transloader

With Transloader 3 finally publicly available, I’d like to invite you on a tour through the app and its functionality.
In Part I, we were mostly on the sofa, except for the part where we were out grocery shopping.
In this Part II, I’ll show you everything* there is to know about the iOS companion app.
Thank you for joining me again – I’m so happy to see you here!
*not actually everything, but read on

Table of Contents

Part IStarting Downloads Remotely on Macs
Part IIDive Into Transloader’s iOS App
Part IIITransloader Siri Shortcuts on iPhone and iPad
Part IVPreferences and Settings
Part VLogin to Download
Part VILink Actions
Part VIIFile Actions

Part II – Dive Into Transloader’s iOS App

Version 3 is not only a new Mac app, it’s also a new iOS app, and with it comes all sorts of goodness that has become available in iOS since the last time Transloader has seen a significant update (over 6 years ago – whoopsie).
Let’s take a look!

New Icon, New UI

The first thing you’ll probably notice is the new icon. The old one was very long in the tooth for obvious reasons, but Alexander Käßner did an amazing job with the new one – again!
It obviously plays off the Mac version, and I believe it would fit perfectly onto one of your home screens. Preferably the first.

Don’t mind Mail.app’s badge count. It’s… I’ll… just don’t mind it.

Taking a look inside the app, everything has changed. We have three main views now:

  • Downloads shows all downloads on your Macs
  • Saved Links contains links that you’ve saved for later
  • Devices lists all devices you’re using Transloader on
The three main views of Transloader on iOS and iPadOS

At the top right, you’ll always see the Add Link button. It was my goal to make starting downloads as quick, painless and easy as possible, so there are numerous ways to get downloads started.

In Part I, we’ve already covered the Share extension, which is available for every link that can be shared on iOS.
But there are more ways than one to skin pet a cat.
When you’re on your home screen, long-press Transloader’s icon to reveal its Quick Actions:

Transloader’s quite serious about downloading links.
Starting Downloads with Home Screen Quick Actions

Transloader’s Quick Actions consist of a general “Download Link” item, which will open Transloader’s Add Link screen, pre-filled with the link on your clipboard (if you’ve copied one).
It also has one for the last three Macs you downloaded on, which will also open Transloader’s Add Link screen pre-filled with the link on your clipboard, and pre-select the corresponding Mac.
Here it is in action:

Starting Downloads with Gestures

Tap with three fingers into Transloader and you’ll see the quick action bar, which lets you paste any link you’ve copied into Transloader. You can also “three-finger-zoom” to do it a little quicker.

Depending on where you are in the app, this will behave a little differently.
In Downloads and Devices, it’ll open the Download Link sheet, as you can see in the video above.
In Saved Links, it’ll just save the link for later.

Starting Downloads from “Downloads”

You can send links to more than one Mac for download, and you can also assign a link that’s already been sent to a Mac for download to another Mac. In case that sentence makes no sense, here it is as a video – it’s much clearer that way:

Tap the ellipsis button next to a download, and you’ll be able to send the link to other Macs.
Note that the Mac which the link is already assigned to is missing from the potential targets, as it’s unnecessary to be included in this case.

Next to a Mac’s name, there’s a + button. Tap it to assign saved links to it, or to show the Download Link view with that Mac pre-selected.

Starting Downloads with Drag and Drop

Just like under “Downloads”, you can use the ellipsis button to assign links to Macs for download.
You can also use drag and drop, which is, like, way cooler. This also works from Downloads, of course.

When you start to drag a link, note how, at the bottom, Transloader’s Quick Drop Bar™* appears. It’ll let you quickly assign downloads to one, or multiple Macs, simply using drag and drop.
*not actually a trademark

Macs are color coded, so you’ll know if Transloader and the Mac is running (green), the Mac is sleeping (orange), or the Mac is off or Transloader is not running (red).
While you’re dragging, you can also switch to the other screens, if you prefer to assign downloads that way.

Drag and drop works across apps on iPad as well (and with iOS 15, on iPhone too), for when you’re in a hurry to download all the demo versions Eternal Storms Software (it me) has to offer – like I am in the video below ; )

Starting Downloads with Siri Shortcuts

Siri Shortcuts are so cool. And I’ve embraced them with Transloader.
However, this is the topic of the next part of this series, so nothing to see here, moving on…

Keyboard Shortcuts

If you’ve got a keyboard connected to your iOS device, Transloader has got you covered.

