▷ Best qnap apps for android. manage your nas from your mobile

For today we have a somewhat more special article, where we give a review of the most relevant QNAP applications for Android, although they will also be available for iOS, of course. With them we can manage everything related to our NAS if we need to use a PC, and we can also do it remotely, with VPN or secure remote access.

Index of contents

QNAP offers us a wide range of tools for mobile devices with which we can access our NAS server easily and simply. The company will undoubtedly boast of being one of the references in this field with innovative options now also from a Smartphone.

QVPN: The client to connect via VPN to our NAS

Without a doubt one of the most useful applications in our opinion is the one that allows us to connect to our NAS QNAP server through a VPN network from anywhere in the world. This is the perfect way to securely access our server through tunnels, without having to be on a LAN.

With this application in conjunction with the others, we can manage our NAS device and upload and download files in a fairly simple way. We can do it in two different ways, directly from our LAN without the need for port forwarding, or remotely, although for this we will have to open the corresponding ports of our router, server or firewall.

What do I need to create a VPN with my NAS?

As a short start guide, we'll look at what we need to do to make this connection.

The first thing we will need is to install the QVPN application on our NAS, for this we will easily find it in the list of applications. After opening it, we will have the options and authentication protocols typical of a VPN.

The QVPN mobile application works using the company's own QBelt protocol, so we access its section and simply activate the option " Enable QBelt server"

Here we can configure the IP address range to distribute for the clients, number of clients, DHCP and of course the UDP port that we must open if we want to remotely access our NAS server.

We can activate the other protocols, PPTP, L2TP or use Open VPN if we want to do it from a PC. We recommend QBelt for Android and iOS.

Install the mobile app

Now, yes, we install the application on our mobile and start it. The configuration process is as simple as going from window to window. We will find a wizard to add our NAS server to the list, so on the first connection we recommend being on a local network.

Anyway, the application gives us the possibility of adding a NAS through a scan of the internal network, manually with the device ID, or from the QNAP Cloud, if we have a NAS in the cloud.

Once detected, we will be in a position to connect. A world map physically places us and the NAS server, all very graphic and pleasant. It only remains to hit " Connect ". The application will ask us to create a new connection, which we will click on " Accept ", and this will take place. And now we can use some of the other applications to work remotely through VPN with our NAS.

We may have to restart the application before connecting for it to work properly. Remember that the corresponding ports must be opened remotely depending on the protocol used (in this case 443 UDP)

In this application we will have a LOG that notifies the events that have occurred, in addition to a graph that monitors the volume of data that we use. In addition, we will have a couple of options menus to establish certain connection parameters that we believe necessary.

But we can still go to our NAS and in the " General information " section of the QVPN Service application, we can see which users are connected to the NAS and under what protocol they do it.

We highly recommend this app for remote connections.

QManager: to manage your NAS from your mobile

We now turn to another of the essential applications that could not be missing on our Smartphone if we want to give it the utility that our NAS server deserves. With the QManager application, we can configure many aspects of our data warehouse in addition to quickly seeing the operating status and the RAID that we have created.

QManager is, so to speak, the control panel condensed into a mobile application, although certainly with fewer options. If we already have the VPN application installed, it will be an easy task to connect to our NAS remotely to manage it. Let's see what options we have in this application.

As soon as the application starts, we can search our NAS in the internal network where it is located, always being within it, or in a VPN. We can also attach it to the list by logging in to the new QNAP to manage it remotely through it, an interesting option if we do not want to use VPN or SSH.

We will configure the access credentials, as well as the authentication method. We recommend doing it using SSL for greater security. As simple as that, we will already be inside our NAS server, although before it will ask us if we want to synchronize with the notification service so that all of them reach our mobile. For this we will have to activate it in the NAS operating system.

At a single glance we will be able to see a monitor of this state of the equipment, with CPU, RAM, configured RAID status, parameters of our basic hardware and the status of backups if we have them activated. All very intuitive and easy to use, but let's see the different options that we will have at our disposal.

