Why iOS still doesn't have a real file manager
The iPhone can do almost anything. Edit 4K video. Run machine learning models. Connect to a corporate VPN. But try to SSH into a server and edit a config file, or browse an S3 bucket, or transfer files over SFTP — and you’re stuck.
Apple’s Files app handles iCloud and basic SMB. That’s the entire story. No SFTP. No WebDAV. No S3. No SSH keys. No code editor. For the millions of developers, sysadmins, homelab enthusiasts, and IT professionals who carry an iPhone, that’s a gap that’s been open for years.
The alternatives aren’t great either
There are file manager apps on the App Store. We’ve tried most of them. The pattern is depressingly consistent:
- Outdated UIs built for iOS 12, never updated for modern SwiftUI or iPadOS multitasking
- Ad-supported models that shove banners between you and your files
- Cloud-relay architectures that route your data through third-party servers instead of connecting directly
- Feature bloat — FTP, Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, OneDrive, and fifteen other services crammed into one app, none of them done well
- Abandoned apps that haven’t seen an update in two years but still charge a subscription
The few decent options tend to support one protocol well and ignore the rest. You end up with three different apps for three different servers, none of them talking to each other.
What we actually needed
We wanted one app that could:
- Connect to anything — SFTP for Linux servers, SMB for NAS devices, WebDAV for self-hosted services, S3 for cloud storage. One connection list, one interface.
- Edit code properly — Syntax highlighting, multiple themes, line numbers. Not a glorified text field.
- Preview files without downloading — Images, PDFs, video, audio, Markdown. Rendered directly on device.
- Handle SSH keys — Generate Ed25519 keys, manage passphrases, assign keys to connections. No separate app needed.
- Respect privacy — Connect directly from device to server. No relay. No analytics. No tracking. Period.
- Work on iPhone and iPad — Not a shrunken iPad app on iPhone, or a stretched phone app on iPad. Properly adaptive layouts.
None of the existing apps checked every box. So we built one.
Introducing BulkHead
BulkHead is a remote file manager and editor for iOS. It connects to SFTP, SMB, WebDAV, and Amazon S3 (including S3-compatible services like MinIO). It also browses local files and iCloud folders.
Here’s what’s in the 1.0:
Browse files like a pro. Navigate directories with swipe gestures, breadcrumb navigation, and pull-to-refresh. Switch between list and grid views. Sort by name, date, size, or type. Search across files instantly. Mark favorites for quick access.
Edit code on the go. Syntax highlighting for over 50 languages — Swift, Python, JavaScript, Rust, Go, Ruby, and more. 30 color themes. Line numbers and word wrap. Changes auto-save as you type.
Write Markdown, see it live. Split-pane editor with a rendered preview side by side. Formatting toolbar for headers, bold, italic, lists, code blocks, and links. Export to PDF or HTML with a tap.
Batch operations. Select multiple files and move, copy, delete, or download them in one go. Track transfers in a dedicated queue with progress indicators and retry support.
SSH key management. Generate Ed25519 keys, import existing keys, and manage passphrases — all within the app. Assign keys to connections for passwordless authentication.
Auto-discovery. BulkHead uses Bonjour to find servers on your local network automatically. No manual IP entry needed.
External display. Connect to a TV or monitor via USB-C or AirPlay. BulkHead renders an optimized large-format view on the external display while you navigate from your phone.
Free to start
BulkHead is free with up to 3 remote connections. That’s enough to connect to your home server, your NAS, and an S3 bucket — or try all four protocols and see if it fits your workflow.
When you need more, Pro unlocks unlimited connections, the transfer queue for batch operations, cache encryption (AES-256-GCM), and external display support.
- $6.99/year with a 1-week free trial
- $14.99 one-time purchase for lifetime access
No monthly subscription. At this price point, the friction isn’t worth it.
Data Not Collected. Period.
Open the App Store and look at BulkHead’s privacy label. It says “Data Not Collected.” That’s not a marketing line — it’s what Apple verified before approving the app.
BulkHead connects directly from your device to your servers. Your files never touch our infrastructure because we don’t have infrastructure to touch. There’s no relay server, no “cloud sync” layer, no middleman. The connection goes from your iPhone to your server. That’s it.
There are no analytics SDKs. No crash reporters phoning home. No tracking pixels. No “anonymous usage data” that somehow needs your IP address. We don’t know how many files you browse, which servers you connect to, or how often you open the app. And we like it that way.
Most file manager apps can’t say this. Many of them bundle Firebase, Amplitude, or Mixpanel — libraries that collect device info, session data, and usage patterns and send them to third-party servers. Some route your file transfers through their own cloud to “simplify” the connection. That means your credentials and your data pass through someone else’s infrastructure. For a file manager that handles SSH keys and server credentials, that should be a dealbreaker.
We wrote a privacy policy you can actually read in under two minutes. No legalese, no buried clauses about “service improvement partners.”
Made in California
BulkHead is designed and built in California by oddinks, a small indie studio. No venture capital. No growth team. No pressure to monetize your data because there’s no investor deck promising 10x returns on user engagement metrics.
We build tools we want to use ourselves. That means the incentives are simple: make a good app, charge a fair price, respect the people who use it. When your business model is “sell software,” you don’t need to harvest data to survive.
Every line of code, every design decision, every protocol implementation — done by a small team that actually uses BulkHead to manage their own servers. We’re not a faceless corporation shipping a minimum viable product to capture market share. We’re the people who got frustrated enough with the existing options to build something better.
What’s next
We’re working on Shortcuts and Siri actions, home screen widgets, and custom themes. If you have ideas or run into issues, let us know.