• Ensure your DSM version is 6.2.2 or above.
• Sign in to DSM with an admin account and:
  • Go to Package Center and install Synology Drive Server.
  • Go to Synology Drive Admin Console > Team Folder, click on My Drive (the "home" folder) or a shared folder, and enable it as a team folder.
• Install the Synology Drive mobile app from the App Store on your device.

Sign in

First-time users

1. Enter your Synology server's IP address, DDNS hostname, or QuickConnect ID.
2. Enter your DSM account credentials.

Returning users

• Choose from previous login credentials or tap Edit Connection to modify.
• Choose Use another account to add or select different credentials.

Secure your connection

SSL/TLS encryption

Enable the HTTPS service on your Synology server at the following locations:

• For DSM 7.0 and above: Control Panel > Login Portal > DSM.
• For DSM 6.2: Control Panel > Network > DSM Settings.

Multi-factor authentication

If multi-factor authentication is enabled or enforced by the admin, sign in with Synology Secure SignIn or a third-party authenticator app like Google Authenticator.

The following tabs are located on the bottom navigation bar:

1. Home: Search, monitor task progress, check notifications, view files by type, and quickly find recently accessed, starred, or offline files.
2. Files: Includes your own files/folders, Team Folders, and client computers linked via Synology Drive Client.
3. Shared: Files/folders shared with you and those you shared with others.
4. More: Manage backup and sync tasks and other settings.

Search

To search for files or folders, tap on .

1. Enter a keyword into the top search field.
2. Tap on and refine the search using location, type, owner, label, file size, or date.

Background Tasks

Monitor and cancel tasks like photo backup and sync tasks.

Notification Center

View notifications from Synology Drive Server.

• View notifications by tapping on .
• Clear notifications using in the upper-left corner of the Notification Center.

Additionally we recommend enabling Allow notifications in iOS Settings > Drive > Notifications for important Synology Drive app updates. This lets you receive all related actions through push notifications, including receiving sharing links or requests for file permissions, or when someone comments on your files. This feature requires Synology Drive Server 3.5 or above.

Category and collections view

Files are categorized into photos, documents, audio, and videos. You can organize your files into different collections. The Collections feature requires Synology Drive Server 3.0.2 or above.

To create a new collection:

1. From the Home tab, tap on the desired category.
2. Tap Collections to switch to collection view.
3. Tap on in the upper-right corner to create a new unique collection.

To add files into a collection:

1. Tap on to select a file or multiple files. Different file types cannot be added to the same collection.
2. Tap Add to collection and select an existing collection or create a new one.

Quick access

• Recent: Your last accessed files/folders.
• Starred: Your favorited files/folders.
• Labeled: Files/folders with labels. Tap on to manage labels, create new ones, edit labels, or rearrange the order.
• Offline: Files downloaded to your mobile device.
• Add files: Tap on to create a folder, upload files and photos from your mobile device to the folder, take photos or videos with the camera and add them to a folder, or scan documents.

Go to More at the bottom navigation bar to create or manage backup/sync tasks, Focused Backup and Sync, and other app settings.

Backup and Sync Tasks

Synology Drive offers photo backup and sync for mobile devices, enabling data protection and collaboration on the go. These features require Synology Drive Server 3.0.2 or above.

Photo Backup

Automatically saves photos or videos from this mobile device to the server. Configurable settings include:

• Backup rules: Choose to back up all or only new files.
• Backup destination: Select a folder on the Synology Drive Server to store backups.
• Settings: Select when to back up files (e.g., when the mobile device is connected to Wi-Fi, charging, or both).
• Live Photo: Decide to back up only the photo or photo with its video component.
• Create year and month folder structure: Organize photos and videos into auto-created year and month folders by capture date.

Check the backup progress by tapping on the Background Tasks icon in the upper-right corner on the Home page.

Sync Tasks

Sync files between your mobile device and the Synology server for offline use. There are two ways to do this.

