Meet MinisCloud
MinisCloud is an intelligent storage management system specifically designed for MINISFORUM NAS devices. It combines an efficient storage engine, flexible application deployment capabilities, and considerate privacy protection, allowing users to easily manage files, perform backups, share content, and enjoy multimedia entertainment through an intuitive web interface. Compared to traditional NAS systems, MinisCloud offers high usability, robust security, and comprehensive functionality.
Install Drives
To use MINISFORUM NAS devices, you need to install at least one hard drive into the device. Please follow the hard drive installation video guide below to complete the installation.
Connect the included power adapter, Ethernet cable, and HDMI cable to the NAS. Connect the other end of the HDMI cable to a monitor.
Press the power button briefly to turn on the device.
Wait 3-5 minutes until the monitor displays the MINISFORUM logo and an IP address in the top right corner, indicating the device has successfully booted. This device does not have a system desktop; you need to use another computer or mobile device to operate it.
Get Client
Open a web browser and go to https://www.minisforum.com/pages/product-info. Type your NAS name (for example, "N5") into the search bar at the top and search. Download the client for your operating system and install it.
Windows / macOS
Bind NAS > Windows / macOS
When you open the client for the first time, click "New". It will automatically scan your local network for new devices. When a device is discovered, click on it in the list to connect.
You can also choose to bind a new device by entering its local IP address or a public network address. The device's IP address appears in the top right corner of the screen where the NAS is connected.
After successful binding, if you want to start using the new device directly, select "Administrator initialization". If you want to migrate data from an old device to this new one, select "Migrate data to this device".
iOS / Android
Bind NAS > iOS / Android
When you open the mobile client for the first time, manually select a method to bind your device. If you choose "Scan In LAN", it will automatically scan your local network for new devices. When a device is discovered, tap on it in the list to connect.
You can also choose to bind a new device by entering its local IP address or a public network address. The device's IP address appears in the top right corner of the screen where the NAS is connected.
After successful binding, if you want to start using the new device directly, select "Administrator initialization". If you want to migrate data from an old device to this new one, select "Migrate data to this device".
Windows / macOS
Create Account > Windows / macOS
If you selected "Administrator initialization" in the previous device binding step, you will be guided through the registration process.
You can also click the "Register" button to start account registration.
Fill in the required information for registration and click the "Register" button to complete the process. Email address and phone number are optional and are only used for password recovery.
After successful registration, click the "Login" button to log into your account. (The first account successfully registered becomes the device's administrator account.)
iOS / Android
Create Account > iOS / Android
If you selected "Administrator initialization" in the previous device binding step, you will be guided through the registration process.
You can also tap the "Register" button to start account registration.
Fill in the required information for registration and tap the "Register" button to complete the process. Email address and phone number are optional and are only used for password recovery.
After successful registration, tap the "Login" button to log into your account. (The first account successfully registered becomes the device's administrator account.)
Windows / macOS
Storage Pool > Windows / macOS
You must create a system storage pool to start using the device normally, and at least one hard drive must be installed.
Click the "Create Now" button and select a creation mode. If you have no special requirements, choose "Simple Mode".
Select the disks you want to include in the storage pool, the RAID level, whether to enable encryption, and whether to enable LZ4 data compression, according to your needs. For RAID level selection, it is recommended to use at least three disks and choose RAID 5 for a good balance of data security and read/write speed.
After successful registration, tap the "Login" button to log into your account. (The first account successfully registered becomes the device's administrator account.)
iOS / Android
Storage Pool > iOS / Android
You must create a system storage pool to start using the device normally, and at least one hard drive must be installed.
Tap the "Create Now" button and select a creation mode. If you have no special requirements, choose "Simple Mode".
Select the disks you want to include in the storage pool, the RAID level, whether to enable encryption, and whether to enable LZ4 data compression, according to your needs. For RAID level selection, it is recommended to use at least three disks and choose RAID 5 for a good balance of data security and read/write speed.
Finally, confirm your selections and tap "OK" to complete the creation.
Windows / macOS
Permissions > Windows / macOS
If multiple user accounts need to access the NAS device, permissions can be set by the administrator account.
In the "Settings" app within the client, click on the "Admin" tab and configure permissions as needed.
iOS / Android
Permissions > iOS / Android
If multiple user accounts need to access the NAS device, permissions can be set by the administrator account.
In the "Settings" app within the client, tap the "Admin" tab and configure permissions as needed.
Windows / macOS
Backup > Windows / macOS
The file backup feature can automatically back up local files to your MinisCloud, providing an extra layer of data security.
In the "Backup" app within the client, click "Create New".
Select the local folder and file types to back up, the destination location on the MinisCloud, the backup schedule, set a name for this backup job, and click Submit. The system will automatically back up files according to the set conditions.
iOS / Android
Backup > iOS / Android
The file backup feature can automatically back up local files to your MinisCloud, providing an extra layer of data security.
In the "Backup" app within the client, tap "Create New".
Select the local folder and file types to back up, the destination location on the MinisCloud, the backup schedule, set a name for this backup job, and tap Submit. The system will automatically back up files according to the set conditions.
