Sources on iPad & iPhone

Open Show Sidebar > Library to choose Files folders, Apple Photos, connected cameras, or FTP/FTPS servers. Use Ingest to make a working copy before culling.

Folders from the Files App

Tap Open Folder in the sidebar’s Library section to choose a folder that Files makes available for folder access:

• On My iPad / On My iPhone
• iCloud Drive
• Connected SD cards, card readers, and USB drives
• Third-party storage providers that appear in Files

To save a folder for later, tap Bookmarks > Add Bookmark and choose it in Files. Open Folder alone does not save a bookmark. Access is granted per folder; if a bookmark stops working, reconnect its drive/provider or choose the folder again.

Network folders through Files

If you can select a network folder in Files, you can open it with Open Folder. You may need a network connection to view its contents and permission to edit its files. A folder appearing in Files does not mean it is available offline.

SD cards and external drives

Cards and drives connected over USB-C or a card reader can appear in the Files folder picker. You can cull directly from a writable card, or use Ingest below to make a separate working copy. Keep the card connected until reads and writes finish.

Ingest from a Card or Folder

1. In Sidebar > Library, tap Ingest, then Add Source and choose the source folder in Files. Add other folders if needed and set Include Subfolders for each. Swipe a source row to remove it from this job, not from storage.
2. Set Destination > Folder, tap Location, and choose a separate destination, preferably an empty test folder. Alternatively choose Apple Photos and its library/album destination.
3. Check the filename/subfolder fields and Preview. Keep {FileName} to retain base names. Review any selected IPTC template or CullSync; the sheet remembers settings from earlier runs.
4. For an ordinary originals copy, use All Files, remove unwanted rating/date/lock filters, and leave Fast Ingest and Convert RAW off. Turn Copy New Photos Only off when you deliberately need another copy. For a folder, Existing Files > Rename avoids replacing an existing file.
5. Fill any required session variables and tap Run. The setup sheet closes while the job runs. Check progress and More > App > Activity Log, then open the destination from Library and inspect the files before disconnecting or erasing anything.

The bookmark menu in Ingest offers Save as Preset… and an update command for the selected preset. Save deliberately; remembering last-used settings does not update a named preset.

For a lightweight field-to-studio handoff, keep matching base names, cull the copies, then publish a CullSync. When copying the originals later, turn lightweight modes off and review history filtering; explicitly select/apply the CullSync. Publishing alone does not apply it to a later import.

Connected Cameras

Connect a supported camera, unlock/wake it, and allow camera access if prompted. Choose it under Library > Devices. If it does not appear, check the connection and camera’s transfer mode, or use a card reader with Open Folder instead.

In Ingest, Add Source offers detected cameras under Devices; selecting one replaces the current source list. Choose Choose Folder… for a Files folder instead. Camera ratings and IPTC remain in PhotoCuller rather than being written back to the card; use CullSync for a metadata handoff. Deleting camera files is permanent; verify a separate copy first. A card opened through Files follows normal writable-folder behavior.

Apple Photos

Grant Photos access when prompted, then browse your entire album and folder tree from the sidebar, including All Photos. You can create new albums and folders directly from PhotoCuller, and workflows can deliver into Apple Photos albums.

PhotoCuller ratings, flags, labels, and IPTC are separate from the Photos app’s own fields; favorites and supported date/location changes use the library. Use Settings > iCloud Sync > PhotoCuller Metadata for Apple Photos on matching devices to share PhotoCuller’s edits, not the media itself. Deleting a photo removes it from the library, not just the current album; use Remove from Album when that is your intention. Follow the mobile editing and export steps before batch work.

FTP and FTPS Servers

PhotoCuller can browse FTP and explicit-FTPS sources directly on iPad and iPhone; this does not require a Files provider or a Mac.

1. In the sidebar, open Remote Servers > Manage Servers…, then tap +.
2. Enter a Name, choose FTP or FTPS, and fill in Host (for example, example.com), Port, Username, Password, and Remote Base Path (for example, /uploads). Use the server’s settings; FTPS is the default choice, and both protocols default to port 21.
3. Tap Test Connection to check the settings, then Add to save the profile. Testing alone does not save it.
4. Close the manager and return to Remote Servers in the sidebar. Expand the server to browse its folders. Touch and hold the server or a folder and choose Load Folder to open it for review.

A username is required. Enter Host separately from the path, not as a full connection URL. The base path must start with / and identify a folder available to that account; avoid ... It is the profile’s top-level remote folder. Test Connection checks folder access, not permission to upload, rename, or delete.