Depending on where you are in Transloader, it offers you keyboard access to its most relevant features
Summary

Now you know everything there is to know about Transloader for iPhone and iPad.
Well, almost everything, because I want you to keep coming back and read the other parts 😉

Speaking of which, I hope you’ll join me again next time, when we’ll look at Transloader’s Siri Shortcuts on iPhone and iPad, which allow you to create automated downloads.
See you then!

Links

Transloader Website (with a free, 15-day trial for Mac)
Transloader on the Mac App Store ($4.99 / €5.49 for a limited time)
Transloader on the iOS App Store (free)
Transloader Usage Tips

 

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With Transloader 3 finally publicly available, I’d like to invite you on a tour through the app and its functionality.

Transloader for Mac's App Icon

Table of Contents

Part IStarting Downloads Remotely on Macs
Part IIDive Into Transloader’s iOS App
Part IIITransloader Siri Shortcuts on iPhone and iPad
Part IVPreferences and Settings
Part VLogin to Download
Part VILink Actions
Part VIIFile Actions

Part I – Starting Downloads Remotely on Macs

Let’s begin this series with why Transloader exists in the first place: to be able to download files on your Mac, especially if you’re not in front of it.

Prerequisites

In order for a Mac to receive links to download, you need, well, at least one Mac.
With macOS 10.14 or newer, and an iCloud account, you’re ready to install and launch Transloader on it.

Installation and Setup

With your iCloud account set up (I’ll let Apple explain how to set it up), launch Transloader on your Mac(s).
Each Mac you launch Transloader on will be registered in the app’s iCloud container, and will thus become available to send links to for download.

A screenshot of Transloader's Devices window, showing an available iMac, a sleeping MacBook Pro, and two iOS devices.
Transloader’s Devices window

As you can see in the screenshot above, all devices I use Transloader with are registered in iCloud.
In this case, I have an iMac, where Transloader is running, and the Mac is on (indicated by the green status icon).
I also have a MacBook Pro, where Transloader is running as well, but the Mac is sleeping (indicated by the orange status icon).
Lastly, I have an iPhone and and iPad. And because they aren’t valid targets for downloads, they get a gray status icon.
Should you no longer wish to use a particular device with Transloader, you can delete it at anytime from this window, or from the iOS app.

Anyway, apart from launching Transloader on your devices once, there’s really no setup, so now you’re all set up and ready to get downloading.

Assigning Downloads to a Mac

Imagine: you’re sitting on your sofa (with a sister or two), surfing on your MacBook, and feeling as relaxed as can be. Feet up, head in the clouds. Then suddenly – BOOM – you get a news alert. Apple has just released a new Xcode beta.
Now, do you really want to break this blissful state of serenity you’re in, get up and go to your iMac in the other room, just so you can start the download? Well, of course you don’t! And why on earth would you? You’ve got Transloader.

Transloader's Share extension appears when right-clicking a link in Safari.
Transloader’s Share extension, running in Safari

So instead of having to put your MacBook away, getting out of your comfy, sofa-surfing position, you assign the link to your iMac in the other room for download with Transloader.
Right-click the download link in Safari, select Share, and Download with Transloader. You’ll see this:

Transloader's Share extension in Safari, allowing us to assign the Xcode download link to the iMac.
Transloader’s Share extension, running in Safari

The Share extension allows you to select one or more Macs on which the file should be downloaded. Click Download, and you’re done. The iMac receives the link and will download it right away:

Transloader running on iMac, downloading Xcode.
Transloader on the iMac, downloading the Xcode beta we just assigned

And when the download finishes, you’ll be notified about it on all your devices:

A push notification on macOS, indicating that the download of Xcode has finished on the iMac and was unpacked.
A push notification lets us know on the MacBook that Xcode has indeed been downloaded, and was opened with Archive Utility to unpack it

With the proper File Action set up, the iMac also unarchives the .xip after the download, saving you even more time. But that’s something we’ll look into in Part VII.

For now, let’s imagine again.
Your friend texts you on your iPhone: “Hey, check out this Mac app – here’s the download link”. But you’re out grocery shopping. Sure, you could wait until you’re back home and remember to download it then. But you already need to remember all the things you wanted to get from the grocery store, so that’s out of the question. And what if the demo is a big file? There’s too much uncertainty here.
Just send that link to your Mac right from the produce-section and you’re worry-free.

