## Repository

* [nextcloud/android](https://github.com/nextcloud/android)

---

# Introduction

My previous article was the [Part-1](https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@rufans/introduction-to-nextcloud-your-multi-platform-cloud-storage-part-1) of the open source project I'm about detailing it's features.
From my last post, I gave a detailed introduction and how to successfully get it installed on an Android running device. In case you missed it, here's a recap from the post. 

### What is Nextcloud?

![nextcloud.png](https://ipfs.busy.org/ipfs/QmcB4rP3UjPCaeZNoSQ9AyE9xnGNnW9GbJCgrNcL21mnqd)
[Source](https://www.c-rieger.de/cropped-nextcloud-logo-white-transparent-1-png/)

 Nextcloud is an open source project that allows you to run a personal cloud storage. Nextcloud has different clients which gives you a friendly user interface to backup from your local disk to a cloud storage And access them anytime of your choice.
Nextcloud is available  on desktop operating systems [Windows 7, 8.x and 10](https://download.nextcloud.com/desktop/releases/Windows/Nextcloud-2.5.1-setup.exe), [macOS 10.10+, 64 bit](https://download.nextcloud.com/desktop/releases/Mac/Installer/Nextcloud-2.5.1.20181204.pkg) and [Linux](https://download.nextcloud.com/desktop/releases/Linux/Nextcloud-2.5.1-x86_64.AppImage).
Also available on mobile operating systems  [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nextcloud.client), [Apple store](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nextcloud/id1125420102?mt=8) and [Windows mobile store](https://www.microsoft.com/store/apps/9nblggh532xq).

<Sup>*I will provide the link to the full post at the bottom of this article just in case you need to read it.*</Sup>

I am glad i was able to get someone who was ready to install Nextcloud on his device after reading my previous post on this project. Here's what he said.
> This is a very useful project, and I will certainly download and install it on my device. I was amazed by the fact that the application provides users with the option to host their own servers; this is probably what impressed me the most.

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I have taken time to understand how the mobile version of this great project works. And also how they've provided different means to secure user's data.  In this series of my blog post, i will be detailing the awesome features of the project.

### What Are The Available Features?

Nextcloud has  similar functionalities as the offline file manager on an Android device. Functions like, creating folders, organizing and sharing of files. This simply means an android user can easily use the basic features of nextcloud with no issues. 

 The listed features below are available on nextxloud but not available on an android file manager or some other similar online cloud storages.
# A.
* Account management 
* Activities tracking
# B.
* Stress free (Auto upload)
* Security
*  * Ability to use pass-code/finger print
*  * No screenshot allowed
 
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# Features In Details

<p>

# A.
![all.png](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmc5WrWhPdHvxh5QUtUrs3prjSFt68m5y4ywFpZDzsdyiR/all.png)



###  Account management 

You might want to ask if there are any need to manage more than one account on a device? Well, there are several reasons for that. But i will give just a single use case which is, 
>  Let's  assume you happen to work in an organisation, and you're already a nextcloud user with your personal account logged in on your device.  And there are undone/unfinished work at office which you would love to finish up at home. Accessing your office's nextcloud account via manage account option is the best thing to do. 

You don't have to  alter with your personal nextcloud account to manage another accounts. Managing accounts is one of the helpful and easiest features on on the app.

### Activities tracking


Tracking activities might not be so important to some users. All they just need for the app to do is, provide them with option to upload thier files and for the app to give positive  response when they need to access their files. But i know there are some other users who will surly see a lot of advanced feature than others. The activity feature should mean a lot to these users. The reason for the activities feature is for the users to know  how and where a file was uploaded, downloaded, moved or accessed.

I have never appreciated  this feature until i got to publicly  share a file from my storage to a user who doesn't even have nextcloud on his device. I was so shocked to see from my activities log that the file i shared was publicly opened. 
The activity log instantly logs every of your activities within the app. All you need to do to see if the file you shared has been opened or not is a simple refresh from the  activities log interface by dragging the page down till it reloads.

