Transmit iOS

Panic’s file-transfer app comes to iPhone and iPad

The first thing that strikes you about Transmit iOS is how great it looks – and that’s a bit of a weird thing to say about a file-transfer app. But this isn’t a case of adding unnecessary bling to a traditionally workmanlike product – instead, it illustrates how great design can transform an app.

Transmit iOS of course still does the basic things you’d expect: you can access remote servers (FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, DreamObjects), transfer files between local and remote sources, manage file locations, and make adjustments to permissions. There’s also basic text editing. But Transmit iOS takes things further than its iOS contemporaries, and even gives desktop apps plenty to think about.

From a visual standpoint, Transmit iOS is gorgeous – all dark backgrounds, colourful document icons and strippedback interface. But this isn’t just for show. Throughout, intelligent use of colour and design adds clarity and makes it easy to zero in on certain file types.

From an interaction perspective, Transmit makes use of drag-anddrop, so it’s simple to organise files into folders (which can be compressed); on an iPad or iPhone 6 Plus in landscape, there’s a traditional two-pane view, but you can drag between sources on smaller displays as well, thanks to clever dropzones that pop up at the foot of the screen.

Compatibility with OS X Remote Login enables local Mac file access, Touch ID or a PIN secures everything, and support for iOS 8’s Document Picker enables you to grab files from pretty much anywhere. This is best-of-breed by some margin. Craig Grannell

In what could very well be the first of a new breed, Transmit iOS feels like an app that defines iOS 8 and its true potential.