I prefer to do my writing on my laptop. However, when I’m on the go (or have a late-night flash of inspiration), I use the Notes app on my iPhone to jot down story ideas, article pitches, or notes to myself. It’s then pretty easy to email these little notes to myself from within the app. I open the email, and stick the note in the appropriate file or tracking document on my MacBook.

However, lately I have started to dislike this method of sending files and messages from my phone to my email. It’s clogging up my inbox, and I wanted to find a way to cut my inbox out of the equation. After trying a couple of different apps, I think I’ve found a good solution. If you, too, are searching for an app that lets you send iPhone notes and files right to your computer, you should check out File Manager, a free app developed by TapMedia. It has a ton of features, and the price is definitely right.

What is it and what does it do

Main Functionality

File Manager (Free) lets you store all kinds of files in a clean, well-organized system. You can import additional files via Bluetooth, and export files to your computer using Wi-Fi- with a unique URL. File Manager also lets you sort files by “Name”,”Date”,”Size” or “Kind.” There’s an integrated music player, as well as the ability to open files stored here in another app with ease.

Pros

• Integrated music player and PDF reader
• Ability to copy, move, passcode protect, and zip multiple files
• Solid in-app search feature
• Transfer files from your PC/Mac using Wi-Fi, or use Bluetooth to download new files

Cons

• Annoying banner ads (however, this can be dismissed with a 99 cent in-app purchase)
• You can share files by email, bluetooth and Facebook…would be nice to have sharing for at least images through Twitter

Discussion

What I had originally hoped to find was an app that would let me use Bluetooth to send files from my iPhone to my MacBook. File Manager didn’t quite fit the bill, but it is working out nicely. You can receive files via Bluetooth, but to send files to your computer, you actually have to use Wi-Fi: the app generates a unique numeric URL, which you visit on your computer to download the data from your phone. It’s not what I was looking for, but I like it because it allows me to cut my inbox out of the equation entirely. You can also upload files from your phone to your computer via iTunes.

I love the fact that you can create new documents from within File Manager by using the info in your clipboard, or even a file you found on the web. This app is very well organized with a great look. I really like that you can see the size of your files with ease, as well as a running tally that tells you how many files are being stored in the app and how many gigs/megs of storage you have remaining.

Best of all, you can create a “Favorites” list for even faster access: just slide horizontally over a file’s image to add it to your Favorites list. One bummer: clicking on the in-app link for help/troubleshooting takes you to a “Coming Soon” page.

Conclusion and download link

File Manager wasn’t exactly the app that I set out to find. But while it might not have been what I was expecting, the app I found was a robust, function-rich tool that is going to serve me well when dealing with all kinds of files. For a free app, this is an incredible value. Definitely give it a go.

Price: Free

Version reviewed: 1.1

Requires iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, iOS version 4.0 or later

Download size: 10.4 MB

File Manager (Free) on Apple App Store