TorchPhoto

 " Don’t use complicated connection methods. "

" Just connect easily with FTP only and start browsing. "

" Just connect via FTP to photos and videos uploaded to a simple NAS server. "

" Use the thumbnail generation feature. "

This is an album-style viewer app built specifically for photos and videos stored on FTP/NAS servers—not a typical FTP file explorer. Its purpose is to let you browse media quickly like a photo album on iOS, generate thumbnails for smoother navigation, and continue reviewing content even when the server is unavailable or your connection is unstable.

Key Features

FTP/NAS Album Viewer

Connect to your saved FTP servers and browse media while preserving the original folder structure. Photos and videos inside folders can be viewed in either grid or list mode, and the grid layout can be adjusted from 1 to 6 columns. Sorting, filtering, and search make it easier to find what you need, and you can enable a Photos/Videos-only mode to automatically hide non-media files. In the viewer, swipe up to share quickly, and long-press an item to view metadata.

Thumbnail Generation

Generate lightweight thumbnails inside any folder and use them for much faster browsing. This is especially useful for large folders, slow networks, or servers with many high-resolution files. Originals remain on the server, while only compact thumbnail files are stored on your iOS device. In the viewer, thumbnails appear first and the app loads the original in the background when available, helping the browsing experience feel fast and smooth.

Offline Mode

TorchPhoto remembers the paths where thumbnails have already been generated. If the server is offline or the internet connection is unstable, the app automatically switches to Offline Mode. In this mode, the original viewer is not available, but you can still browse folders and preview photos using low- to medium-quality thumbnails. This makes it possible to continue reviewing media even without direct server access.

Upload & Download

Upload photos and videos from your device to a selected FTP folder, and download server files back to your iPhone for saving or sharing. During uploads and downloads, the screen can remain awake to reduce interruptions and improve transfer reliability.

Thumbnail Widget

After generating thumbnails in a folder, you can choose that folder in the Widget Setting section and display its thumbnail photos directly on your iPhone home screen.

QR-Based Server Sharing

TorchPhoto supports server sharing through QR codes. You can generate a TorchPhoto QR code and send it to another person, allowing them to add the same FTP server much more quickly inside the app without entering connection details manually.

For first-time users, TorchPhoto can also help streamline setup further. If the recipient has just installed the app, TorchPhoto can automatically check the Photos app’s Recents on first launch. If it finds a TorchPhoto QR code there, it detects it and immediately guides the user to add the server.

Thumbnail Share

If the other person cannot install TorchPhoto, you can still share generated thumbnails separately. TorchPhoto can package lightweight thumbnail images into a compressed file, allowing the recipient to quickly review low- to medium-quality visual samples without needing the original files. This is useful when you need to communicate image contents quickly without transferring large full-resolution media.

Slideshow

Long-press a server item and select Play Slideshow to start a slideshow using generated thumbnails. Playback interval can be adjusted from 1 to 60 seconds in the settings menu, making it useful for quick previewing or passive review of folder contents.

Extra Convenience Features

• Server tag colors: Long-press a saved server to assign a tag color, making it easier to distinguish servers at a glance.

• Folder tags: Assign tags to folders and use them later as search keywords or grouping aids.

• Server preview: If a server already has generated thumbnails, a random preview image can be shown in the server list.

• Auto-create subfolders: Long-press a server to automatically create entries for its subdirectory paths.

• Save video frame as an image: While playing a video, long-press it and use the Save Current Frame as Image button at the bottom of the metadata screen. The saved frame preserves the original video’s resolution and metadata.

• Live Photo upload: Upload Live Photos by separating them into photo + video. If this option is disabled, only the photo is uploaded.

• HEIC to JPG upload: Convert HEIC images to JPG before upload for broader compatibility.

• Upload logs: View simple records of previous uploads.

• Favorites: Mark items as favorites using thumbnail-based storage. Originals are not copied into Favorites—only thumbnail files are stored.

• Persistent filters and sorting: Filter and sort settings can be preserved, so your preferred browsing setup remains even after restarting the app.

• Selection workflow improvements: Buttons can be disabled while selection-related actions are running to reduce accidental input and improve stability.

• Themes: Choose Light, Dark, or System theme.

• Thumbnail cache limit: Set a maximum storage limit for generated thumbnails.

• Large video skip setting: Videos larger than your configured size can be handled as skipped thumbnails without downloading the original, reducing heavy network usage during thumbnail generation.

• Video pairing: When a photo and video share the same name in the same folder, the video can be hidden from the main list and opened directly from the photo preview using a Paired Video button. This helps when managing split photo/video assets similar to Live Photo-style storage.

Why FTP only?

FTP is widely supported across servers, and the app is designed for a workflow where users generate thumbnails on a stable Wi-Fi connection, then browse the album later—even without a connection.

One more quick reminder

Live Photos also work naturally in TorchPhoto. 

Most Live Photo backups end up stored as two separate files—one image and one video. TorchPhoto detects pairs with the same name and presents them as a single Live Photo, just like on an iPhone.

This solved a Live Photo backup problem I’d been dealing with for years.

Once thumbnails are generated, you can view them offline.

whether your connection drops, the signal is spotty for a moment, or even while you’re traveling on a plane.

You can upload your travel memories from your iPhone to an FTP server. 

TorchPhoto supports viewing, downloading, and uploading—so if your FTP server is running smoothly, this single app can handle both backup and restore.