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Accessing and Sharing Files on a QNAP NAS Using Qfile

Last modified date: 2022-03-04

Qfile

Qfile is a QNAP NAS file management application for your mobile device. It enables you to access files on a QNAP NAS, upload files to your NAS from your mobile device, and share your NAS files with others. You can install Qfile from the Google Play Store for Android or the App Store for iOS devices.

Logging In to a NAS

This task explains how to manually log in and add a NAS. For details on logging in to a NAS using a QNAP ID or within a local network, see Adding a NAS.

  1. Open Qfile.

    The Qfile screen appears.

  2. Enter the following information.

    • Host/IP or myQNAPcloud name

    • NAS Username

    • NAS Password

  3. Optional: Enable Remember password.
  4. Optional: Enable Secure login (SSL).
  5. Optional: Enable Detect port automatically.
    1. Tap Advanced settings.
    2. Enable Detect port automatically.
  6. Tap Login.

    If you enabled Secure login (SSL), a confirmation message appears.

  7. Tap OK.

    Qfile logs in the specified NAS.

    Tip:

    After you log in to a NAS, you can use the bottom buttons to jump between your folders, recent activity or recently accessed files, your favorites, and your shared and received shared links.

Adding, Changing, and Managing NAS Devices

You can add multiple devices to Qfile. If you have more than one NAS on Qfile, you can switch between the devices.

Adding a NAS

There are three ways to add a NAS. You can add a NAS manually, use Qfile to automatically search available NAS devices on the network, or sign in using your QNAP ID.

  1. Open Qfile.
    Tip:

    If you are still on the Qfile screen, tap Other login options and go to step 5.

  2. Tap .

    A menu list appears.

  3. Tap Manage NAS.

    The Manage NAS window opens.

  4. Tap Add a NAS.

    The Qfile screen appears.

  5. Log in using one of the following options.

    Option

    User Action

    Log in to a NAS manually

    For details, see Logging In to a NAS.

    Use a local network

    Tip:

    Ensure that the NAS is on the same network as your mobile device.

    1. Tap Search NAS within local network.

      The Select a NAS and a list of QNAP devices screen appears.

    2. Select a NAS.

    3. Enter the NAS username and password.

    4. Enable Remember password.

    5. Enable Secure login (SSL).

    6. Enable Detect port automatically.

      1. Tap Advanced settings.

      2. Tap Detect port automatically.

    7. Tap Login.

    Use a QNAP ID

    Note:

    For details on removing or adding a QNAP ID, see Managing Your QNAP ID.

    1. Tap Log in with QNAP ID.

    2. The QNAP ID screen appears.

    3. Enter the QNAP ID login credentials.

    4. Tap Sign in.

      A confirmation message appears.

    5. Tap OK.

    6. Select a NAS.

      Qfile automatically enters the NAS name in Host/IP or myQNAPcloud name.

    7. Enter the NAS username and password.

    8. Enable Remember password.

    9. Enable Secure login (SSL).

    10. Enable Detect port automatically.

      1. Tap Advanced settings.

      2. Tap Detect port automatically.

    11. Tap Login.

    Use a previous NAS

    Note:

    This option only appears if you have previously removed a NAS.

    1. Tap Log in with past record.

    2. Select a NAS.

      Qfile automatically enters your login credentials for that NAS.

    3. Tap Login.

    Qfile logs in the NAS.

Changing to a Different NAS

If you have more than one NAS registered on Qfile, you can change to a different NAS anytime.

  1. Open Qfile.
  2. Tap .

    A menu list appears.

  3. Tap Change NAS.

    The Change NAS window opens.

  4. Select a NAS.

    Qfile changes to the specified NAS.

    Note:

    If you used a QNAP ID to list all of your devices, you need to enter the login credentials for the NAS you want to switch to.

Managing a NAS

  1. Open Qfile.
  2. Tap .

    A menu list appears.