Configuration options

We start by displaying the list of options, which are not few from the button in the upper left corner.

One of the most useful options that we have from this application is the possibility of creating users and managing permissions of the different folders that we have stored. From the upper right menu we can directly create users, and by clicking on any of them we will have access to the modification of the parameters related to it.

In the same way we can modify the user permissions for each of the folders listed on our NAS. It is very useful for example from the point of view of organizations, where it will not be necessary for an administrator to be physically on site to register users or modify their credentials.

Another option that we will have available is the display of the tasks that are in the background in the firmware of the NAS. If we detect an abnormal processing load, from this option we can kill processes that are in the background.

We continue with another interesting option in case we want to activate certain services provided by the server, for example, activate access via SSH, VPN protocols, and the different operating roles of the latter aimed at multimedia services.

As it could not be otherwise, we can also manage the applications that are installed on our NAS, although we will not have access to their advanced configuration, to do this we will have to physically access the NAS, either from a terminal connected on the same network, or through VPN and a browser.

From the application we can also perform basic functions such as restarting, turning off or checking for server updates, something simple but extremely useful in certain cases. And related to this there is also the option that shows the event log of our system, something basic for an administrator is to look at the events that occur in a system and interpret them to ensure correct operation.

We can also view the presence of connected storage devices, but we can only eject them, we will not have access to them or their files. And finally we can configure the login with QNAP ID, if we have a NAS in the cloud.

In general, we see that it brings quite useful options from the point of view of administration, although we miss for example being able to manage in more detail the configuration of our RAID, and even have access to the creation of one.

QSync: to sync folders between devices

We also consider that this application is interesting if we want to have our mobile phone files shared in a folder and that are accessible from the NAS itself, or a PC with the application installed. These and other options will be available through this application, without a doubt in the current era the synchronization between devices is synonymous with accessibility and versatility.

Let's see how this application works through an example in which we will share a folder from our own PC with QSync installed on it, and another folder from QSync on our mobile.

Qsync folder sharing from PC

To make it more elegant and to differentiate the elements well, we are going to create a “My Computer” folder on our NAS and we are going to share it with QSync Central.

Then we download and install Qsync on our Windows PC and enter the option " Manage paired folders " from the central window once we have followed the initial configuration steps.

We will only have to click on " Add " so that the "My Computer" folder appears in the left area, and thus pressing in the right area, we will add a folder from our PC so that they are paired.

Now we click on "OK" and the synchronization will begin so that we can see them from other devices. In this way the configuration in Qsync in Windows will be finished, let's now move to our mobile.

Qsync folder sharing from Smarphone

Next, we will quickly install the application on our mobile and the operation will be very similar to the other views, although the option where to share our folder is a little hidden.

First, we put the credential settings to authenticate ourselves to our NAS device. The server discovery process is exactly the same as the other applications.

We will enter into the options, located at the top left to select " Configuration"

The next thing we will have to do is click on the " Configure now " option in the mobile folders synchronization section. Immediately after a browser will appear where we can find the folder we want to share in Qsync.

Once chosen, we select the NAS and the folder will automatically be shared within a folder called Qsync that is created by default in the application and Qsync Central.

After a couple of warnings related to the use of synchronization and battery, the process will start the same way it did on our PC.

View shared folders in Qsync and offline options

We now turn to see the shared folders that are from our mobile application. For this we go back into configuration and then manage paired folders. Here we select all those that appear so that they are visible.

We select the folder of My Computer that is where the files of our PC are located, we see that indeed all of them are there, so the synchronization between our devices works perfectly.

We are going to select any one and we are going to open its options from the upper right button. Here we can select the " offline " status so that, even if we don't have Internet on our mobile, we have access to the file.

Of course, by selecting the options of a file, we can also copy, paste, or modify it if we wish, as long as we have permissions to do so.

If we now go to the options and to the " Offline " section, we can see that our file is completely available to us.