Long press the link and select Share:

The Share sheet on your iPhone includes Transloader when sharing URLs/links

Select Transloader, and you’ll be presented with the familiar options of choosing the Mac(s) you’d like to download the file on:

Transloader’s Share sheet on iOS offers you the same options as the Mac app

And like before, as you move out of the produce- and into the refrigerated section, you’ll be notified of a successful download:

The by now familiar push notification, this time on your iPhone.
Summary

Now you know everything there is to know about the basics of getting a download started on your Macs – from your iPhones, iPads, and other Macs, wherever you are.

I hope you’ll also join me next time, when we’ll dive in to the details of the iOS app for iPhone and iPad.
I’ll see you then!

Links

Transloader Website (with a free, 15-day trial for Mac)
Transloader on the Mac App Store ($4.99 / €5.49 for a limited time)
Transloader on the iOS App Store (free)
Transloader Usage Tips

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Transloader v3 Icon 1024px

I’m so happy to finally be able to announce the immediate availability of Transloader v3.0 for Mac, iPhone and iPad.
The app has been re-imagined, re-designed and re-developed from the ground up, with macOS Big Sur, iOS/iPadOS 14 and Apple Silicon in mind.
It’s been such a long time since the app received its last meaningful update, but oh boy, this is a great one, if I may say so myself.

Intro to Transloader

What is Transloader?

With Transloader running on your Macs, you can assign downloads to it from afar – using your iPhone, iPad, and other Macs.

Say you’re in a Café, surfing on your iPhone and find out Apple has just released a new beta of Xcode. Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could start downloading that huge xip file immediately on your Mac back home, and have it ready when you return? With Transloader, you can.

Send the link to your Mac, and it will start the download right away. When it’s done, it’ll also send you a push notification about it.
You can start downloads on Macs from Transloader itself, directly from within your browser using its Share extension, and – on iOS – with Siri Shortcuts.

What’s New in Transloader v3.0?

– Support for multiple Macs
You can now specify one or several Macs you’d like to download a link on.

– Start downloads from other Macs
Where in previous versions you could start downloads only from your iOS devices, Transloader 3.0 lets you initiate downloads on Macs from other Macs as well.

– Login to download
If a download requires a login on its website before you can access it (like the aforementioned Xcode beta), that’s no longer a problem for Transloader.
You can login to sites you anticipate to download from beforehand, or later, at any time, from any device.

– Link- and File Actions on Mac
Using Actions, you can modify Transloader’s behavior in different scenarios.

With a Link Action, you define an app or Automator Workflow that should be opened with a specific assigned link (based on criteria like the URL host, or URL scheme), instead of being downloaded in Transloader.
This way, you can send ftp:// links directly to your favorite FTP app.

File Actions make Transloader open specific files it has downloaded with an app or Automator Workflow you choose – based on criteria like the downloaded file’s type, or the original URL’s host. As an example, you could use this to organize downloaded files into folders automatically.

– Share Extension
Start downloads on Macs right from within your browser, or any other app that supports sharing links – on any device.

– Save links for later
Whether your desired Mac is not yet activated with Transloader, or you’d just like to wait for a later time until you start a download, you can now save links in Transloader for later, and assign them whenever you please.

– Push Notifications
Transloader can inform you about the status of your downloads, and that of your Macs.

– New App for iPhone and iPad
Alongside the new Mac app comes – naturally – a new iOS app.
Among other key features, the app now supports gestures, drag and drop, keyboard shortcuts, Siri Shortcuts for powerful download workflows, and a Share extension, which works like the Mac version’s.

 

Can I see more of Transloader in action?

Of course.

Login to Download
Link- and File Actions

What are Transloader’s requirements?

– An iCloud account
– At least one Mac with macOS 10.14 or newer
– An optional iPhone and/or iPad with iOS 14 or newer with the free iOS Transloader app

Where can I get Transloader?

Mac:
Free, 15-day trial: https://eternalstorms.at/transloader/Transloader.zip
Purchase on the Mac App Store ($4.99 / €5,49 / ￡ 4.99 introductory price at ~50% off): https://apps.apple.com/app/transloader/id572281534?mt=12&at=1001l8pT
Transloader for Mac will be available on Setapp in July 2021

iPhone and iPad:
iOS App Store (free): https://apps.apple.com/app/transloader/id572280994?mt=8&at=1001l8pT

It’s currently available in English and German – more languages will follow.
Transloader 3 is a free upgrade for existing customers.