  3. Tap Manage NAS.
  4. Tap beside the NAS that you want to manage.
  5. Select one of the following options.

    Option

    User Action

    Edit

    1. Tap Edit.

      The Edit Login Information screen appears.

    2. Modify the following information.

      1. Tap one of the following options.

        • Connection name

        • Host/IP or myQNAPcloud name

      2. Enter a new nickname or IP address.

      3. Tap Confirm.

    3. Change the NAS password.

      1. Tap Reset beside NAS Password.

        The Reset Password window opens.

      2. Enter a new password.

      3. Tap Reset.

    4. Enable or disable Secure login (SSL).

    5. Enable or disable detecting ports automatically.

      1. Tap Port.

      2. Enable or disable Detect port automatically.

    6. Tap Save.

    Delete

    1. Tap Delete.

      A confirmation message appears.

    2. Tap OK.

    Qfile saves or deletes the NAS information.

File Management

You can manage your NAS files directly from Qfile.

Sharing Files on the NAS

  1. Open Qfile.
  2. Tap the folder with the files you want to share.
  3. Tap beside the file that you want to share.
  4. Select one of the following options.

    Option

    User Action

    Send a copy

    1. Tap Send a copy.

    2. Tap the application you want to use when sending a copy of the file and then follow the on-screen instructions.

    Share the download link

    1. Tap Share the download link.

    2. Enter the following information.

      • Link name

      • Password

    3. Select the following options.

      • Share Link

        Tip:

        Select from a domain name or an IP address.

      • Set expiration date

    4. Enable Secure login (SSL).

    5. Tap Create.

      The Share Links screen appears.

      Tip:

      Tap to copy the link.

    6. Tap .

      A list of sharing options appear.

    7. Tap a sharing option and follow the on-screen instructions.

    Qfile sends a copy or shares the download link of the file.

Uploading Files to the NAS

  1. Open Qfile.
  2. Tap the folder you want to upload files to.
  3. On the top left corner of the screen, tap .

    A menu list appears.

  4. Tap Upload.
  5. Select one of the following options.
    Tip:

    The following options are for Android users. If you are an iOS user, you will see different options: Camera Roll, Camera, Downloads, and Other.

    Option

    Description

    User Action

    Photo Gallery

    Upload a photo from your mobile's photo gallery.

    1. Tap Photo Gallery.

      Note:

      You must allow Qfile to access files on your device.

      The Select photo screen appears.

    2. Tap a photo category.

      Tip:

      If there are multiple photos in this category, you can upload more than one photo.

    3. Tap at least one photo.

    4. Tap OK.

    Take Photo

    Take a photo and upload it to the NAS.

    Note:

    This option requires Qfile access to your camera.

    1. Tap Take Photo.

      Note:

      You must allow Qfile to take pictures and record videos.

    2. Take a photo.

    3. Tap .

    Take Video

    Take a video and upload it to the NAS.

    1. Tap Take Video.

      Note:

      You must allow Qfile to take pictures and record videos.

    2. Take a video.

    3. Tap .

    Download Folder

    Upload a photo from the specified folder on your mobile device.

    Tip:

    For details on how to change the Qfile Download folder, see Setting a New Download Folder.

    1. Tap Download Folder.

    2. Tap a photo.

    Local Storage

    Upload files from a folder in the local storage to the NAS.

    1. Tap Local Storage.

    2. Tap Internal storage.

    3. Tap a folder.

    4. Tap a file.

    Qfile uploads the file to the NAS.

Downloading Files From the NAS

  1. Open Qfile.
  2. Tap a folder.
  3. Tap beside the file you want to download.
  4. Select one of the following options.

    Option

    Description

    Download and open with other apps

    Downloads the file and opens it using an application.

    Save to Downloads

    Downloads the file to your mobile device.

    Tip:

    This file will appear in the Downloads folder.

    Qfile downloads the file.

Managing NAS Files

  1. Open Qfile.
  2. Tap a folder.
  3. Identify a file you want to manage, and then tap .

    A list of options appear.