• Method 1: Tap More > Backup and Sync Tasks > Sync Tasks. Tap on in the upper-right corner and configure the following:
  • Folder path: Specify a server folder. A local sync folder named Drive will be auto-created in the iOS Files app. Synced files are in the Sync Folder subfolder.
  • Sync rules: Choose a sync mode, which can be modified for existing tasks. Decide whether to sync all subfolders under the selected folder. Select the file types for sync and the max file size.
  • File conflict resolution:
    • Retained version: Choose to keep the latest modified version or server's version. Synology Drive discards the other version.
    • Rename to keep the other version: Enable to prevent discarding the other version. Synology Drive renames the files and adds a reason to the file name.
  • Auto sync settings: Enable to auto sync when the app is launched or resumed. Auto sync can be restricted to when the mobile device is connected to Wi-Fi, when it is charging, or when both conditions are met.
• Method 2: Tap Home, Files, or Shared, tap on next to a folder > Enable sync task. To delete it, tap on next to a folder > Disable sync task.

To view synced files:

View the status of your synced files by tapping on Background Tasks > Sync Tasks.

Below are the status icons for sync tasks.

Icon	Status	Description
	Not synced	The file/folder is not synced.
	Synced	The file/folder is synced. The time of the last sync is displayed beneath the file name.
	Unable to sync	The file/folder is not synced. Tap on to check the error. If a last sync time is displayed, it indicates that the file or folder was previously synced but failed to sync this time.
	Syncing	The file/folder is syncing. This process includes checking differences and transferring files.
	Skipped	The file/folder cannot sync due to restrictions in Synology Drive Admin Console or sync task.
	Waiting to sync	When multiple sync tasks are ongoing, additional tasks are queued up for synchronization.
	Sync interrupted	The sync task began but was interrupted, due to Wi-Fi network disconnection or lack of power connection.

Focused Backup and Sync

Back up or sync files when your device is inactive. This feature is especially useful for users with a large number of photos or files on their mobile device.

• For a stable backup and sync environment, use a Wi-Fi connection and connect your device to a charger.
• When in progress, the screen will dim after 10 seconds of idle time. Do not lock the screen or exit the app.
• To exit, tap Disable.
• Supports Siri Shortcuts.

Recycle Bin

Deleted files/folders you own.

Settings

Configure storage, network, display and layout, file download/upload, and security settings.

Log out

Log out of the account.

Tap on in the upper-right corner to perform actions.

Select multiple items

Long press on an item or tap on and choose Select to perform actions.

Adjust display settings

Tap on and choose Sort by.

Scan documents

You can use Synology Drive to scan documents directly on your mobile device and save them as searchable PNG or PDF files.

Scan a document with the camera

1. Tap on > Scan document.
2. Tap Take photos.
3. Take a photo. Edit the scanned file as needed. Tap Retake at the lower-left corner to retake a photo or tap Keep Scan at the lower-right corner to take more photos.
4. Once you are done taking photos of documents, tap Save.
5. On the Upload Settings page, modify as needed:
   • Rename the file.
   • Choose between PDF or PNG.
   • Tap Configure recognition results to modify them. Edit the results in the text editor if needed. Tap Reset to undo changes.
   • Select a location to save the file.

Scan a document from saved images

1. Tap on > Scan document.
2. Tap Select photos.
3. Select a photo and tap Add.
4. Edit the scanned file as needed. Tap the image icon at the lower-left corner to add more photos. Once you are done, tap Done.
5. On the Upload Settings page, modify as needed:
   • Rename the file.
   • Choose between PDF or PNG.
   • Tap Configure recognition results to modify them. Edit the results in the text editor if needed. Tap Reset to undo changes.
   • Select a location to save the file.

