Connecting to Solutions

There are two ways to work with a FileMaker Pro file on your iOS device:

Transfer and work with a file on a local device
Connect to a hosted file

Transferring and working with a file on a local device

You can transfer a file to an iOS device, then work offline with a local copy of the file on the device. When you make data changes to the local file, the remote file is not updated.

To transfer a file to a device, see Transferring Files.

To open a local file on your device, see Working with Files.

Connecting to a hosted file

Connecting to a hosted file from an iOS device allows you to work with data interactively: when you change data on the device, the data is updated on the host computer, and vice versa, for the duration of a session. You can connect to files that are hosted in FileMaker Pro or FileMaker Server and are shared over a Wi-Fi or mobile data network.

Before you connect to a file, make sure the file is enabled for FileMaker Network sharing. To enable a file for FileMaker network sharing, see FileMaker Pro Help.

If you change and commit data on your device, data is automatically updated on the host, and vice versa.
If you are working in the hosted file in FileMaker Go and the host file closes, you will see an alert on your device asking you to close the file.
You can have more than one file open at a time on your device. Files you have opened are available from the Recent list in the Launch Center window.

Connect to a hosted file

If you are working in a file, tap , then tap Launch Center .
Tap Hosts .
Tap Hosts in the top-left corner, then choose the server that hosts the file.
Choose a file.

To search for a file when you are viewing files in a list, use the search box (swipe down if it is not visible).

Note: If you don't see the file that you are looking for, tap Hosts icon . If the file is on the selected host, enter the filename. If the file is on a different host, enter hostIPAddress/fileName. After you enter the filename, tap Open.

Connect to a hosted file from the Recent list

If you are working in a file, tap , then tap Launch Center .
Tap Recent .
Choose a file.

Add a host

If you are working in a file, tap , then tap Launch Center .
Tap Hosts .
Tap Hosts in the top-left corner, then tap .
Type an IP address or domain name. You do not need to type fmnet:/ .
(optional) Type a host name.
Tap Save.

Notes

If you have trouble connecting, exit FileMaker Go, then tap Settings to see if Wi-Fi is enabled on your device.
You can transfer a file to your device; however, data changes made on your device are not synchronized with the original file, and vice versa. You must use FileMaker Pro to import and update data. See Transferring Files.
To work with protected files, see Working with Files.
To tailor solutions for use with FileMaker Go, see FileMaker Go Development Guide.