  4. Select one of the following options.

    Option

    User Action

    Streaming to

    1. Tap Streaming to.

      A list of suitable players appear.

    2. Tap a player.

    Rename

    1. Tap Rename.

    2. Enter a new file or folder name.

    3. Tap OK.

    Copy

    1. Tap Copy.

      The Select folder window opens.

    2. Tap a folder on the breadcrumb navigation or select a folder from the list.

    3. Select a folder.

    4. Tap OK.

    Move

    1. Tap Move.

      The Select folder window opens.

    2. Tap a folder on the breadcrumb navigation or select a folder from the list.

    3. Select a folder.

    4. Tap OK.

    Delete

    1. Tap Delete.

      A confirmation message appears.

    2. Tap OK.

    Encrypt

    1. Tap Encrypt.

    2. Enter a password.

    3. Select a Duplicate File Name Policy.

    4. Disable Encrypt and replace original file.

    5. Tap Encrypt.

    Compress

    1. Tap Compress.

    2. Select one of the following.

      • Compression level

      • Archive format

      • Update mode

    3. Enter an archive name and password.

    4. Tap Compress.

    Add to transcode

    Note:

    This option is only for videos.

    1. Tap Add to transcode.

    2. Select at least one format.

      • 240p

      • 360p

      • 480p

      • 720p

      • 1080p

    3. Tap Confirm.

    Qfile performs the specified action.

Folder Management

You can create a new folder or manage existing folders from Qfile.

Sharing a Folder on the NAS

You cannot share parent folders.

  1. Open Qfile.
  2. Tap a folder.
  3. Tap beside the folder that you want to share.
  4. Tap Share the download link.
  5. Optional: Enter the following information.

    • Link name

    • Password

  6. Optional: Select an option from the following settings.

    • Share Link

      Tip:

      Select from a domain name or an IP address.

    • Set expiration date

  7. Optional: Enable the following settings.

    • Allow file upload to this folder

    • Enable Secure login (SSL).

  8. Tap Create.

    The Share Links screen appears.

    Tip:

    Tap to copy the link.

  9. Tap .

    A list of sharing options appear.

  10. Tap a sharing option and follow the on-screen instructions.

Creating a NAS Folder

Note:

You can only create a folder inside an existing folder.

  1. Open Qfile.
  2. Tap a folder.
  3. At the top right of the screen, tap .

    A menu list appears.

  4. Tap New folder.

    The New folder window opens.

  5. Enter a folder name.
  6. Tap OK.

    Qfile creates the new folder on the NAS.

Downloading a NAS Folder

You cannot download parent folders.

  1. Open Qfile.
  2. Tap a folder.
  3. Tap beside the folder that you want to download.
  4. Tap Save to Downloads.

    Qfile downloads the folder to your mobile device.

    Tip:

    The folder and its contents appear in the Downloads folder.

Managing a NAS Folder

  1. Open Qfile.
  2. Tap a folder.
  3. Tap beside the folder that you want to manage.
  4. Tap one of the following options.

    Option

    User Action

    Rename

    1. Tap Rename.

    2. Enter a folder name.

    3. Tap OK.

    Copy

    1. Tap Copy.

      The Select folder window opens.

    2. Tap a folder on the breadcrumb navigation or select a folder from the list.

    3. Select a folder.

    4. Tap OK.

    Move

    1. Tap Move.

      The Select folder window opens.

    2. Tap a folder on the breadcrumb navigation or select a folder from the list.

    3. Select a folder.

    4. Tap OK.

    Delete

    1. Tap Delete.

      A confirmation message appears.

    2. Tap OK.

    Add to Favorites

    Tap Add to Favorites.

    Qfile adds the folder to the Favorites section of File Station.

    Compress

    1. Tap Compress.

    2. Enter an archive name and password.

    3. Select one of the following.

      • Compression level

      • Archive format

      • Update mode

    4. Tap Compress.

    Qfile performs the specified action.

Auto Upload

Auto Upload allows you to automatically upload items from a folder or multimedia files from the photo gallery on your mobile device to your NAS.

