BitTorrent Sync's cloudless file syncing adds mobile productivity features
The Sync mobile app just got some new features on Android, iOS, and Windows Phone to help make you more productive. For the first time on iOS, you'll be able to create files and save them to a sync folder. You'll also have the ability to make edits to a file and have the changes sync back to other users.
As for Android and Windows Phone, advanced users who know their way around a file system can already create, edit, and sync files from mobile. The latest Sync update makes that functionality easier to use so that everyone can enjoy it. The new Sync update is "intended to be a much more native and convenient experience for the user, with deeper integration with the platform," a BitTorrent spokesperson told us.
We haven't had a chance to try out the new functionality yet so we can't comment on how well the features work on any of the mobile platforms.
Assuming it works as advertised, it's not hard to imagine when these features would come in useful. If you end up doing a quick video edit on iMovie for iPad, for example, your share options will include the ability to save the file to a Sync folder to share with others or just quickly get it on your PC.
If you're at a family reunion, you can take photos of the event from your smartphone's camera roll and drop them into Uncle Jake's communal folder. Then the family's resident camera junkie can make a massive slideshow of the event, complete with music.
Beyond adding files to folders, the new Sync also makes it easier to edit previously shared files. If you need to quickly rewrite a paragraph for a company report that's in a shared folder, you can do that from your phone and quickly sync it back so your colleagues can see it.
Why this matters: With every release, BitTorrent proves that you don't need a server-based cloud storage service for an effective cross-platform sync and share system. The beauty of Sync is that it allows you to share files across all the major device types on software and devices that you control--almost no server support required. Now not only can you easily share files, but you can be more productive by syncing back file changes to others and adding new files. You still can't create new folders on mobile, but BitTorrent says it is "exploring" that feature so perhaps we'll see it in a future update.
The updated version of BitTorrent Sync will be available today on Google Play, Apple's App Store, and the Windows Phone Store.