iPhone native email client & adding attachments from mycloud

[JAY_ALLEN]

Hey guys,

Really at a loss here so thought I’d reach out to some of you helpful folk.

Recently purchased and installed mycloud and really enjoying HOWEVER there is one flaw unless I’m being rather silly. When I am composing a new email on the iOS native email app and select add attachment it takes me to “locations”. Here I can see dropbox, iCoud, OneDrive etc but not mycloud which is really frustrating as I have everything saved into organised folders on it.

Anyone have any ideas of how to access files saved on the mycloud drive and attach them to emails?

Kind regards
Jay

[Bennor]

I take it for remote access you didn’t install the My Cloud apps for iOS. If the iOS app is anything like the WD apps for Android one can email a link while connected remotely from within the WD Android app to the file, or download the file to one’s mobile device and attach it to an email.

WD My Cloud: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wd-my-cloud/id450655672?mt=8

WD Photos: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wd-photos/id366905089?mt=8

For local access one would need some type of File Manager (for Android I use ES File Explorer) to copy the file to one’s local media device so it can be emailed or to access the My Cloud so the file could be attached and emailed.

The inability to directly access the My Cloud from within the email application may be a limitation of the email client itself.

[JAY_ALLEN]

Hi Bennor,

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Yes, I have the app too on my iPhone.

I can go to the files and send them to people from there through the iOS native mail client as you suggested no problem. My main problem is adding attachments to an email chain already in existence.

Example. My accountant asks my for this months transactions which is saved on my MyCloud. I select reply to the email and then the “add attachment” option. It then lists out, OneDrive, iCloud and DropBox allowing me to add anything i have saved on those drives, but not MyCloud.

It’s really frustrating as I’ve spend hours organising everything into folders in MyCloud.

The difference between Android and iOS I believe is that with iOS you can’t simply just save any document to the phone locally. I think it is possible, like if I opened a pdf through an app specifically for pdf’s then it would save it somewhere but attached to that app so you wouldn’t
be able to simply add attachment and navigate to that location.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Regards
Jay

[mike27oct]

Jay, I don’t usually have a need to do this, but as an experiment recently, I attached a photo and a pdf document, both taken from y organized folders on My Cloud, and emailed it to myself and it worked fine. It’s rather easy. You do need the file on your iPhone or iPad and in the MC app download folder. Using the My Cloud app, download the file in to the MC app’s download folder on the phone. then you select that downloaded file and can create an email and attach and send it.

Practice doing this a few times; first by sending the file to your own email. It won’t take long to get the hang of it.

[JAY_ALLEN]

Thanks Mike.

Okay, I’ve downloaded a document to the “download folder” however when I’m in my email this still doesn’t appear in the list of locations when I try to “add attachment”.

To make it clear I can;

• Open the MC app navigate through the folders, select an item and click share which opens up the iOS email local client as a new email.

• As above navigate to the document, select download to the downloads folder, navigate to that and send as email, but again this opens up as a new email rather than allowing me to insert an attachment to a current email chain.

Does that make sense or did I misunderstand your reply Mike?

Regards
Jay

[mike27oct]

Yep, it goes as a separate email, not as part of an existing thread. This capability is beyond the scope of the MC app, just like the iOS email app can’t dip into the MC device and attach a file. Can the iOS email app not be able to dip into the MC app download folder either? Apparently so.

Well, at least the file got sent! That’s progress of sorts. It is only 2016; so maybe in a few years we can do what you want to do.

[JAY_ALLEN]

No it can’t see the download folder either so I guess it’s a lack of compatibility/functionality! Hopefully it is introduced soon.

[Bennor]

The difference between Android and iOS I believe is that with iOS you can’t simply just save any document to the phone locally. I think it is possible, like if I opened a pdf through an app specifically for pdf’s then it would save it somewhere but attached to that app so you wouldn’t
be able to simply add attachment and navigate to that location.

As I mentioned above have you tried to use a FIle Manager on the iOS device? Here is one such File manager that is free: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fileexplorer-free/id510282524?mt=8

It may be possible that once the file manager is installed it will allow the email application to use the file manager program to access the My Cloud and attach a file to the email.

On the Android, with ES File Explorer installed, the stock email app will list that app as one of the options for the attachment option. I can then use the ES File Explorer app to access the My Cloud and attach a file to the email.

[JAY_ALLEN]

Thanks again for reply.

I have downloaded the app and will add the WD MC later once I get home as I haven’t got all of the settings on me at present.

I’ll let you know how I get on but from a little tinkering, I can’t see File Explorer from the native email client at all so don’t think this will work!