Scan an existing image or PDF file in Synology Drive

1. Tap on of an image or PDF file and choose Save as scanned file.
2. Edit the scanned file as needed. When you're done, tap Done.
3. On the Upload Settings page, select whether to save the recognition results as a new file or append them to the original file.
   • Save as a new file
     • Rename the file.
     • Choose between PDF or PNG.
     • Toggle to enable Text search. If enabled, tap Configure recognition results to modify them. Edit the results in the text editor if needed. Tap Reset to undo changes.
     • Select a location to save the file.
     • Tap Upload at the upper-right corner.
   • Append results to the original file
     • Tap Configure recognition results to modify them. Edit the results in the text editor if needed. Tap Reset to undo changes.
     • Tap Append at the upper-right corner.

Tap on on a file/folder for information about its properties, add it to a collection, add star, share, set it to offline access, enable sync task for folders, apply labels, move/copy, rename, export, or delete.

Share items

Tap on on the item and tap Share. Long press on an item to select more items for sharing simultaneously. You can share up to 30 items at once.

Permissions

File Link: Copy or directly share the link to other apps. When multiple files are selected, you can only copy the links.

Privacy Settings:

• General access
  • Only invitees: Only invitees can access.
  • Internal - Can view: All accounts with Synology Drive Server access can view when signed in. Disable Allow options to download and copy to protect sensitive files from being shared or copied.
  • Internal - Can edit: All accounts with Synology Drive Server access can edit when signed in.
  • Public - Can view: Anyone with the link can view. Disable Allow options to download and copy to protect sensitive files from being shared or copied.¹
  • Public - Can edit: Anyone with the link can edit.¹
• Invitee list
  • Tap on Invitee list to manage permissions or stop sharing.
  • To invite:
    1. Tap on .
    2. Enter a DSM username or a group name. The Synology Drive app auto-suggests names as you type.
    3. Assign an access role.

Public link

Add protection such as password and expiration for public sharing links.

• Toggle to create a public link for this item.
• Choose if link holders can view or edit this item from the Privacy Settings drop-down menu.
• Set Privacy Settings to can view and disable Allow options to download and copy to protect sensitive files from being shared or copied.
• Require password: Enable and set a password for this sharing link.
• Add expiration date: Set a deadline for this sharing link.

Edit or comment on Synology Office documents and spreadsheets

• Edit: If you have edit permission, tap on to edit.
• Comment: If you only have comment permission, tap on to comment.

Speech recognition

If your audio file format supports speech recognition, you can also use the speech-to-text function. Tap on on a file > Transcribe audio into text, select the target language, and tap Transcribe. The system will generate a .txt text file.

• Supported:
  • Languages: Varies by iOS version and device configurations. Refer to the official Apple website for details.
  • Audio file formats: mp3, m4a, aa, aiff, aifc, aif, wav, m4b, m4r
  • Software: iOS 17.0 and above versions
  • Models: iPhone 13 and newer
• Limitations: The txt recognition text file displays a maximum of 50,000 characters.

Annotate and edit files

• PDF files: Open the file and tap on to add text, shapes, signatures, and stickers.
• TXT and MD files: Open the file and tap on to edit.

The file types that the Synology Drive mobile app can open depend on your iOS device, but generally include:

• Synology Office files: Synology Document, Synology Spreadsheet, Synology Slides
• Documents: doc, docx, pdf, ppt, pptx, txt, xls, xlsx, htm, html
• iWork files: key, key.zip, numbers, numbers.zip, pages, pages.zip
• Images: jpg, jpe, jpeg, png, gif, bmp, tif, tiff, heic, heif, ico, psd, RAW (3fr, arw, srf, sr2, crw, cr2, dcr, k25, kdc, dng, erf, mef, mos, mrw, nef, orf, pef, raf, raw, rw2, x3f)
• Videos: mp4, m4v, mov, qt
• Audio files: mp3, m4a, aa, aiff, aifc, aif, wav, m4b, m4r

Once Synology Drive is set up on your iOS device, a Drive folder appears in your iOS Files app for direct access and browsing.