In recent years, mobile devices have become the primary technical device for many of us. Nevertheless, they could never replace a laptop or desktop computer so far. With the introduction of iOS13 last fall, Apple has now blurred the line between tablet and laptop a lot further, paving the way for the iPad to become a business device on par with the laptop.
With the new update of the ownCloud iOS App we bring features to your iPhone and iPad that make ownCloud an indispensable tool in your everyday business life. Here are our top five that will provide you added value from now on:
Document scanner
Free your iOS device from unnecessary clutter, because with the new ownCloud App Update you no longer need third party document scanner apps. Digitize all your offline paperwork and store letters, invoices or business cards directly in your ownCloud.
Click the “+” button in the top right corner of the screen and select “Scan document”. The camera automatically detects the paper size and captures the image. You can then make further adjustments in the app: Change the color, increase the contrast ratio and decide if you want to save the document as PNG, JPEG or PDF. Of course you can also scan several pages directly after each other and save them as single files or as one continuous PDF.
Notes, drawings and mark-up on PDFs and images
You can now create notes, mark-up and drawings on your PDFs and images directly in your ownCloud app. On the iPhone with your fingertip, on the iPad with the Apple Pencil. To do this, press the “…” (More) button in the detail view of your document and select the “Markup” function.
By the way, it also works very well with documents that you have just scanned with the ownCloud App document scanner and want to sign, for example.
Apple Shortcuts
The Apple Shortcuts app offers endless possibilities for automating operations and interactions. For example, you can create a script that automatically turns on the lights when your iPhone connects to a wireless network. And you don’t need programming skills to do it – you can use Apple’s intuitive interface. With the ownCloud App iOS update we have now integrated a lot of shortcut workflows that allow you to automate your ownCloud and your processes with documents. For example, we have developed a shortcut that automatically converts Markdown files into PDFs, or a clipboard manager that allows you to seamlessly sync clipboards across different devices.
You can activate them here:
Of course, we are even more interested in what you automate with your ownCloud and which workflows you have in use – just send us a message!
Automated image upload
A small, hidden feature that has actually been around since the last release now unfolds its full effect: Automatically upload all pictures you take with your iPhone or iPad to your ownCloud. Save yourself the hassle of syncing with your laptop and turn off iCloud for photo syncing. Now your photos are all yours and you can keep them safe in your own private cloud.
In the settings of your ownCloud app you can decide if you want to upload only pictures or also videos automatically, if you want to convert the HEIC files into JPEGs and you can choose the upload path. The ownCloud app will from then on synchronize all pictures you take with your camera.
Keyboard commands
You can connect an external keyboard to your iPad, which is especially important if you work longer with the iPad and want to edit texts faster. We have included keyboard commands in the ownCloud iOS app that seamlessly integrate your workflow as you are used to from your laptop. So you can use the ownCloud app without touching the touchscreen with your hands. To find out which keyboard commands are available press and hold the “Command” key in your ownCloud app. Depending on whether you are currently in the list or detail view, different keyboard commands may be available.
Update the ownCloud iOS App now!
The app is now available in the Apple App Store, if the update is done automatically, you will see a “What’s new” screen with all new features available the next time you login. The Document Scanner, the Mark-up feature for PDFs and images as well as the Apple Shortcuts integration are features that are already included in your Enterprise Subscription, as a user of the Community Edition you can subscribe to them for 1.99 € per year or buy them once for 3.49 € per feature.
We are always happy to receive feedback on the ownCloud iOS App, please write us a message. We hope you enjoy the new update and thank you for using ownCloud!
Thank you for contributing this awesome blog post, Matthias Hühne, ownCloud Mobile Lead Developer, iOS Developer!
