Media servers like Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, and Kodi organize your photo, music, and video libraries on a NAS or PC. AnExplorer gives you direct filesystem access to those media files via SMB or FTP — letting you browse, copy, move, rename, and delete files that the media server apps don't expose.
How It Works
AnExplorer connects to the storage where your media server keeps its files — not to the media server software itself. This means:
- ✅ Full read/write access to media files (browse, copy, move, rename, delete)
- ✅ Access files the media server doesn't show (metadata, subtitles, NFO files, extras)
- ✅ Upload new media to your library from your phone
- ✅ Manage folder structure and fix naming issues
- ❌ No DLNA/UPnP browsing (AnExplorer doesn't support DLNA)
- ❌ No transcoding or streaming via the media server's API
Connect to Your Media Server's Storage
Via SMB (Recommended for NAS)
Most NAS devices (Synology, QNAP, TrueNAS, Unraid) and Windows PCs share folders via SMB:
- Open AnExplorer → tap Network → SMB
- Tap + to add a new connection
- Enter your NAS/PC IP address (e.g.
192.168.1.50), share name, username, and password - Tap Connect
- Navigate to your media folder (e.g.
/Media/Movies/or/volume1/video/)
Via FTP (Alternative)
If your NAS or PC runs an FTP server:
- Open AnExplorer → tap Network → FTP
- Tap + to add a new connection
- Enter the server IP, port (usually 21), and credentials
- Tap Connect and navigate to the media directory
Common Media Server Setups
| Server | Where files live | How to access with AnExplorer |
|---|---|---|
| Plex (on NAS) | NAS shared folder (e.g. /Media/) | SMB to the NAS |
| Plex (on PC) | PC folder (e.g. D:\Media\) | SMB to the PC's shared folder |
| Jellyfin (on NAS) | NAS shared folder | SMB to the NAS |
| Emby (on NAS) | NAS shared folder | SMB to the NAS |
| Kodi (on TV box) | External USB or NAS | SMB to the NAS (not to Kodi itself) |
| Synology Media Server | Synology NAS volume | SMB to the Synology |
| QNAP Multimedia Console | QNAP NAS volume | SMB to the QNAP |
What You Can Do
| Task | How |
|---|---|
| Browse your movie/TV library | Navigate via SMB to the media folder |
| Download a file for offline viewing | Long-press → Copy to local storage |
| Upload new media from phone | Copy files from phone storage to the NAS share |
| Delete old or duplicate files | Long-press → Delete (permanent on the NAS) |
| Rename mismatched files | Long-press → Rename (fixes media server scraping issues) |
| Check file info (codec, size, bitrate) | Long-press → Properties |
| Open/stream a video file | Tap the file → opens in your default video player |
Tips
- Synology DSM 7: Enable SMB in Control Panel → File Services → SMB. Use your DSM username/password in AnExplorer.
- QNAP QTS: SMB is enabled by default. Use your QTS credentials.
- Windows 11: Right-click a folder → Properties → Sharing → Share. Use your Windows login in AnExplorer.
- Bookmark the connection: Once connected, the SMB/FTP bookmark stays in AnExplorer's sidebar for instant access.
- 5 GHz Wi-Fi: Use 5 GHz for faster browsing and file transfers from your NAS.
Related Guides
- SMB / Windows Network Share on Android — full SMB client setup
- FTP Client on Android — full FTP client setup
- Connect Android to NAS — NAS-specific guide
- Transfer Files from Phone to NAS