The company originally created a DeskConnect app to make it easy to transfer items between iPhone devices and Apple Mac computers, so the team had previous experience dealing with Apple-only products and software.Īccording to a TechCrunch report, DeskConnect had "raised an unannounced seed round… in the range of a couple million from Lowercase, Eniac and General Catalyst."Īcquisition Terms, Rationale and Commentary The app was an Apple Design Award winner (as judged by Apple) and was also a best App Store app for 2015.īelow is a how-to explainer video about the Workflow app: The group created the Workflow app for iOS, which enables users to automate a series of tasks in and between applications for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch devices. Iceland and San Francisco-based DeskConnect was founded in 2012 by Ari Weinstein, Conrad Kramer, Ben Feldman and Nick Frey. It's a tiny acquisition for Apple, but a telling one, since it shows the company's intention of providing greater connectivity between apps, services and hardware as the Internet of Things (IoT) becomes more prevalent. The app allows users to easily create automated functions between other software apps and run those automations on any Apple device, including iPhone, Apple Watch and iPad. The general rule is if you think your files contain sensitive information, don’t use third party services.īut if you are looking for a quick and easy solution to move and send files between Mac and iOS devices that is not limited by hardware compatibility nor distance, you should consider DeskConnect.Apple ( NASDAQ: AAPL) has acquired DeskConnect, the maker of the popular Workflow automation application. Privacy and SecurityĮven though DeskConnect stated that all the files sent using the app would be encrypted end to end, there are concerns about privacy and security on Internet-transferred files. Then you can continue to save the item or open it using supporting applications. If you receive files, they will appear in the main window of DeskConnect. On iOS devices you can send files from within the app itself or by using the “Share” button from other supporting apps. Sending and Receiving Files on iOS Devices You can set it so that the files will open automatically after they’re received by going to “Preferences -> General.” They will be listed under “Recent” in the menubar. To view the files you need to open the app. When you receive files from other gadgets, a notification will appear – even if DeskConnect is not opened. Those files will automatically appear at the destined location. To send files to another device, just drag and drop those files to the menubar icon and pick which device you want to send them to. Sending and Receiving Files on the MacĪfter installation DeskConnect for your Mac will reside in the menubar. After that, sending files between your devices is as simple as dragging and dropping or pushing the Share button. Then create a DeskConnect account from either version of the app and log in to all of your devices using the same account. You can download the Mac version here and the iOS version here. To use the app you need to install it on at least two devices. The disadvantage of using such method is that you need an Internet connection for it to work, and you can’t send files to users with a different account. You can send your files to any devices anywhere in the world as long as they are using the same account. Instead of using a direct WiFi/Bluetooth wireless connection which depends heavily on hardware compatibility, DeskConnect uses temporary cloud storage as the buffer.Īnother advantage of this method is that your devices don’t have to be near one another. The benefit of the service is that it works with all generations of hardware because it uses a different method to share. Those with older machines have no choice but to find alternatives to AirDrop, and DeskConnect can be the answer to their prayers. You can’t share files to devices that located outside of the WiFi range. You can tell whether or not your Mac can use AirDrop by going to the “Apple -> About This Mac -> System Report -> System Information -> WiFi” menu (or use Spotlight to open “System Information”) and scroll down to the AirDrop entry.ĭistance also becomes a problem with AirDrop. The problem with AirDrop is that it requires a modern Wi-Fi chipset, which means older desktops and notebooks may be unsupported. Why would you even consider using DeskConnect when Apple has already included AirDrop natively in the soul of both macOS and iOS? For those who are not familiar with AirDrop, it’s a file transfer service which enables users to send files wirelessly among supported Macintosh computers and iOS devices without using mail or a mass storage device.
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