If we do the same on our PC, we will see that we can also access the folder that we have shared from our mobile directly from it through Qsync.

As you can see, it is a quite useful application if we have several computers and we want to connect them. Of course, we see that the options in the mobile application are somewhat limited, in terms of sharing folders, in the future it will surely be much more extensive in options, so as not to have to intervene so much with Qsync Central.

QFile: For file management of your NAS

If we talk about NAS, there must necessarily be an application that will take care of everything related to file management, both upload and download of files and access to the content of our server, either remotely through the cloud or VPN, or local.

The authentication system is exactly the same as the previous applications, this is important so that the user feels comfortable and familiar with all of them by having the same system.

When entering what we will see is all the folders that our NAS and its RAID5 contain for our example, and it is not all, because if we press in the upper right area, we can directly access the devices that are connected to the expansion ports of the NAS. In our case we have nothing except a USB 3.1 drive, which will be perfectly accessible by us from the Smartphone.

The actions that we can carry out with this application and the files will be typical, in addition to the possibility of sharing it directly with other applications. Many and interesting options.

But it is that we will also have access to the Qsync folder stored on the NAS, and also the other shared ones, such as the one we previously configured from our PC with Qsync Central. In this way we have practically half of the Qsyn options also available in Qfile.

If we deploy the options of the application, we will have a quite interesting one, which provides us with the possibility of automatically uploading the files that we create on our device. For example, we can tell our mobile that every time we take a photo or video, it will automatically upload it to the NAS, or any folder that we decide.

This is very interesting, and it is also practically the same as we can do for example with Google Drive or One Drive in Windows, so we will have our own cloud at home.

In the options section we will have a lot of them, for example, the actions to be carried out with the files, the configuration of the automatic upload or activate only its use through Wi-Fi, this option is very important. Likewise, we will have options to configure the video player, sharing from another application, and more of them that each one will have to see and use when appropriate.

Ability to play multimedia content

Although it is true that we have specific applications for this in QNAP, with Qfile we will be able to play all our multimedia content directly from the NAS, since it incorporates a gallery, music and video player.

We can also open compressed files and even ISO images, without a doubt a very complete QNAP browser.

QRM +: the dashboard for Windows and Linux computers

QRM + is a useful application to monitor the computers that are connected to a NAS by network. For this we will need to install the QRM + application on our NAS, as well as the QRM Agent on the computers that we want to monitor.

It all starts by adding the computers to QRM on our NAS, although in this case we must say that it only correctly detects Windows and Linux computers with QRMAgent. Anyway, to monitor the NAS itself we already have the QManager application.

Once the equipment is added, we can go to our QRM + application on Android or iOS and monitor these equipment remotely. We will have information on the use of the CPU, RAM, Network and hard drives, which are the basic parameters of a server.

We can also configure alerts, monitoring periods and perform basic actions such as a ping. It is a very simple but useful application to have all our equipment monitored in its basic aspects.

Perhaps the information is somewhat basic, for example, in terms of taking temperatures etc., so you still have a lot of scope and possibilities to explore.

Qget: download from the Internet directly to the NAS

Qget is a very interesting application for those users who want to download files from the Internet directly to the NAS, and thus use it as a centralized download center. In this way we will not even have to use space on the hard drive of our PC or data and Wi-Fi on our Smartphone.

The process is very simple, since we even have a browser in the application. We access it, and when we find a download link, it will automatically detect it to be added to the application's download queue. It will be at this time when you start downloading to the NAS.

But not only can we download files for direct download, we can also add torrents to download massive content from the Internet.

With the HappyGet 2 application installed on our NAS and Qget, we can also download videos from YouTube and other platforms simply and directly.

We consider it to be a very interesting proposal for those who do not want to fill their computers with junk, and use their NAS as a download center. Interesting, right?

Vcam: to create an IP camera with our mobile

QNAP also has applications aimed at video surveillance, two of them are very interesting, we are talking about QVR Pro Client and Vcam with which we can monitor and manage network-connected IP cameras to our NAS and also turn our own Smartphone into an IP camera.. Let's look at Vcam first.

