Filehaven

Contact

Questions, bug reports, or feature ideas? Email us — we read everything and usually reply within a day or two.

How do I download a file?

Three ways. Tap a download link in the Browser tab and Filehaven takes over automatically. Long-press a link, image, or video file to get a Download / Copy Link menu. Or send a file to Filehaven from another app using the iOS share sheet — it lands in your Imports folder.

Can Filehaven download videos from YouTube or other streaming sites?

No, and it never will. Filehaven downloads files that are served as files — direct links to MP4s, PDFs, ZIPs, MP3s, images, documents, and so on. Video on YouTube, Netflix, Instagram and similar services is delivered as a protected stream, not a file. Filehaven does not capture, record, or reconstruct streams, and it does not circumvent any content protection.

If a long-press produces no Download option, that is why: the page is playing a stream rather than linking to a file.

Where do my downloads go?

Into the Files tab, under Downloads. They are ordinary files in Filehaven's own Documents folder, so they also appear in the iOS Files app under On My iPhone → Filehaven. From there you can move them anywhere, including iCloud Drive.

Can I file a download without leaving the Downloads tab?

Yes. Tap the ••• on a finished download and choose Move to Folder — you can create the destination folder right there in the picker. To file several at once, tap Select in the Downloads tab, tick the ones you want, then use Move or Delete in the bottom bar. Delete removes the files themselves, so it asks first.

How do I create a folder?

Open the Files tab and tap the folder + button at the top right. It works inside any folder, so you can nest as deep as you like, and you can move files in with the Move option in a file's context menu.

A download failed or stalled

Open the Downloads tab and tap Retry. Downloads run in the background and survive leaving the app, but they still need a working connection — a failed item keeps its entry so you can resume it later.

A download works in the browser but fails as a download

Some sites only serve a file to a logged-in session. Filehaven downloads through its own background transfer session, which does not carry your browsing cookies, so links behind a login may return an error page instead of the file. Direct public links are unaffected. This is a known limitation we plan to address.

Can I preview files without another app?

Yes. Tap any file in the Files tab to open it in the built-in preview — video, audio, images, PDFs, and documents all play or render in place.

Playing music and video

Tapping a downloaded song or video opens Filehaven's own player rather than a plain preview. It queues up the rest of the media in that folder and gives you play/pause, next and previous, ±15 seconds, a scrubber, shuffle, repeat, playback speed from 0.5× to 2×, and AirPlay. A mini bar sits above the tabs so you can keep browsing while a track plays. Audio keeps going when you leave the app or lock the screen, with controls on the Lock Screen and in Control Centre. Video has a full-screen mode — tap the video or the expand button, and rotate to landscape.

A few formats download fine but cannot be played by iOS itself (MKV, WebM, AVI, OGG). Those open in the preview or can be shared to another app instead.

How does Wi-Fi Transfer work?

Settings → Wi-Fi Transfer, then switch it on. Filehaven shows a web address, a QR code, and a 6-digit PIN. Open that address in a browser on any computer or phone on the same Wi-Fi network, enter the PIN, and you get a page listing your files — browse folders and download from any device for free; uploading straight into a folder is a Pro feature.

The server never starts by itself, stops shortly after you leave the app, and the PIN is new every time you switch it on. The page can only browse, download, and upload — nothing on the web page can delete, rename, or move your files. It is a plain HTTP connection on your local network, so use it on a network you trust.

Wi-Fi Transfer won't connect

Check that both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network, and that neither is on a guest network or VPN that isolates clients from each other. Filehaven must be open on screen — the server stops shortly after the app goes to the background. If iOS asked for local network permission and it was declined, re-enable it in iOS Settings → Filehaven → Local Network. Type the address exactly as shown, port included.

How does private browsing work?

Open a private tab from the tab switcher menu. Private tabs use a separate, non-persistent store: nothing from them is written to history, cookies, or cache, and it is all discarded when the tab closes.

How do I clear my browsing data?

Settings → Clear browsing data. This removes history, cookies, and cache. Your downloaded files are never touched by it — delete those from the Files tab.

What does Pro include?

One purchase, yours forever — no subscription, no ads, no tracking. Pro adds a Face ID lock on the Files tab, uploads over Wi-Fi Transfer (browsing and downloading are free), removes the free tier's three-at-a-time download limit, and lets you force light or dark independently of the system theme.

How do I restore my Pro purchase?

On a new device or after reinstalling, open Settings → Filehaven Pro → Restore Purchases while signed in with the same Apple Account you bought with.

Face ID isn't unlocking the Files tab

Check that Face ID is enabled for Filehaven in iOS Settings → Face ID & Passcode → Other Apps. If Face ID fails or is unavailable, the lock falls back to your device passcode.

Which devices are supported?

iPhone and iPad running iOS 18 or later.

How do I delete everything?

Deleting the app removes all of it — downloads, browsing data, and settings are stored only on your device. See the privacy policy for details.