How to connect and access a file server or NAS from your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

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If, like me, you have a server or NAS at home where you save your files, you can access these files using the Files app on your iPhone or iPad, or using Finder on Mac. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Files app, and under Browse in the bottom menu, tap on the ellipsis icon in the top right of the screen. Choose Connect to Server and then enter the IP address of your Network Storage, or the computer where you store your files. If you don’t know the IP address, don’t worry I’ll show you how to find this in just a sec.

If you use an account to access the computer where you store your files, you’ll be asked to provide those details here. Assuming those details are correct you should be able to access your network files. You can then do things like copy files or folders directly to your Phone or iPad like so. Long tap to bring up the context menu and the copy, and paste the files where you want to.

To do the same thing on a Mac, in the Finder menu, click on Go and choose Connect to Server. Again type in the IP address of your storage device, and like with your phone or iPad you’ll be prompted for the account details, if needed. Assuming these are correct your network files should open in a Finder window. To save you having to enter these details every time, you can click on the plus icon here to save the location as a Favorite.

If these steps didn’t work for you; if you were unable to connect, or you’re not sure what the IP address is, there are a few things you can check. Firstly, make sure all your devices are connected to the same network as your storage. Since most homes only have the one network, all connected to the same WIFI, it’s more than likely this should be fine. However, to be sure, on your iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app and under WIFI, tap on the Information icon next to the network you’re connected to. This will give you the IP address of your device. Now you need the IP address of your storage. I save all my files to a Synology NAS, or Network Access Storage, and I can find the IP address of that NAS in the Control Panel, under the Network settings, right here. You’ll notice that both my iPhone and the NAS have similar IP addresses, except for the last digits or octet as it’s known. This is a common format and in most cases, as long as these first three numbers are the same, your devices will all be connected to the same network. If you save all your files to a Mac, rather than a NAS, you can check the IP address of that Mac, by holding down the option key and clicking on the WIFI icon in the menu bar. Here you’ll be able to find the IP address of the Mac, and this will be the address to connect to in Finder.