To use this feature, you must allow Qfile to access storage on your mobile device.

Device Operating System Permission

Android 11 and later

Allow Qfile to access all files on your device.

Android 10 or earlier

Allow Qfile to access photos, media, and files on your device.

iOS

Allow Qfile to access all photos on your device.

Auto Uploading Items from the Gallery

  1. Open Qfile.
  2. Tap .

    A menu list appears.

  3. Tap Auto Upload Settings.
  4. Tap Set up now beside Auto upload from photo gallery.

    Three options appear.

  5. Select one of the following options.

    • All photos and videos

    • Only camera roll

    • Custom

  6. Select a NAS.
  7. Tap a folder.
    Tip:

    • To select a different folder, tap Manual setup.

    • To change your destination folder on the Auto Upload screen, tap Destination.

  8. Optional: Select a folder structure.
    1. Tap Folder Structure.

      The Upload Rules window opens.

    2. Select one of the following options.

      Option

      Description

      Create subfolders based on the source folder structure

      Qfile creates subfolders within the source folder.

      Single folder

      Qfile creates a folder for your items.
  9. Under File setting, configure the following settings.
    1. Select an option from Upload Rules.

      • Scan and upload

      • Upload all photos & videos

      • Upload files added from

    2. Select how to handle duplicate file names.

      • Skip

      • Rename

    3. Enable or disable Use original filename.
  10. Optional: Under Upload settings, enable the following options.

    • Use cellular data

      Note:

      When you enable this option, you can also enable Use cellular data to upload videos.

    • Background uploading

    • Upload when charging only

  11. Optional: Disable Display the transfer status in the nofication center.
  12. Optional: Enable Skip all files in the Qfile Download folder.
  13. Tap Save.

    Qfile uploads the items to the NAS.

Auto Uploading from Selected Folders

Note:

This task only applies to Android devices.

  1. Open Qfile.
  2. Tap .

    A menu list appears.

  3. Tap Auto Upload Settings.
  4. Tap Set up now beside Automatically upload files from select folders.
  5. Tap Internal storage.

    Your mobile's internal storage folder list appears.

  6. Optional: Select a folder.
  7. Tap OK.
  8. Select a NAS.
  9. Select a destination NAS folder.
    Note:

    • To select a different folder, tap Manual setup.

    • To change your destination folder on the Auto Upload screen, tap Destination.

  10. Optional: Select a new destination folder.
  11. Under File setting, select one of the following options.
    1. Select an option from Upload Rules.

      • Scan and upload

      • Upload all photos & videos

      • Upload files added from

    2. Select how to handle duplicate file names.

      • Skip

      • Rename

    3. Enable or disable Use original filename.
  12. Under Upload settings, enable the following options.

    • Use cellular data

      Note:

      When you enable this option, you can also enable Use cellular data to upload videos.

    • Background uploading

    • Upload when charging only

  13. Optional: Disable Display the transfer status in the nofication center.
  14. Optional: Enable Skip all files in the Qfile Download folder.
  15. Tap Save.

    Qfile uploads the items to the NAS.

Setting a New Download Folder

The Qfile download folder is a folder in the local storage where you can access files without an internet connection. The default download folder is the local Qfile folder.

  1. Open Qfile.
  2. Tap .

    A menu list appears.

  3. Tap Settings.
    Note:

    To see your current downloads, tap Downloads.

  4. Tap Downloads.
  5. Tap Folder Path.

    The Select folder window opens.

  6. Tap Interal storage.
  7. Optional: Select a folder.
  8. Tap OK.

    Qfile sets the specified folder as the new download folder.

Managing Background Tasks

  1. Open Qfile.
  2. Tap .

    A menu list appears.

  3. Tap Background task.
  4. Tap beside the task that you want to manage.
    Tip:

    To manage background tasks for other actions, tap one of the tabs above: Upload, Download, Auto upload, File Operations.

    Two options appear.

  5. Select one of the following.

    • INFO

    • DELETE

    Qfile deletes or opens information about the link.