Windows / macOS
Transfer Data > Windows / macOS
1.Client Transfer
When your NAS, PC, and mobile devices are all on the same local network, you can access the device's data from your PC and mobile devices without any additional setup. On a PC, you can also easily upload files to the device by dragging and dropping them into the client. If you need to access your NAS remotely (outside your local network), you need to enable the "Remote Access" feature. Please refer to section "Features & Apps > Remote Access" for details.
2.LAN Transfer
Local Network Sharing (SMB) allows your PC to access files on the NAS as if they were local files. Open the "LAN Share" app within the client. Select the "SMB" tab, turn on the SMB switch, and enter a username and password to create an account. The public share will be enabled automatically.
Turn on "One-click mount" to automatically complete the configuration. Once done, a File Explorer window showing your connected NAS will open automatically on your PC.
You can always find and access your NAS device under "Network locations" in "This PC" within your PC's File Explorer.
3.Direct USB-Copy
You can connect external storage media, such as USB flash drives or external hard drives, to the USB ports on the NAS and access them directly. Open the "File Manager" app in the client. Once the external storage is connected successfully, you can access its data here. File transfer via drag and drop is supported.
iOS / Android
Transfer Data > iOS / Android
When your NAS, PC, and mobile devices are all on the same local network, you can access the device's data from your PC and mobile devices without any additional setup.
To access the NAS device remotely from your mobile device, you first need to enable the "Remote Access" feature in the PC client. Please refer to section "Features & Apps > Remote Access" for details.
1.To upload files
Tap the "Upload File" app in the client, select the target folder, then choose the file(s) to upload.
2.To download files
Open the "File Manager" app in the client, select "More options" for the target file or folder, then choose "Download" to save it to your local device.
Windows / macOS
Video Library > Windows / macOS
When your NAS, PC, and mobile devices are all on the same local network, you can access the device's data from your PC and mobile devices without any additional setup.
To access the NAS device remotely from your mobile device, you first need to enable the "Remote Access" feature in the PC client. Please refer to section "Features & Apps > Remote Access" for details.
1.Import Content
Import your video files to enjoy a personalized media library.
Open the "File Manager" app in the client and import your video files into the "Movies" folder.
It is recommended to name video files in the "Movie Name (Release Year)" format. The system will automatically identify the movie title and fetch the corresponding poster image. This process is called "scraping". Movie names can be in any language, but the poster will be displayed based on the system language.
2.Re-scraping
If the automatically scraped video information is incorrect, you can edit it manually.
Click the edit button on the movie details page, select "Reselect scraping information", choose the correct movie title, and confirm to update the association.
iOS / Android
Video Library > iOS / Android
1.Import Content
Open the "File Manager" app in the client and import your video files into the "Movies" folder. It is recommended to name video files in the "Movie Name (Release Year)" format. The system will automatically identify the movie title and fetch the corresponding poster image. This process is called "scraping". Movie names can be in any language, but the poster will be displayed based on the system language.
Import your video files to enjoy a personalized media library.
2.Re-scraping
If the automatically scraped video information is incorrect, you can edit it manually. Tap the edit button on the movie details page, select "Reselect scraping information", choose the correct movie title, and confirm to update the association.
Windows / macOS
Music Library > Windows / macOS
Import your music files to enjoy a customized music library.
Open the "File Manager" app in the client and import your music files into the "Music" folder.
Enjoy your music collection in the "Music" app.
iOS / Android
Music Library > iOS / Android
Import your music files to enjoy a customized music library.
Open the "File Manager" app in the mobile client and import your music files into the "Music" folder. Enjoy your music collection in the "Music" app.
Windows / macOS
Photo Albums > Windows / macOS
Import your images and photos to easily manage albums and preserve memories.
Open the "File Manager" app in the client and import your image and photo files into the "Photos" folder.
Manage and view your albums in the "Photos" app. Features include face recognition, scene classification, location grouping, and smart search.
iOS / Android
Photo Albums > iOS / Android
Import your images and photos to easily manage albums and preserve memories.
Open the "File Manager" app in the mobile client and import your image and photo files into the "Photos" folder. Manage and view your albums in the "Photos" app. Features include face recognition, scene classification, location grouping, and smart search.
Windows / macOS
Sharing Files > Windows / macOS
1.Create Share Links
Using the public share function, you can share files from your NAS device for others to download externally. To use this function, you must first ensure the "Remote Access" feature is enabled. Please refer to section "Features & Apps > Remote Access" for details.
Right-click on the target file, select "Share with link" from the menu, choose the link validity period, select how to generate the extraction code (if needed), and then you can share the download link with others.
2.Manage Share Links
You can manage existing file share links.
Open the "Internet Share" app in the client. Click the "More options (...)" button next to a share link to copy the link, cancel the share, or modify its validity period.
iOS / Android
Sharing Files > iOS / Android
1.Create Share Links
Using the public share function, you can share files from your NAS device for others to download externally.
To use this function, you must first ensure the "Remote Access" feature is enabled. Please refer to section "Features & Apps > Remote Access" for details.
Tap and hold the target file, select "Share Content" from the menu, choose the link validity period, select how to generate the extraction code (if needed), and then you can share the download link with others.
2.Manage Share Links
You can manage existing file share links.
Open the "Internet Share" app in the mobile client. Tap the "More options (...)" button next to a share link to copy the link, cancel the share, or modify its validity period.