---

# B.

![allllllll.png](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmbNCCcSWJiVBDGfWW4jSmcweREj3Dy9nvepC8LsveTznP/allllllll.png)

## Stress free Mode (Auto upload)




I personally call this feature the Stress free Mode 😁.  It's actually known as  **Auto upload** on the app. All it does is simply uploading your files automatically from an already selected folder on your local storage  to the cloud storage.  Before this feature could function on android client, there are basic settings you need to play with. which are 
* Chose the folder it should upload from
* Allow uploading only when the device is connected to a wifi
* Auto upload only when the device is charging.
* Options to either keep or delete the original file after  it has been uploaded.

I so much love the above options. i appreciate the developers behind this. They could feel the pain when you are not anywhere close to you home or you have little internet data while the auto upload options is enabled.
With the options listed above, you have full control over the auto upload feature.

##  Security



Providing data security is one of the main aim of this project. From the [Part-1](https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@rufans/introduction-to-nextcloud-your-multi-platform-cloud-storage-part-1) of this article, i gave a little insight on how i met this awesome project. It happened that i needed to store my private keys somewhere different from my local device. All i had in mind was, an online storage and a platform that respects user's privacy. Nextcloud doesn't just respect your privacy by not selling your data. But they give you full  control over your data by letting you run your personal private server.

I didn't run a private cloud server on my android client. But i have full confidence that my data are safe.
nextcloud doesn't just secure your data from online hacker. They also made sure they provide you with different options to deny offline  access from random users trying to get into your app.

I am running the latest version of nextcloud app on Android 8.0 Oreo. where i am allowed to enable finger print. The app doesn't open until it recognizes my fingerprint. There is an option to enable pass-code just in case your device doesn't support fingerprint lock. I prefer the finger print feature for it doesn't even take me a second to get it unlocked. One disadvantage i see with the fingerprint feature is, anyone could simply unlock the app by just placing my finger into the fingerprint reader while i am sleeping. i am so sure it will work.🤔 But still, it's best i use the pin-code option.

## No screenshot allowed

Have you ever come across apps that doesn't allow you take screenshot or make a screen recording when you in the app? Well, it happened  to me after i set up the  pin-code and i restated the app to be sure the pin-code option worked. i tried taking a screenshot which didn't work. Instead i got this response ``` Couldn't capture screenshot. taking screenshot is not allowed by the app or your organisation```.  i had to disable the pin-code before i could take screenshots. 

I made a little research to know what went wrong.  I found out that i automatically enabled ```FLAG_SECURE``` just after i enabled the pin-code. FLAG_SECURE is an option that prevent screenshot and screen recording from apps for security reasons.

I have said in previous paragraph that i love how these developers think. i'm sure they know there might be at times you need to make a screenshot of something in the app. All you need to do is disable your lock option, take the screenshot, then setback the lock. Awesome right?.
Don't forget not  anyone can just disable the lock just for the screenshot. You need to enter the right pin-code before disabling the pin-code for screenshot. This doesn't give strangers access to make screenshots. More awesome right.? 😉

## Conclusion
This is the [Part-2]() of the  [Part-1](https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@rufans/introduction-to-nextcloud-your-multi-platform-cloud-storage-part-1) article i started last week. At the beginning of this post, i was able to give brief introduction to what nextcloud is by referring to my  [Part-1](https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@rufans/introduction-to-nextcloud-your-multi-platform-cloud-storage-part-1) content.
I made it clear that the nextcloud app has a lot of basic features as our android default file manager. So i decided not to discuss on those simple features but focuse on more advanced available features.

 Thank you for reading my blog. see you next time.


## Series backlinks:
[Introduction To NextCloud- Your Multi-Platform Cloud Storage. (Part 1)](https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@rufans/introduction-to-nextcloud-your-multi-platform-cloud-storage-part-1)

Github profile:
[Realrufans](https://github.com/realrufans)