FAQ

How can I open a PDF or Office document (Word, Excel or Powerpoint) that I have on my mobile phone with Mobile Documents?

Mobile Documents is cloud-based. That means it can open images, PDF and Office documents that is stored available in the Mobile Documents cloud. This means that you need to publish the document to the cloud so that Mobile Documents can open it there. Once it's opened in the cloud you can open it and view and read it on your phone. The content is then streamed to you.

Go into your "My Archive". Publish the document there (or in any folder if you like), meaning you will upload the document to the Mobile Documents cloud. Once uploaded it will take a moment for your document to be prepared for streaming. You then can view and read it on your phone. (Notice, every time you view it generates data traffic that you may be charged for.) Now that you've made your document available in the cloud you can add it to outgoing emails as attachments without the need to send them from your phone every time. Mobile Documents will just pick them and send the email instantly. Use this for images and documents that are heavy and/or that you email often, very convenient.

Regarding attachments, these already exists in the cloud in your mailbox, so you don't have to publish these.

Can I get a my.name@mobiledocuments.com mail address?

No, you need to have an email address already to use Mobile Documents. We support the following email protocols and services:

• Web Email Services. For example, popular supported free services are: Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! and GMX.
• Microsoft Exchange. Microsoft Exchange 2003 and later via ActiveSync. Microsoft Exchange 2007 and later via Exchange Web Services (EWS).
• Lotus Traveler.
• IMAP.
• Not POP3. Check if your email provider offers IMAP too.

There are no emails in my mailbox. Why?

New Account. When you create your email account on Mobile Documents, it starts fetching and processing your emails. This may take a few moments. Please wait.

Inbox Not Subscribed To. If your mailbox is empty you may need to subscribe to your "inbox". Use the "Modify folders" option in the menu to set which folders you want to subscribe to (that is folders in which you want to have emails pushed to you). Subscribe to the inbox to receive new emails. (It is possible to not subscribe to the inbox, but that is probably not what you want.)

Amazon Incident. After the Amazon incident we were able to recover all critical data (no email account information was lost). However, some email accounts were wrecked and we needed to rejuvenate all these affected accounts (if affected you have been notified via email). This rejuvenation process meant that we initiated the accounts the same way that we do for new accounts (just like you did when you signed up). This rejuvenation is triggered by you successfully logging in on Mobile Documents (with the app). Then when you arrive, your affected mailbox will at first be empty, but a few moments later your emails arrive. Read more on our blog about the Amazon incident.

BETA. Mobile Documents is in BETA. There are still some issues that we're working on. The answer to why you have no emails may differ depending on which email service you are using. Check out known BETA issues regarding: Yahoo!/Rocketmail/Ymail/Ovi, Hotmail/Live/MSN, Gmail or Microsoft Exchange.

My email works fine, but one folder is empty. Why?

Sometimes you find a folder empty. This is normal. During the beta your hundred latest emails are pushed to your app. This means if there is no single emails that is among the hundred latest of all emails everywhere in your email account, the folder will be empty in the app.

My Gmail account on Mobile Documents doesn't seem to work properly, or just stopped working. Why?

First, to get Gmail to work you first need to enable IMAP. Login into your Gmail account on the web and enable IMAP under the IMAP tab. After that your emails should arrive shortly. (Recently created Gmail accounts have it enabled by default, older doesn't.)

Second, should you still not get your emails, Google has started to lock Gmail accounts for external access when you log in via our Mobile Documents cloud servers, as you then are perceived to log in from a different place (from a differently located IP address) than from where you recently logged in. Our servers are located in Ireland (on Amazon's cloud). Follow this link and unlock the Gmail captcha to enable Mobile Documents access. (This Gmail captcha lock may return. Some users get it on a recurring basis, others never get it. See also next below Gmail sent me an alert about an "unusual access". Why?)

Gmail sent me an alert about an "unusual access". Why?

"Unusual access" means connecting to your account from abroad. This just means that the Mobile Documents cloud server is abroad when logging in to your account in order to push your emails to you. So, you can be at ease. Here is an eWeek article about this Gmail security feature.

