Online backup service Wuala launches mobile apps: Access your files on the go

Published on March 21st, 2011
Written by: Brad Linder

Wuala is an online backup service run by digital storage company LaCie. Like many companies that let you safely upload data from your computer to the cloud for safe keeping, Wuala has a freemium model. You can store 1GB of data online for free, but if you need mroe space you have to pay, with plans starting at $29 per year for 10GB. In addition to backing up your data online, Wuala also lets you access your files from anywhere, and you can even install an app that lets you treat your online storage like a local hard drive.

Now Wuala is also starting to offer mobile apps which let you access your data on smartphones. A free iPhone app is already available, and an Android version is in the works.

I took the iOS app for a spin on my iPod touch, and it’s actually pretty handy. Once you login with your account information, you’re greeted with a few folders for Documents, Music, Photos, Videos, and Favorites. Not only can you browse and download files that are stored online with the app, but you can also use Wuala to play media files or view photos. Unfortunately you have to fully download a file before it will start playing, but Wuala still provides a quick way to access some of your desktop files from your mobile phone.

Once you download a file to play it, it isn’t automatically saved on the device — but you can save any file for offline use by clicking a save button. You can also share links to files via email and export some files for playback in third party apps.

For instance, Wuala detected that I had VLC installed on my iPod touch and allowed me to play MP3 files I’d downloaded in VLC instead of the Wuala player. Unfortunately I also have a couple of other media players (including the default iOS music app) which Wuala didn’t detect.

Wuala is available as a free download from the App Store.

Brad Linder

Brad Linder is editor of Liliputing and Mobiputing. He's been tinkering with mobile tech for decades and writing about it since 2006. Brad has also worked with NPR, WHYY, PRI, and AOL.

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Categories: Android, Free, iOS, nofollow, Utilities, Utilities
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  • Oona

    Hi Brad,
    This is Oona from Wuala. Just one comment on your last sentence: Wuala can only detect those applications that register themselves as being able to open certain file formats (in your case mp3, mpa etc.) Your media players (including the standard iPod app) do not register any file formats. Further, Wuala automatically saves all downloaded files locally, but later it may decide to delete some, in order to free some storage. If you explicitly save a file, then it’s not automatically deleted by Wuala, and you also can access it directly by going to the “Saved” folder, instead of browsing all the way to the file folder in Wuala. Nice cat pics btw :)

    Cheers,
    Oona

  • Bobby

    Great review.I wiss try it out.But iam also trying out SafeCopy backup and it is now a month since i started using it.They offer great services.

  • Anonymous

    I’m a big fan of Wuala myself. Now up to 10 GB of free space, and automatic synchronization can not be beat. Doing things through a referral link that begins with more storage space for free!

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