Updated February 23, 2026
You can share files and folders from your Umbrel so other devices on your local network can access them — like a personal Dropbox. Shared folders appear as network drives on your computer or phone, letting you browse, open, and save files directly.
You can also right-click any folder in Files and select Share over network to share it directly.
Once sharing is enabled, you'll see a username and password in your file sharing settings. These are separate from your Umbrel login credentials — you'll need them to connect from other devices.
After setting up file sharing, the UI will show you step-by-step instructions for connecting from macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and other Umbrels. You'll need the SMB address, username, and password shown in your file sharing settings.
You can use a shared folder on your Umbrel as a Time Machine backup location for your Mac. The instructions for setting this up are shown in your file sharing settings under macOS.
If you have two Umbrels, one can back up to the other. Share a folder on the destination Umbrel, then set it as a backup location on the other. Instructions are shown in your file sharing settings.
File sharing works over your local network. To access your files when you're away from home, see Remote access.
Shared folders are protected by the username and password shown in your file sharing settings. Only devices on your local network that have these credentials can access your shared files.
Go to Settings > File sharing > Configure to see your shared folders, add new ones, or stop sharing. You can also disable file sharing entirely from the same page. If you're sharing your entire Home folder, individual folders don't need to be shared separately.