Vcam to turn the mobile into a camera

With Vcam we will have the possibility of turning our mobile into an IP camera. Of course, before we will have to install the corresponding applications on our mobile and NAS.

We will start by installing the application of our Vcam mobile, with it we will only have to log in to our NAS in the same way as always and we will directly access the recording mode of the camera.

We will only have to enter the username and password to communicate with Surveillance Station and memorize the port where the data transfer will take place.

Surveillance Station

For the NAS we will need the Surveillance Station application, which will be available in the application list. It will be the one that acts as a device server and is where we will have to configure the connected IP cameras. We can also use QVR Pro.

After installing the application on our NAS, we will go to the " Camera Settings " section to add a new camera, which will be our mobile. We must deactivate the option to search cameras automatically, since we will have to add it manually.

In the list of parameters we will have to put the IP address of our mobile (shown in the upper right corner of the camera) and the connection port. In addition, we will have to choose " QNAP " and " QNAP VCAM " as the brand.

We will finish the wizard and now we will click on the " Monitor " button and we will install an extension program to monitor the views of the cameras on our PC called QVR Client.

Accessing it, we will already have a video surveillance system mounted on our PC through the NAS and our mobile.

QVR Pro Client: configure your mobile surveillance center

QVR Pro Client is the client application to turn our mobile into a monitoring space for our IP camera system. To carry out the configuration process we will need to install QVR Pro on our NAS to make it the main station where we can monitor our cameras.

QVR Pro Configuration

After installing the application we will need to initialize it through a wizard, which will take a few minutes, and then we must do two things:

• Assign a recording space in our RAID, accessing the “ Record storage ” sub-application and configuring it in a simple way in a few steps. Add the IP camera to QVR Pro. The process will be practically the same as with Surveillance seen above. We go to the sub-application " Camera Settings " and there we place exactly the same parameters as Surveillance to connect our mobile turned into a camera.

Once the space has been assigned and the camera has been added, we will go to the Android application.

QVR Pro Client on Android

Using this application will be very simple once the camera server is configured on our NAS. We will only have to register with our user and we will directly have access to the cameras available in the system.

We see how we can directly view and control the camera that we have just configured with the first mobile previously. In addition, we can configure the video quality and even form a floor plan to strategically locate the distribution of our cameras.

Obviously, you can get the most out of this application with a real IP camera, not with a mobile phone, but we sense that if you really are interested in this application, it is because you have IP cameras at home.

Of course if we have the corresponding port of our router open, we can remotely access it with our Smartphone and see what is happening in the place where the cameras are located. This is precisely its true utility and power.

Conclusion and opinion on QNAP applications for Android

As we see QNAP has very useful and practically necessary applications for all users who want to get the most out of their NAS. It would be a shame to miss the possibilities that it gives us as a multimedia center and massive file storage.

In addition to these four, it has more applications that may also be useful depending on which users. They are as follows:

• Qsirch: specific application to search files on our NAS, or on multiple NAS simultaneously, this is your true interest. Qnotes3: This application is used to create notes and share them among users connected to the NAS. We can also create labels and collaborate as a team with members. This will be interesting for companies with work teams. QmailClient: basically it is a mail client managed through the NAS, in which we can send emails and attachments. Of course they will be interesting when we have a mail server or web server implemented at home or in the company. Qmusic, Qvideo multimedia applications: to access and play content directly from the NAS. DJ2 Client: Used to stream or view live broadcasts through the NAS:

These and others make up an incredible range of applications that few manufacturers have on the market, so that their users and customers can get the most out of the NAS.

If you want to see some of their products, visit our in-depth reviews:

• QNAP TS-453Bmini review (this has been used to teach these applications) QNAP TS-1277 (one of the best of the brand) QNAP HS-453DX review (ideal for multimedia, takes up little and is elegant)

Which of these applications catches your attention the most? Are you currently using any of them, or a different one?