I don't get any emails in my Hotmail/Live/MSN mail account. Why?

Setting up Hotmail (Live and MSN included) is easy. But then no emails arrive and the Mobile Documents mailbox remains empty. Sometimes a Hotmail email account set up on Mobile Documents stops working too. We are still in beta and are aware of this problem. We are working on a solution. (Though, you can still send emails from the Hotmail account, even if it's of little help.)

I have duplicate folders in Google Docs. Why?

Users that had Google Docs accounts set up on Mobile Documents during the Amazon incident, may encounter a harmless side-effect. When Mobile Documents got back up again it synchronized with Google Docs. When doing so empty folders on Mobile Documents were synchronized to Google Docs causing a creation of these same empty folders on Google Docs, resulting in the duplicate folders. One of the folders will not be empty (the original folder). It's safe to delete these empty duplicate folders.

Read more on our blog about the Amazon incident.

My Yahoo!/Rocketmail/Ymail/Ovi doesn't work properly. Why?

Yahoo!, Rocketmail, Ymail and Ovi are all operated by Yahoo! and are supported by Mobile Documents. Sometimes these email accounts on Mobile Documents just stop working. We are aware of this problem and are working on a solution. (It is related to the size of your mailbox. Email accounts with few emails never gets this problem.)

How many email accounts can I set up on Mobile Documents?

You can have as many FREE email accounts as you like. During the beta you can have up to two premium email accounts as well.

See also What will be the difference between the free and the premium versions? and What is a BETA?

Do you support POP?

No, POP (Post Office Protocol) is not supported. IMAP and Exchange are supported.

See also Can I get a my.name@mobiledocuments.com mail address? where the supported protocols and services are listed.

Why can't I set up my Microsoft Exchange email account?

If you have problems setting up your Exchange account we'd love to hear from you, just send an email to support@mobiledocuments.com.

Mobile Documents is in BETA, is there a full version?

No, there is only one version. The BETA is the full version.

What is a BETA?

When you develop and make software and/or Internet services (such as Mobile Documents) you first develop and test internally. When you have all functions ready and have tested, you may release it for wider testing externally. This period or phase is called BETA. A product in beta is assumed to work but hasn't yet been tested on all various mobile phones, languages, networks etc, which means that unforeseen problems may still be found.

That is, the goal with the beta period is to eliminate problems. Therefore, we kindly ask our beta users to help us and report problems as well as to provide feedback on what is good and what could be improved. If something is missing we'd like to know that as well. Please email us your feedback to us at support@mobiledocuments.com.

Will Mobile Documents be available for FREE even after the beta?

Yes, it will. It will be available both in a FREE (gratis) version as well as a premium version.

What will be the difference between the free and the premium versions?

Free email services such as Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! and GMX etc will remain free on Mobile Documents. The premium versions offer support for personal and business domain names (for example my.name@my.domain and my.name@my.company). Premium paying subscribers will get five commercial email accounts. But even in the premium versions free email will remain free. For example, you may have one Exchange address that you pay premium for, but then you may have as many free email accounts set up as you like. Free accounts you never pay anything for.

Will the premium version be expensive?

No. Mobile Documents is easy to use. The premium versions will be just as easy to afford.

For companies, will there be a business edition?

After the beta testing period there will be both a free (Free Edt.) and premium edition (Professional Edt.). Of the premium edition there will be an edition for companies (Business Edt.) as well. Pricing-wise there will be no difference between the Professional and Business Edt., but Business Edt. subscribers will receive one collective bill for all users and extra usage. The Business Edt. also offers branding of the secure web based document sharing part (Push Doc) to make sure guests have arrived at a legitimate location.

Only English? Will you translate Mobile Documents to other languages?

Yes, we will. During the beta testing period the app will be available in English.

Where do I create new document archives?