To change a saved profile, open it in the manager and tap Save after editing. Profiles and disk caches are local to each device; passwords are stored in that device’s Keychain. Configure and test each device separately. Removing a profile removes its local password/cache, not files on the server; reassign workflows that used it. Adding a server does not upload anything.

Browse or watch for arrivals

Touch and hold a server or folder and choose Load Folder to review existing media and watch for changes. Watch New instead starts with an empty review view and watches for new arrivals. Another device or app must upload the files; PhotoCuller is not an FTP server.

Each source covers only that folder, not nested folders. Open subfolders separately. New uploads can take time to appear. Check that an upload has finished before relying on the file. Keep PhotoCuller in the foreground and connected; do not rely on continuous watching while iOS suspends the app. A new watch establishes a new starting point. Use Load Folder to find existing files or arrivals missed while the source was closed. If completed uploads do not appear in Watch New, use Load Folder to review them.

Refresh updates the sidebar’s folders. For the selected source, Reload reloads the media view when available.

Manage the disk cache

Open a saved profile in the server manager and find Cache:

• Per-server limit controls retained cache size; Off disables persistent caching, not temporary downloads.
• Resolution values from 512px to 4096px retain JPEG previews with that maximum long edge; Original retains full-resolution source files. Even a small preview may first require a full-file download.
• Disk Usage and Refresh let you check the current usage. Clear Cache removes local cached data, not server media or XMP sidecars. Some cached files may remain while PhotoCuller is using them.

Tap Save after changing settings, then reload the source. The cache keeps some files you have accessed, not a backup or a complete offline library. Browsing folders, opening uncached files, editing, and delivery still need the server. Budget network data and temporary local space separately from the cache limit, especially for large RAW files and video.

Edit and organize remote files

Culling and IPTC edits write XMP sidecars on the server, subject to permissions; they do not rewrite embedded metadata in remote originals. These are not local-only connected-camera edits. Wait for writes to finish and check errors. Remote sources do not support embedded EXIF corrections, filesystem labels, file locking, or renaming individual photos.

Touch and hold a remote folder for New Folder, Rename, or Delete Permanently. Rename changes the folder, not its photos. The configured base folder cannot be renamed or deleted through these actions; Remove on the server row removes its saved profile instead.

Deliver selected media

1. Load your source, select a few test items, then open Workflow from the toolbar or More > Toolbar > Workflow… on a narrow screen.
2. In Filter Items, set Run On > Selection. Check the item count and the rest of the steps; the sheet remembers previous settings. For a first copy, use only the source, filter, and destination, without processing or source-edit steps. Add missing steps with + if needed.
3. Tap the destination step. Choose Operation > Copy, Export To > Remote Server, then the saved Server. The subfolder is relative to its base path: /uploads plus client-a delivers into /uploads/client-a. Use {Filename} to keep base names, review file/sidecar options, and choose Append Number for existing files to avoid replacement.
4. Finish the step settings, review the workflow, and tap Run. Watch progress and errors, then load the destination folder to verify the files before delivering the full selection or removing originals.

Copy keeps the sources; Move can remove them. Skip is not a new copy or proof that an existing file is identical. Transfers and processing can need full-file downloads and temporary local space; reduced cache previews are not substitutes for requested originals. Keep the app in the foreground for reliable progress. A Live Activity is not a guarantee of uninterrupted background transfer, and cancellation does not roll back completed writes.

Connection problems and recovery

• For authentication errors, check the required username/password. For folder or permission errors, check the base path and the account’s read/write permissions.
• For timeouts or an unavailable server, check connectivity, VPN/firewall requirements, host, and port. For certificate or secure-connection errors, ask the administrator to confirm explicit FTPS and fix the certificate/configuration.
• After editing, test the connection and save the profile. Retry loading, or use Reload on the selected source when available. Use Load Folder rather than a fresh watch to recover the full folder view.
• Check progress and destination contents before retrying an interrupted transfer. It may be waiting for reconnection rather than finished. Unfinished work is not restored after quitting, but completed copies and edits remain.

Platform Differences

• Saved SMB Network Locations are managed directly in the Mac app. On iPad/iPhone, use Files for accessible network folders, or Remote Servers for direct FTP/FTPS access.
• Automatic volume and DCIM card detection in the Mac sidebar differs from Files folder access: on iPad/iPhone, choose the card’s folder in Files.
• Multiple tabs are a Mac feature; the iPad and iPhone app works in a single session at a time.

See Also

• Getting Started on iPad & iPhone
• Touch Gestures and the Action Bar
• CullSync