Guide

Open your iPhone's files in Finder.

Finder can open a network disk with Connect to Server. With DiskBeam on your iPhone, that disk is your phone.

Get the app

Connect in four steps

Your Mac and iPhone on the same Wi-Fi, your Mac on your iPhone's hotspot, or a cable between them.

  1. Open DiskBeam on your iPhone and tap Turn on disk. Allow Local Network when iPhone asks.
  2. On your Mac, in Finder, choose Go › Connect to Server (⌘K) and paste the address DiskBeam shows.
  3. The first time, your Mac asks about the iPhone's certificate. Click Show Certificate, check that the code matches the one in DiskBeam, then click Continue.
  4. Choose Registered User, enter the name and password from DiskBeam, and tick Remember this password.

Your iPhone now opens as a disk in Finder, in the sidebar under Locations.

What you can do then

Browse and copy

Drag files to your Mac like from any disk. Quick Look and opening files work too.

Read-only first

Your Mac can't change anything until you switch on Allow your Mac to change files in DiskBeam (Pro).

On your iPhone too

Files your Mac copies in show up in the Files app under On My iPhone › DiskBeam.

Connect your Mac in DiskBeam: the address, certificate code, name and password with Copy buttons
Everything Finder asks for, with a Copy button.

Questions

Is there a cable-only way?

iOS has no USB disk mode, so a Mac can't mount an iPhone like a USB stick. DiskBeam serves the files over a network connection instead: Wi-Fi, the iPhone's hotspot or a cable between the two.

Why does it stop when I leave the app?

iPhone pauses apps in the background. Keep DiskBeam on screen while you copy; the disk continues when you come back.

More guides

iPhone as an external drive

Moving big videos

SSD on iPhone to Mac

iPhone WebDAV server

Open your iPhone in Finder

Get DiskBeam, turn on the disk and press ⌘K on your Mac.

Get the app

iOS 17+ · iPhone and iPad · No account