Settings and Account Management

You can add or remove your QNAP ID or configure settings for Qfile.

Managing Your QNAP ID

  1. Open Qfile.
  2. Tap .

    A menu list appears.

  3. Tap Settings.
  4. Optional: Sign out of your current QNAP ID.
    1. Tap QNAP ID.
    2. Tap a QNAP ID from the list.
    3. Tap Sign Out.

      Two options appear.

    4. Select one of the following.

      • Delete

      • Keep

    5. Tap Confirm.

      Qfile removes the QNAP ID.

  5. Optional: Add a QNAP ID.
    1. Tap QNAP ID.
    2. Tap ADD.

      The QNAP ID screen appears.

    3. Enter the login credentials.
    4. Tap Sign in.

      A confirmation message appears.

    5. Tap OK.

      Qfile adds the QNAP ID.

Configuring Qfile Settings

For details on changing the download folder, see Setting a New Download Folder. For details on configuring auto upload settings, see Auto Upload.

  1. Open Qfile.
  2. Tap .

    A menu list appears.

  3. Tap Settings.
  4. Optional: Configure the settings for duplicate file names.
    1. Tap Duplicate File Name Policy.
    2. Tap one of the following settings.

      • Upload

      • Download

      • Copy/Move

    3. Select one of the following.

      • Overwrite

      • Skip

      • Rename

      • Always ask me

        Note:

        This option is only for Copy/Move.

  5. Optional: Configure the general settings for Qfile.
    1. Tap General.
    2. Configure the following settings.

      Option

      Description

      Cache

      Clears the Qfile cache.

      Passcode Lock

      Enables a passcode for Qfile.

      Fingerprint

      Allows you to use your fingerprint to access Qfile.

      Note:

      To see this opton, enable Passcode Lock.

      Auto login

      Automatically logs you in the current NAS.

      Region

      Allows you to specify a region.

      Privacy

      Allows you to join QNAP's user experience program.
  6. Optional: Disable or enable using cellular data to upload and download files.
    1. Tap Policy for uploading and downloading files.
    2. Tap Use cellular data.

      A confirmation message appears.

    3. Tap OK.
  7. Optional: Configure the view settings.
    1. Tap View Settings.
    2. Configure the following settings.

      Setting

      User Action

      Theme

      1. Tap Theme.

      2. Select one of the following options.

        • System default

        • Light mode

        • Dark mode

      3. Tap Confirm.

      Browsing photo

      1. Tap Browsing photo.

      2. Select one of the following options.

        • Show thumbnails

        • Show original photos

      3. Tap Confirm.
    3. Enable or disable the following settings.

      • Show hidden files

      • Show Network Recycle Bin(s)

      • Always show the 360° button

  8. Optional: Configure the video playback settings.
    1. Tap Video Playback Settings.
    2. Configure the following settings.

      Setting

      Description

      Resolution

      Allows you to select one of the following resolutions:

      • 240p

      • 360p

      • 480p

      • 720p

      • 1080p

      • 240p (On-the-fly Transcoding)

      • 360p (On-the-fly Transcoding)

      • 480p (On-the-fly Transcoding)

      • 720p (On-the-fly Transcoding)

      • 1080p (On-the-fly Transcoding)

      • Original file

      • Always ask me

      Player

      Allows you to select one of the following players:

      • Qfile

      • System default player

      • Another video player

      • Always ask me
  9. Optional: Under Shared from other app, select a NAS.
    1. Tap Set up now.
    2. Select a NAS.

      The Select folder window opens.

    3. Select a NAS folder.
    4. Tap OK.
  10. Optional: Configure whether to upload modified files to the NAS or generate thumbnails.
    1. Tap Others.
    2. Tap Always upload modified files to my NAS.
    3. Select one of the following.

      • Yes

      • No

      • Always ask me

    4. Enable or disable Generate thumbnails while uploading photos (jpg, jpeg and png files only).

Qfile saves the specified settings.

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