FileBrowser Error: "Can’t find server" (Mac)

If FileBrowser shows a “Can’t find server” or “Couldn’t locate machine” error when trying to connect to a Mac, it means the Mac is not responding to the network discovery request from FileBrowser.

In most cases, the Mac is still available on the network — but the connection is being blocked, misidentified, or not advertised correctly.

This guide covers the most common causes and how to fix them.

Before you begin

Check these first:

Your Mac and iPhone or iPad are on the same Wi-Fi network
File Sharing is enabled on your Mac
SMB sharing is enabled in macOS
Your Mac is awake (not sleeping)
FileBrowser has Local Network permission enabled in iOS settings
You are not connected through a restricted guest Wi-Fi network

If these are correct, continue below.

Can’t find server / couldn’t locate machine

If you want to get connected as quickly as possible, use an IP address instead of a network name. You can return to this page later to try the network name once you know that FileBrowser will connect.

Home Environment

In the "Name or URL" field of FileBrowser enter just the computer network name and do not prefix with "HomeGroup", "WorkGroup" etc. If you normally use a UNC path such as
"\\computername\sharename\foldername",
just enter "computername" (without the quotes) into the "Name or URL" field.

Try adding ".local" to the end of the computer name.

Work Environment

In a work environment you may need the DNS name of the target file server in FileBrowser's "Name or URL" field. Your system Administrator will be able to tell you this, but to find out yourself use the following command in a Command Prompt window. The network name of the device to connect to is computer3 in this example.
C:\Users\John Smith>ping computer3
Pinging computer3.stratospherix.com [192.168.1.3] with 32 bytes of data: In this example
"computer3.stratospherix.com" should be entered into the "Name or URL" field.

About FileBrowser

FileBrowser provides reliable access to files stored on Macs, NAS drives, and other network storage devices directly from iPhone and iPad.

Whether you are connecting on a home network, office network, or VPN connection, FileBrowser is designed for fast and secure access to Mac shared folders, SMB shares, and network storage.