Open your computer from your phone

What you can open

Turning on computer sharing lets you open your desktop's Home folder and connected drives from a phone, tablet, or browser. Your files stay on your computer. They travel over a direct encrypted link between your devices.

For example, Maya Chen is a designer in Chicago. On the train home, she uses her phone to open a project folder on the Mac in her studio. She checks a client PDF directly from her desktop drive.

You can host shared folders from a Mac, a Windows PC, or a Linux computer. If you haven't set up the desktop app yet, start with Install KolHive.

Turn on sharing on your computer

Only on Mac, Windows, and Linux

Set up sharing on the Mac, Windows PC, or Linux computer whose files you want to reach.

1. Open KolHive on your computer and go to Settings.
2. Select Devices.
3. Turn on Share this Mac (on Windows and Linux, turn on the switch to share this computer).
4. Keep the share read-only, or turn on Allow changes if you want to edit, add, or delete files remotely.
5. Choose whether to share only with your own devices or with the local network.
6. Set an optional expiry time if you want sharing to turn off automatically.

You should now see your computer marked as shared in Devices, ready for your other devices to connect.

Open your folders from another device

Once sharing is active on your computer, you can open its folders from another desktop, a mobile device, or the web app at web.kolhive.com. The web app shows your shared computer as a client, though a browser cannot host a share of its own.

1. Sign in to KolHive on your other device or at web.kolhive.com using the same account.
2. Open the files view.
3. Select your computer from the list of shared devices.
4. Open the Home folder or a connected drive, then select a file to view it.

You should now see the computer's folders and files on your screen.

What is shared and what stays hidden

Turning on Share this Mac (or the equivalent switch on Windows and Linux) shares only your user Home folder and mounted external volumes, such as a plugged-in USB drive. It never exposes your system disk, operating system folders, or internal application data.

Shared folders are read-only by default, which lets you view and download files without changing the originals on your desktop. When you turn on Allow changes in Settings under Devices, you can also add, edit, and remove files from your other devices.

When you delete a file while Allow changes is on, KolHive moves the item to the computer's Trash instead of erasing it permanently. You can still restore it from the Trash on your computer. For details on encryption and file safety, read How KolHive protects your files.

Direct links and relay connections

KolHive connects your devices directly whenever their networks allow it. Direct encrypted links between your devices are not metered and do not use account credits.

Some workplace firewalls and mobile networks block two devices from connecting directly. When the network blocks a direct link, KolHive connects through a relay server so you can still open your folders.

A relayed connection displays a "Via relay" label and uses credits from the account that is browsing the files. You can read how credits work on the Plans page.