Your computer likely offers more storage space than your iPhone or iPad, especially if you’re working on a desktop machine. What if you could access files on your computer from your phone without eating up your built-in storage space? It turns out you can do exactly that, all without the need for any cloud storage.
Both macOS and Windows have built-in file sharing for your local network, and Apple’s mobile operating system can access both of them. Users can browse any documents, photos, videos, or any other files on a computer from the comfort of a mobile device. The process simply requires digging around a little in the Files application. Remember that local file sharing, by its nature, only works if you’re on the same network as the other device.
Don’t set up file sharing away from home
A word of caution before getting started: local file sharing does involve some risk, especially for novices. If not configured properly you could accidentally give access to all of your files to anyone on your network. For this reason it’s a feature best used at home, on your own network. You definitely shouldn’t enable this feature on if you’re using a public WiFi network; you should use your own discretion while thinking about other networks, including work or a friend’s house. I, personally, only enable file sharing on desktop computers that don’t leave my house.
Share folders in macOS
Open System Settings on your Mac, which you can find on your Dock or by clicking the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen and then clicking System Settings. Click General in the left panel and then click Sharing. Make sure that File Sharing is toggled on.
Click the “i” icon to the right of the switch you just turned on to configure your shares. By default only your public folder is shared. You can add any other folder by clicking the “+” icon below the left panel. Choose any folder on your computer…
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