ALL OF YOUR CONTENT IN YOUR POCKET
Getting the most out of your WD personal cloud device
PREPARING YOUR WD PERSONAL CLOUD STORAGE DEVICE
The first thing we need to do is to ensure that your WD personal cloud storage is properly setup. To do that you need to download the WD My Cloud setup app and properly install the device.
Launch the application and follow the on-screen instructions, once that is done, you need to go to the Dashboard by clicking on the shortcut created on your desktop. Next, head to the Settings tab and then the General sub-menu and look to make sure that ”Remote Access” is turned on. Once this is done, click on the Cloud Access tab and see if the Connection Status says “Connected”. Additional storage aside, one of the cool things about the cloud is that it enables users to access their content from just about anywhere and anytime in the world, as long as they have a working Internet connection. WD’s new My Cloud series of personal cloud storage devices let you do just the same and they are really easy to use and setup. The accompanying WD My Cloud, My Cloud and WD Photos apps are must-have companions for your desktop, smartphone and tablet. We show you how to use them to get the best out of your investment.
THE WD MY CLOUD DESKTOP APP
Although you can easily access files the default file manager on your OS, the WD My Cloud desktop app offers more features. The WD My Cloud desktop app is available as a free download for both Windows and Mac.
To begin, you must first add your WD personal cloud storage device to the app. If you are in the same network, the drives will be automatically detected. Otherwise, you can add them manually either by entering your WDMyCloud.com login details or by using an activation code. Once the drive is the added, it will appear automatically whenever you launch the app.
The user interface and the way it works is just like any file manager. If you want to copy a file, simply drag it onto your desktop or into the desired folder in your computer. Using right-click on any file allows you to create new folders, rename files, but perhaps most crucially, allows you to quickly send the file or folder to other users by using the “Email” or “Copy Link” functions.
Using “Email” launches your default Email client and creates a link that you can send to other users to download files off your WD My Cloud device. On the other hand, “Copy Link” simply provides you with a link to the file and allows users to download it using their web browsers.
THE MY CLOUD APP
The My Cloud app is the smartphone and tablet equivalent of the WD My Cloud desktop app and it is available for download free on the App Store and on Google Play. Setting up is just as easy; if you are on the same network as your drive, it should automatically appear in the list of compatible devices, otherwise, you can again connect manually using your WDMyCloud.com login or an activation code.
Overall, the app works similarly to the WD My Cloud desktop allowing users to browse through directories and files on their WD personal cloud device. The app also allows you to manage your data by allowing users to create directories, rename files and move them from folder to folder.
The app can be used to stream media from your My Cloud device, but do note that playback of various media formats are dependent on codecs supported by your device. If you encounter a file you cannot play through the app, you can still download it locally on your device and play it with an appropriate third party app.
For users who love taking and sharing photos and videos, there is also the option to upload photos and videos directly to your WD personal cloud storage device. To share with other users who are connected to the drive, simply upload them to the public folder or whichever folder that you have been designated for public access.
THE WD PHOTOS APP
The WD Photos app is a dedicated app for photo management, which turns your WD personal cloud storage device into a photo hosting service. Setup is similar to that of the My Cloud app and once setup is completed, the app will scan your drive and folders for all available for photos.
What’s unique about WD Photos is the speed at which it downloads and displays photos and one of the reasons for that it is that instead of downloading the entire photo, it downloads a low resolution version that has been processed by the drive earlier when it builds its media database. But if you wish, a simple tap on the “HD” button on the top menu bar would initiate a download of the original photo.
There is also the option to email the photo, share as a link, download to your smartphone or tablet and even post directly to Facebook. That aside, it also caches the photos so that previously viewed photos can still be accessed even if you’ve lost a working internet connection to your cloud drive.