For the moment you cannot create new document archives on your mobile. Login to the web interface at https://mobiledocuments.com, create a new archive and go to the users tab and start inviting guests to it. Invited guests don't have to sign up for a Mobile Documents account to access your shared document archive. You can have as many archives and guests as you want. Guests can have login via the web or download the app and login from it too. Inviting guests is and will always be free, even after the beta.

Actually, every document that you publish in any archive you can easily cherry pick and add to any email you want send from your smartphone. A tip is that you publish documents and pictures that you send often to have them conveniently available. Doing so means that you can send them instantly.

Can I check my mails on a Mobile Documents web client?

No, we don't offer a web interface to your emails. Use your standard mail application to mail from your computer, or your web mail. We don't want to replace your PC. We just want you to be able to leave it behind comfortably ? when you're on the go. The web interface is offered for you and the people you invite to share documents and collaborate. You and invited guests with a supported mobile will be able to access, download and publish documents from the mobile, in addition to the web.

Does Mobile Documents save bandwidth?

Mobile Documents is designed to give you the best mobile experience. Part of this is being fast. A spin-off is that you get the bandwidth-saving feature as a bonus. If you use it wisely, that is. But there is no reason why you shouldn't when you need to, right. When you want to save bandwidth:

Do read emails. Do read attachments. Don't view attachments. Do read documents. Don't view documents. Don't download attachments and documents. Don't publish documents. Upload cost bandwidth too. Do compose new emails, do reply and do forward. It consumes little bandwidth. Do add attachments to your sent emails. Cherry picking and adding even heavy attachments generates very little extra data traffic.

How do I enable the Mobile Documents home screen widget?

It's very easy.

Android Add the widget to your home screen as you would for any other widget. Select the Mobile Documents widget from the list. Select an email account and you're done.

Symbian^1 Open the Mobile Documents app. Select New and Install Widgets from the Options menu. Use the link to download and install a widget. Now go to your home screen and add the widget as you would for any other widget. Select the Mobile Documents widget from the list. Tap the widget to launch the widget settings. Repeat this procedure for more widgets. (Supported phones are for example Nokia N97, N97 mini and C6-00. Nokia E71 and E72 are not supported.)

Symbian^3 Follow the directions on the Mobile Documents blog (Supported phones are for example N8, C7, C6-01, E7, X7 and E6.)

Why is there a PIN?

The PIN code protects your login. It's convenient and still enables a higher level of security. Without a PIN it is inconvenient to input a long and secure password every time you want to open the Mobile Documents app. With a PIN protecting the login, you only need to input a long and secure password once, and then just a short four digit PIN. (Enter an incorrect PIN three times and you will need to input your password though. Without a PIN you would in the end opt for a short insecure password.)

If my mobile is lost or stolen, what do I do?

Go to https://mobiledocuments.com and login. Go to the settings tab. Either delete your mobile phone from the list, which will delete your PIN but allow you to keep your existing password. Or, change your password, which also will delete your PIN.

Is Mobile Documents secure?

All connections to the Mobile Documents server (both via mobile and web) are encrypted using bank-level security (128-bit strong encryption over SSL). To login to Mobile Documents we require you to enter a password and we encourage all users to use "secure" passwords (more than 8 characters long with a mix of capital and lower-case letters, numbers and alpha-numeric characters). We don't even store your password on our system (just a one-way encrypted string). That means we can never tell you your own password. We can just give you a new one. However, to facilitate the use of secure passwords we've added the PIN feature so that you don't have to enter a long password all the time. PIN makes your access convenient. (When using a PIN code the client uses a 128-bit random cookie to identify itself to the server.) You can always delete your PIN by deleting you mobile phone via the web interface under the settings tab, available after logging in at . When we fetch your mails we always connect to your mail servers using encrypted connections (IMAPS or StartTLS), unless you define differently (manually) during setup or if your email suppliers does not allow secure encrypted connections.

Is Mobile Documents really PUSH mail?

Yes. As long as you have Mobile Documents open, you have a live connection to the Mobile Documents cloud. Any new email will appear immediately through PUSH.

If Mobile Documents is PUSH why is there a sync interval?

