Use your mobile device as an external hard drive 04/06/11

As editors, we’re always using the “sneaker-net” and it can be a real pain when you don’t have a thumbdrive handy. But you’ll always have your mobile phone on you, so why not use it? Here’s how:

Download the app Air Sharing from iTunes.

Make sure WIFI is enabled on your mobile device. It should be the same WIFI network that your computer is using.

Launch Air Sharing and you will be presented with the main screen. It will display the sample files and directories that come with the app.

Click on the wrench at the bottom right of the screen.

It will bring up the Settings screen. Enable Sharing will be off. Turn it on.

Then turn on Sharing Security. It will bring up the Sharing Security screen.

Turn on Require Password. Type a password for Air Sharing based on your unique password algorithm.

Then for an extra layer of security you can create a Passcode Lock for your device.

You will have to enter the code twice to enable it. This way, if your mobile device ever gets lost or stolen no one will be able to get into the files you have stored in your Air Sharing app.

(Note: Hopefully, you are using the native passcode feature that can be found in your mobile device’s Settings menu).

Also, disable the Allow Sleep option to make sure that Air Sharing is not interrupted while it is mounted on your computer. This prevents your mobile device from going to sleep.

You can find the IP address of the iPhone, and the URL to connect to on the home page OR the Connection Help screen, which can be accessed by clicking on the small W-Fi icon.

Go to your Mac and press Command + K. This will open the Connect to Server dialogue box.

Enter the IP address or Bonjour name for your mobile device, as shown in the Connection Help screen in Air Sharing.

When you press the Connect button, if you set a sharing username and password in Air Sharing you will be presented with the following dialogue in which to enter them.

Once you do this press OK.
The finder will give you an authentication message. Click Continue.

After authenticating, your network mounted connection to your mobile device will mount.

Drag a test file into your mounted drive.

Depending on your network speed, your file will appear in your Air Sharing app on your mobile device instantly.

If you don’t have access to a wireless network, you can connect to your mobile device over a cable. Plug your mobile device into your computer and you will see it show up in iTunes.

Select your iPad from the Devices section of iTunes. Click the Apps tab and scroll down to the bottom of the page. You will see all the apps supporting file sharing including Air Sharing.