Connect Drive on iPhone with Documents

iOS doesn't have native WebDAV support in the Files app, so you need a small middleman. Documents by Readdle is free, well-maintained, and exposes Drive into the iOS Files app — so once you've set it up, your Drive shows up alongside iCloud Drive and any other storage providers you have.

Verified on Documents 8.x and 9.x for iOS / iPadOS. UI labels evolve between versions — paths below match the current released app at time of writing.

Before you start

You need a device password. Sync apps get their own one-time password — that way you can revoke iPhone access without changing your dashboard login.

1. Open Sync devices in your TrekMail dashboard.
2. Click + Add new device.
3. Name it (e.g. iPhone — Documents).
4. For browsing and downloading only: check just View files — Documents works fine read-only.
5. For uploading from Photos / camera roll: also check Edit files.
6. Click Generate password and copy the password (dsync_...).

Tip: paste the password into your iCloud Keychain or password manager on the phone before continuing — long random passwords are tedious on iOS keyboards.

Install Documents

1. Open App Store.
2. Search for Documents by Readdle (free, by Readdle Inc.).
3. Install and open it.
4. Skip the welcome screens and Readdle account prompt — you don't need a Readdle account to use WebDAV.

Connect to Drive

1. In Documents, open the Connections section (left sidebar on iPad, bottom toolbar on iPhone — look for a globe / cloud icon labelled Services or Connections).
2. Tap + Add Connection (or just the + button).
3. From the list of services, scroll to and pick WebDAV Server.
4. Fill in:
   • Title: something memorable, e.g. TrekMail Drive.
   • URL: paste the Drive server URL shown on the Sync devices page in your dashboard. It looks like https://drive.YOUR-DOMAIN/dav/files/account/ — keep the trailing slash.
   • Login: your TrekMail account email.
   • Password: the device password (dsync_...).
   • Use as Storage Provider: turn this on — that's what makes Drive appear in the iOS Files app.
5. Tap Save (top right).

Documents tests the connection. If it succeeds, you'll see your Drive folders listed.

Use Drive from the Files app

After you toggled Use as Storage Provider:

1. Open the Files app.
2. Tap Browse at the bottom.
3. Under Locations, tap Edit (or the … menu → Edit Sidebar on iPadOS).
4. Toggle TrekMail Drive on, then Done.
5. TrekMail Drive now appears under Locations in Browse.

From the Files app you can:

• Tap a file to open in Quick Look or in any app that handles its type.
• Press and hold → Move/Copy between Drive and iCloud.
• From any app's share sheet → Save to Files → TrekMail Drive to upload from Photos, Mail, Safari, etc.

Working with files in Documents app

If you'd rather use Documents directly (richer features than Files):

• Tap any file to preview.
• Long-press a file → Move to organize.
• Long-press → Share to upload to Drive from another app.
• Camera icon in the toolbar uploads new photos straight to Drive.

Offline access

Documents downloads files on-demand. To pin a file for offline:

1. Long-press the file in Documents.
2. Tap Download (or in some versions: Make available offline).

Pinned files keep working in airplane mode and re-upload changes when connectivity returns.

Troubleshooting

• "Authentication failed" — use the device password (dsync_...), not your dashboard password. Re-generate if it still fails.
• "Server is unreachable" — check the URL: https://, correct domain, trailing slash. Don't omit /dav/files/account/.
• Drive doesn't appear in Files app — open Documents, tap your connection, make sure Use as Storage Provider is on. Then re-toggle in Files Browse → Edit.
• Uploads from Photos fail with "permission denied" — your device password is read-only. Regenerate with Edit files checked.
• Documents app keeps logging out — iCloud Keychain sync sometimes drops credentials. Re-enter the device password.

For broader sync issues, see Drive Sync troubleshooting.