Turn your Android phone into an FTP server and copy files to a PC, Mac or another phone

Solid Explorer can run an FTP server on your phone. Start it and connect from another device: on a Windows PC your phone's storage opens in File Explorer like a network drive, on a Mac in Finder or a free FTP app, and on another Android phone in Solid Explorer. You can copy whole folders in either direction, and nothing has to be set up on a Windows PC. The FTP server is free.

Start the FTP server

1. In Solid Explorer, open the side menu (swipe from the left edge) and, under Toolbox, tap FTP Server.

2. The first time, Solid Explorer downloads the feature ("This feature requires additional installation"). Tap Install and wait a few seconds.

3. Set a user name and password: open the ⋮ menu, choose Set user, enter a Username (your phone's name is suggested) and a Password you choose, and tap Set.

4. Tap Start at the bottom of the screen. If Android asks whether Solid Explorer may show notifications, allow it. The notification is how you'll see and stop the running server.

The status changes to Active, and under Server address you'll see something like ftp://[email protected]:9999

That's the address to use on the other device. The part before @ is your user name, the numbers are your phone's address on the network, and 9999 is the port.

Open your phone on a Windows PC

1. Open File Explorer.

2. Click the address bar at the top, type the address shown on your phone (for example ftp://[email protected]:9999), and press Enter.

3. Enter your password when Windows asks for it.

Your phone's internal storage opens. Copy files the usual way: drag them in or out, or use copy and paste.

Open your phone on a Mac

To copy files from your phone to the Mac, Finder is enough:

1. In Finder, choose Go → Connect to Server (or press ⌘K).

2. Enter the address shown on your phone, for example ftp://[email protected]:9999, and click Connect.

3. Enter your password. Your phone opens as a drive, and you can drag files from it to your Mac.

Finder can't copy files to an FTP server. To send files from the Mac to your phone, use a free FTP app such as Cyberduck or FileZilla. Enter:

• Host: your phone's address, for example 192.168.1.23

• Port: 9999

• Username and Password: the ones you set in Solid Explorer

An FTP app is also the better choice for large transfers on any computer.

Open your phone on another Android phone

This is a quick way to move lots of files between two Android phones, for example when switching to a new phone. Install Solid Explorer on the other phone too, then on that phone:

1. Tap the + button and choose New connection.

2. Choose FTP and tap Next.

3. Under Server name or IP address, enter the first phone's address without ftp:// and the user name, for example 192.168.1.23. Change Port number from 21 to 9999.

4. Choose Username and password and enter the user name and password you set on the first phone.

5. Tap through to Connect, then Finish.

The first phone's storage now opens in Solid Explorer on the second phone. Open it in one panel and the second phone's own storage in the other, and copy files between them.

Open your phone on an iPhone or iPad

The iPhone's Files app can't connect to FTP servers. You'd need an FTP app from the App Store. For a few files, it's easier to use WebFS instead: your phone's files open in Safari, and downloads go straight to the Files app.

Faster ways to start it

• Share one folder. Long-press a folder in Solid Explorer and choose Share via FTP. The server starts with that folder as the top level, so the other device sees only that folder.

• Quick Settings tile. Add the FTP Server tile to your quick settings panel (swipe down twice, tap the pencil icon) and start or stop the server with one tap.

• Home-screen shortcut. On the FTP Server screen, open ⋮ → Create shortcut.

Settings

• Home directory: the folder the other device sees as the top level. It defaults to your internal storage. Tap the folder icon to choose another one, for example only DCIM for photos.

• Anonymous access: lets anyone connect without a password. It's off by default; leave it off unless you're on a network you completely trust.

• Show hidden files: also shows files and folders whose names start with a dot.

• Change port (in the ⋮ menu): use a different port if 9999 is taken. It can be anything from 1024 to 65535.

• FTPES (Pro): encrypts the connection, including your password. You also get Disallow unencrypted, which turns away clients that don't use encryption. Windows File Explorer doesn't support encrypted FTP, so use FileZilla or a similar app. The first time you connect, the app will ask you to trust the certificate. Compare the Signature (SHA-256) shown in Solid Explorer with the one the app displays.

Is it safe?

The FTP server is meant for your home network. Anyone on the same network who knows your user name and password can read, add, change and delete files in the shared folder. On a network you don't control (a hotel, café or office):

• Keep Anonymous access off.

• Share a single folder instead of your whole storage.

• Remember that plain FTP sends your password and files unencrypted. Turn on FTPES (Pro) or use your phone's hotspot instead.

• Stop the server as soon as you're done.

If it doesn't work