How to open a Windows, Mac or NAS shared folder on Android (SMB)

What SMB is

SMB (Server Message Block) is the file sharing protocol Windows uses for shared folders. macOS, Linux (through Samba) and most NAS devices support it too. With an SMB-capable file manager, your phone can browse, open and copy files on those machines over your home network, without uploading anything to the cloud.

Step 1 on Windows: share a folder

1. Open Settings > Network & internet and make sure your network is set to Private.
2. Open Advanced network settings > Advanced sharing settings and turn on Network discovery and File and printer sharing for private networks.
3. Right-click the folder you want to share, choose Properties > Sharing > Share, and add your user account.
4. Open Command Prompt, type ipconfig and note the IPv4 address, for example 192.168.1.20.

Note: Connect with your Windows username and password. If you sign in to Windows with a Microsoft account, use the account email and password, not your PIN.

Step 1 on a Mac: turn on File Sharing

1. Open System Settings > General > Sharing and turn on File Sharing.
2. Click the info button next to File Sharing to choose the shared folders and the users who can access them.
3. Note the address shown there, or find the Mac's IP address in System Settings > Network.

Note: If the phone cannot sign in, open Options in the File Sharing settings and check that SMB sharing is on for your user account.

Step 1 on a NAS or router

On Synology, QNAP and most other NAS systems, turn on the SMB file service in the control panel and create a user with access to the shared folder. Many routers with a USB port can also share a drive over SMB; look for file sharing in the router's settings page.

Step 2: connect from Android with Fylo

Android has no built-in way to browse SMB shares, and only some phone makers' file apps include network storage. Fylo connects to SMB, FTP and WebDAV servers on your local network.

1. Connect your phone to the same Wi-Fi network as the computer or NAS.
2. Open Fylo and go to its network locations.
3. Add an SMB connection and enter the IP address, your username and your password.
4. Save it, then browse the shared folders like local storage: open, copy and download files.

If the connection fails

• Use the IP address instead of the computer's name. Name lookup on home networks is unreliable.
• Check that both devices are on the same network. Guest Wi-Fi networks often stop devices from seeing each other.
• Turn off any VPN on the phone while you connect. Many VPNs block local network traffic.
• Allow File and Printer Sharing through the Windows firewall for private networks.
• Check the username and password again. Windows normally does not allow guest access to shared folders.
• If an old NAS only supports SMB1, update its firmware or turn on SMB2 or SMB3. SMB1 is insecure and switched off in current versions of Windows.
• Reserve a fixed IP address for the computer in your router, so the saved connection keeps working after a restart.

Keep network sharing secure

Share only the folders you need, use an account with a strong password and keep sharing limited to private networks. Never expose SMB to the internet by forwarding its port on your router. To reach your files from outside, connect to your home network through a VPN instead.

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