Do you have more info about Transloader?

Sure!
Transloader Usage Tips: https://eternalstorms.at/transloader/tips/
Press Kit: https://eternalstorms.at/press/Transloader-3-Press-Kit.zip
Transloader Playlist on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXlKHhRX6pIeaHIMKLVqeMSPA6HZSbeR9
Privacy Policy: https://eternalstorms.at/privacypolicy/#transloader

I hope you’ll enjoy this new version of Transloader for Mac, iPhone and iPad. Should you have any feedback or questions, please don’t hesitate to write me! If you’re a member of the press and would like to get in touch, please feel free to do so at any time!

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Here’s an update on the state of my apps regarding macOS Big Sur and Macs with Apple Silicon.

In short: All my apps are ready for both, and the updates mentioned below will be released when macOS Big Sur is available at the latest (depending heavily on App Review and whether or not macOS Big Sur’s release is going to be the same, fun catastrophe of a surprise as iOS 14’s).

Let’s get into a little more detail.

Yoink for Mac (website | Mac App Store)

Yoink 128 2xFor Yoink – your file shelf that simplifies and improves drag and drop on your Mac –, all I had to do to make it fit nicely within Big Sur was to resolve some UI issues.
Recompiling for Apple Silicon went without further intervention on my part.

– Firstly, I updated the preferences window to the new style (which you can read more about here).
2

– Secondly, macOS Big Sur introduces larger insets for most (if not all) of its scrollable views, so I’ve had to make Yoink’s window a little wider to make everything fit nicely again, while maintaining the new inset and selection look.
1

– Last but not least, I asked Alex Käßner to update Yoink’s icon, and he certainly delivered (see above).

ScreenFloat (website | Mac App Store)

ScreenFloat for Mac App Icon

For ScreenFloat – which lets you create floating screenshots to keep almost anything visible in whatever app, space or window you are – my priority was to get it running natively on Apple Silicon and fix the most glaring UI issues on Big Sur (like the preferences window, again).
A bigger update is in the works, so my attention goes into that, but I wanted to make sure that – until the big update drops – it’ll run as efficiently and well as it can.

flickery (website | Mac App Store)

flickery for Mac App Icon

flickery – a full-featured client for flickr – will run natively on Apple Silicon and received, like ScreenFloat above and the apps below, a minor face-lift of its preferences window.
I’ve also had to remove QTKit (which I mostly did with a previous update of the app for macOS Catalina – but some more references I had kept around came up as an error in Xcode, so those had to go as well).
It was used to allow the user to edit videos before uploading them. It’s gone for the time being, but there are plenty of free tools (including QuickTime Player) that can step up here for the user in the meantime.

Transloader for Mac (website | Mac App Store | iOS App Store)

Transloader for Mac App Icon

Transloader – which lets you start downloads on your Mac remotely from your iOS device – also will receive a minor update. I had to remove some shadows from texts so it would look nicer in Dark Mode (and who does shadows nowadays anymore, anyways…).
I’ve also had to update its use of CloudKit, because some APIs were deprecated and replaced (in particular, I was using CKSubscription instead of the newer CKQuerySubscription). In the end, it was easy enough.
Transloader 3.0 is still in the works (some bits of progress you can read about here, here and here), so, like with ScreenFloat, I wanted to make sure it runs on macOS Big Sur (and natively on Apple Silicon) until the bigger update is available.

Glimpses (website | Mac App Store)

Glimpses for Mac App Icon

Glimpses – an app that lets you effortlessly create still motion videos – will receive a more substantial update.
After I fixed a glaring UI issue where the progress bar that Glimpses shows for the render progress was almost invisible, I gave the video creation algorithm an overhaul, which makes it up to 4x faster than before, which I’m really happy with. Multi-threading ftw! The app, too, will run natively on Apple Silicon.

SiriMote (free, website)

SiriMote for Mac App Icon

SiriMote didn’t require any UI fixes for Big Sur, but v1.3.9 which I recently released fixes a couple of connectivity issues – and already runs natively on Apple Silicon!
The app allows you to control your Mac and apps with your Apple TV Siri Remote.

I’m glad I was able to make all my apps ready for macOS Big Sur, and am very curious where things are going with Apple Silicon!

– Matthias
mail | website | twitter | instagram | facebook

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