If Mobile Documents would be connected all the time your battery time would be very short. A live connection consumes battery life. Because of this the app only connects and syncs at certain intervals. You can set the interval yourself. Our tests have shown that intervals shorter than 5 minutes are not practical. However, when you have Mobile Documents open you get new emails pushed to you instantly.

I don't get push notifications around the clock, why?

You'll receive notifications according to the sync schedule you define in the settings. Its main purpose is to not send notifications while you sleep waking you up. (Still, in case you really want to be notified around the clock set the sync schedule to 0:00 to 23:99, [0:00 am to 11.59 pm]).

Can I mark multiple emails (or mark all) as to delete or set all as read in one operation?

Yes, you can and it's easy too.

Touch Phones. Enter a mailbox with many emails. Tap on the actual email icon to the left and an entire toolbox of options pops up. The first option is "Mark". Tap it. Now you have entered the multi-mark mode and any list item you tap will be added. Tap again to deselect a marked email. Notice also that you have a new icon at the very top. This button provides you with a number of operations that you can perform on all marked/selected items (a batch operation), that is emails. The most common task you want to do is perhaps to delete for example five emails. Press delete and confirm. But you can also here select "Mark all". Then if you press the top button again you can for instance delete all, star all or set all emails as read. Very handy and powerful.

Non-Touch Phones. Enter a mailbox with many emails. Focus on one email with the joystick/joypad and press left. This pops up an entire toolbox of options. The first option is "Mark". Select it (fire or the return key on the keyboard). Now you have entered the multi-mark mode and any list item you select will be added. Press fire/return again to deselect a marked email. If you now press the soft key for "Options" you have a number of operations that you can perform on all marked/selected emails (a batch operation). The most common task you want to do is perhaps to delete multiple emails. Select "Delete" and confirm. But you can also here select "Mark all". Then if you re-enter the options menu you can select for instance to delete all, star all or set all emails as read. Very useful.

Can I edit documents too?

No. You can view (zoom in/out, pan etc) or read (plain text mode), but not edit or modify documents. Mobile Documents is designed to enable you to instantly get the message, that is for you to consume the content of emails, attachment and documents on your mobile through reading and viewing. It is not designed to let you create content. Use your Mac/PC with a big screen, keyboard and mouse that is more suitable for creation. In case you really need to modify content on the go, use Mobile Documents to download the document to your mobile. Then try to open and modify it with 3rd party software such as QuickOffice, Documents-to-Go or other. After editing you can publish your new edited document version to Mobile Documents again and attach it to new emails as an attachment.

When will Mobile Documents support HTML mails?

Actually, Mobile Documents supports HTML mails already. It does parse your email and deliver it as a nicely formatted simpler email that is easy to read. In coming releases we will offer full visual HTML mail support too.

My email account says "IMAP/SMTP connection failed", what does that mean?

It just means that the last time Mobile Documents was checking for new emails, your email provider was offline/down/unavailable. This is typically a temporary problem. You don't need to do anything. If this happens very often you may consider changing to another more reliable email provider.

My email account says "IMAP login failed", what does that mean?

If the email account has worked it likely means that you have changed password. You then need to update Mobile Documents with this new password too. You can change your password by tapping the mail account icon to popup a toolbox and select password to change it. Or use a computer and go to https://mobiledocuments.com and login. Go to the Settings tab where you find a list of your email account(s). You'll see the status there. Change password for the ones where the login fail.

From the settings tab you can easily edit, delete and set up new email accounts. Also, you can change your Mobile Documents password there. (If you do, you'll be prompted to login with your password and to create a new PIN on the Mobile Documents app.)

I forgot my password, what do I do?

From a computer go to https://mobiledocuments.com. In the login field click "Forgot Password". An email with a link to reset your password will be sent.

(You might want to check out the web part of Mobile Documents too. From here you can edit, delete and create new email accounts. You can also create document archives for secure document sharing, as well as inviting guests in to such archives. Inviting guests is free.)

Will Mobile Documents be available for iPhone and iPad?

Yes, the next platform is iOS.