SFTP).

Steps in using:

1. After downloading, open Cyberduck.
2. Click “Open Connection” on the top left.
3. Enter your credentials that you have configured above. The port is on the RIGHT side, not IP:Port. Click connect.

If “Read Only” is off in the FTP Server app, you can also delete your files from here!

Sometimes, the connection will fail without any warning, just try again! (Open connection->connect)

It will yield the root folder as configured in the FTP Server App. In this example, the root folder is my Winlator Games root folder, click here to discover how to run Windows games in Android.

Windows Explorer

The default Windows Explorer can also add your Android device (with an FTP Server) as a Networked folder. Go to My Computer/ This PC, then:

1. Right click on any empty space (not on any Drives) and click “Add a Network Location…”
2. Click Next
3. Click Choose a Custom Network Location
4. Type in your Server URL as configured in the FTP Server app (see picture 5 and 6)
5. Click Next
6. Untick “Log On Anonymously”, and type in your user name as configured. Click Next.
7. Type a name of your liking. This will be shown in “This PC” or “My Computer” if you’re running an older version of Windows
8. Click Next
9. OPTIONAL : You may untick the “Open this network location when I click finish”
10. Click Finish
11. When you open the folder for the first time, you will be prompted a password. If you click “Save Password”, then the next time you open the folder, it’ll be like opening a regular folder.

Mac Finder

If I remember correctly, the OSX version can also go to a Network folder via the Go menu item, but as I don’t have an OSX device, I can’t provide exact guidelines nor screenshots.

My Transfer is Slow!

Use a Mobile Hotspot connection. This will bypass the router, and the maximum speed will be regulated only between the devices. Especially when you’re not close to the router or the router is just a basic ISP provided router. See picture 8 for proof.

Other Uses

This is also useful if you have a device you use for travelling, but you want to access the content at home, for example via a KODI enabled device.

Hope this helps!

If there are questions, suggestions, comment below!

This article had been mentioned on https://www.reddit.com/r/obs/comments/1g19hj5/how_to_send_videos_from_obs_to_your_phone/