Work Folders Application for iPad

Nov 18
14:05

2015

Rossy Guide

Rossy Guide

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Microsoft just released a “Work Folders” app for iPad as a free download. Work Folders is a server role and it is a location where you can store work files and get them from all of your PCs and devices, even when you’re not connected to the Internet.

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If your workplace has set up a Work Folders account for you,Work Folders Application for iPad Articles you can install the iPad app to keep your work files close at hand. To use Work Folders, your workplace has to enable your account first. After your account is enabled, you can set up the Work Folders app.

Setting up Work Folders on the iPad is pretty much the same as setting it up on Windows. When the user runs the app for the first time, he or she can enter an email address to configure the app.

Work Folders iPad app email address entry screen:

As another option, if you haven’t configured a DNS entry or if you prefer to use a different naming convention and you’ve shared a Work Folders URL with your users, a user can tap “Enter a Work Folders URL instead” to manually enter the address of the Work Folders server.

Just after the server URL is determined, the user has to enter sign-in information and tap “Sign in.” In a single-domain configuration, the username field didn’t need to include domain information even though the entry box implies that you need it; your mileage may vary depending on the complexity of your Active Directory environment.

The user is prompted to add a PIN for accessing files after signing in. The PIN is required regardless of the Device Policy you’ve set for the Sync Share. This is a completely separate PIN from the iPad can be unique and if the user forgets this PIN, the app will only allow five bad attempts. After five bad attempts, the app requires the user to set up the app again.

While the user runs the app and enters the passcode, all of the files stored in that user’s Work Folders are available online. One slight annoyance is that the app doesn’t handle long file names very well. It also doesn’t let you sort files in a list.

The Work Folders app also supports accessing files when the iPad is offline. The user can tap the checklist icon in the upper right corner and then select files to be “pinned.” These pinned files are available for offline access.

Work Folders supports viewing of files inside the app. Most of the typical file types, including images, PDFs, and Office documents, should open without issue.

Opening files in other apps from the Work Folders iPad app:

The iPad app also supports revoking access to files from the server side. If an administrator suspends access to the Sync Share for a user, the user will be unable to access files from any of his or her devices—including the iPad. If that user tries to open files, the app displays the error, “Download Failed. The administrator of the Work Folders server temporarily suspended your ability to sync. Try syncing again later.”

It is a solid start for the iPad app. The app clearly has some glaring shortcomings in the 1.0 release, such as the fact that you can’t upload or add files to Work Folders.