How to get a file from your Mac when you are not at home
In short: with Remolo Pro and access from anywhere, open “•••” → “Files & clipboard”: your Mac’s Desktop, Documents, Downloads and home folder are there. Tap a file and it opens on the iPhone, where you can save it to Files or Photos or send it on. The other way round, photos, videos and files from the phone land in the Mac’s Downloads.
Updated
What you need
- Remolo Pro.
- Access from anywhere turned on on the Mac — before you leave.
- The Mac switched on and online; “Mac always ready to connect” keeps it from sleeping by itself.
Step by step
Set up the Mac ahead of time
In the Remolo Helper menu turn on 🌐, and in Settings → Security “Mac always ready to connect”.
Open the files
In Remolo on the iPhone: “•••” → “Files & clipboard”. Pick the Desktop, Documents, Downloads or the home folder and go to the folder you need.
Take the file
Tap the file — it downloads and opens on the iPhone. Save it to Files or Photos, or share it right away.
Or send a file to the Mac
Photos, videos and files from the phone go into the Downloads folder on the Mac.
Clipboard
What the Mac copied waits in the “•••” menu — one tap and the text is on the iPhone’s clipboard. Automatic copying from the Mac is off by default, and text goes from iPhone to Mac with a Paste button. Anything password managers mark as concealed never leaves the Mac.
Who sees the files
Files move only between your Mac and your phone, when you pick them. The data is encrypted on the devices; the Remolo relay only passes ciphertext along and stores nothing. Guests never get files.
Honest limits
- You see the Mac’s Desktop, Documents, Downloads and home folder — not external drives.
- The Mac has to be on and awake: a closed MacBook lid or a flat battery puts it to sleep.
- Files and the clipboard are part of Remolo Pro.
Questions
Do I need iCloud or another cloud service?
No. The file goes straight from your Mac to the phone — through the relay only as ciphertext, with nothing stored anywhere.
Does it work at home without internet?
Yes: on the same network the phone and the Mac connect directly.
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