Who can use Air Flow?
👨👩👧👦 Supported on any Air plan
✏️ Anyone that has edit access to the workspace and a Mac device with OS 10.5 or later
Air Flow is an amazing feature of Air that allows you to seamlessly manage your creative assets and streamline your creative process. In this article, we'll walk you through how to install Air Flow, add content to your Air workspace, sync content from your Air workspace to your desktop for offline access, remove content from boards, create share links, navigate to your Air workspace in Finder, navigate to your Air workspace on the web, force sync from the cloud, switch workspaces, manage preferences, check for updates, log out, uninstall, and answer some frequently asked questions. So let's dive right in!
Glossary of Terms
Term | Definition |
Air Flow | An extension app for Mac users Air that allows you to sync and access your creative assets on your desktop. Sometimes called Airflow or desktop app. |
Workspace | Your personal or team space in Air where you organize and collaborate on creative projects. |
Board | Containers within your workspace where you can group related assets. |
Sync | The process of updating content between your Air workspace and your desktop. |
Installing Air Flow
When you're ready to get started using Air Flow, start by installing it to your computer.
Click here to download Air Flow
Open the downloaded app to begin to install
Add the Air Flow app to your Applications folder
Open the now installed Air Flow app
Log in with your Air credentials
Select the workspace you want to sync with
Pick the boards you wish to sync from your Air workspace for access when you are not on your browser and select 'Download'
You can also choose to skip this step if you do not need any content downloaded right away.
Voila! Your Air Flow installation is complete and you are on your way!
Adding Content to Your Air Workspace With Air Flow
No need to open your internet browser to get your files flowing up to the cloud. Follow the steps below to add content from your desktop direct to your Air workspace.
Open the folder from your local drive containing the file or folder you want to upload.
Select, click and hold the files and/or folders
Drag selection to the synchronized board in Finder
Release the selection in that location
The sync will kick off right away pushing your content up to the cloud and making it available for any of your workspace members to access.
Downloading Content from Your Air Workspace to Your Desktop for Offline Access
Syncing content from your Air workspace to your desktop is a cinch. Here's how you do it:
From the Finder window, click on the board that contains the content you want to sync
Right-click on the icon for the file or folder
Select 'Download for offline access' from the Quick Actions menu options
Sit back, relax, and let Air Flow work its magic as it syncs your content for offline access.
Syncing your content ensures that you can access it even when you're offline. Perfect for those impromptu brainstorming sessions in the park!
Removing Content from Boards With Air Flow
👍🏽 Removing content from boards does NOT delete the original files from your Air workspace.
If you need to clean up your boards and remove content, here's how you can do it:
From a finder window, right-click on the icon for the file you want to remove from a board
Select 'Remove from this board' from the Quick Actions menu options
This action will remove the selected content from the board it appears in. If the file is not in any other boards, you can locate it in your Air workspace's All assets & files.
Creating Share Links With Air Flow
⏸️ The ability to create share links via Air Flow is in the process of being deprecated. For the most up-to-date share link experience, create share links through Air's web app. Learn more about Share Links here.
Sharing your creative assets with others is a breeze with Air Flow. Here's how you can create share links:
From Finder (for folders or individual files):
Navigate to the file or folder you would like to generate a share link for in your Finder window
Right-click on the file or board that contains the content you want to share.
Click on the 'Share a link' option from the available quick actions. Doing this will open the Air desktop app
Select 'Create link'
Edit the link settings to your preferred options
From App Sync History (for individual files only):
Click to select the Air icon from your desktop menu bar and open Air Flow
Hover your cursor over the asset you want to create a share link for
Select the 🔗 icon
Select 'Create link'
Edit the link settings to your preferred options
This newly created link can be accessed by anyone with access to your Air workspace. Using the blue copy button, you can now send this URL to anyone external to your workspace that you would like to have visibility to the corresponding content. Share links allow others to view and comment on your creative assets without needing an Air account.
Navigating to Finder With Air Flow
If you want quick access to your Air workspace files but can't quite recall where you placed your Air folder, you can easily navigate to Finder from Air Flow. Here's how:
From The App:
Click to select the Air icon from your desktop menu bar and open Air Flow
Select the folder icon to open a finder window and be brought to your synced workspace.
From App Sync History:
Click to select the Air icon from your desktop menu bar and open Air Flow
Search for or scroll to and hover over the file you want to see on the web app
Select the edit menu (three dots) for the asset you want to view on the web app
Select 'View on Air'
Navigating to Your Air Workspace With Air Flow
If you want quick access to your Air workspace files, you can easily navigate to them from Finder when you have Air Flow installed. Here's how:
From The App:
Click to select the Air icon from your desktop menu bar and open Air Flow
Select the icon with an arrow pointing right to View in Air Workspace
From App Sync History:
Click to select the Air icon from your desktop menu bar and open Air Flow
Search for or scroll to and hover over the file you want to see on the web app
Select the edit menu (three dots) for the file
Select 'View on Air'
From Finder:
Open the synchronized folder representing your workspace in your Finder.
Right-click on the desired folder or file you would like to view in browser
Select 'View on Air' from the Quick action options
Forcing Sync from Cloud To Air Flow
If you want to ensure your workspace board content is up to date across all devices, you can force sync from the cloud. Here's how:
From The App:
Click to select the Air icon from your desktop menu bar and open Air Flow
Select the gear icon for Air Flow settings
Select 'Force sync from cloud'
From Finder:
Open the synchronized folder representing your workspace in your Finder
Right-click on the desired folder you would like to force sync
Select 'Force sync from cloud' from the Quick action options
Watch as Air Flow updates your content with the latest changes. Force syncing from the cloud guarantees that you have the most recent versions of your creative assets at your fingertips.
Switching Workspaces On Air Flow
Switching workspaces allows you to keep your creative projects organized and separate.
Need to sync to a different workspaces in Air? No problem! Here's how you can do it:
Click to select the Air icon from your desktop menu bar and open Air Flow
Select the gear icon for Air Flow settings
Select 'Switch workspaces'
Select the workspace you prefer to have synced
Ta-da! You're now in a different workspace, ready to tackle your next creative project.
Managing Air Flow Preferences
Customizing your Air Flow experience is a breeze. Managing your preferences ensures that Air Flow caters to your unique creative workflow. Here's how you can manage your preferred settings:
Click to select the Air icon from your desktop menu bar and open Air Flow
Select the gear icon for Air Flow settings
Select 'Preferences'
From preferences adjust your settings for launching Air on startup, automatically updating Air to the latest software version, your desired Air folder location through Finder, and your downloaded content.
Checking for Updates To Air Flow
💡 Make this work even easier! Toggle on 'Automatically update Air' in your preferences. Here's a step-by step guide for navigating to these settings.
Keeping your Air Flow app up to date is crucial for the best experience. Regularly checking for updates ensures you have access to the latest features and bug fixes. Here's how you can check for updates:
Click to select the Air icon from your desktop menu bar and open Air Flow
Select the gear icon for Air Flow settings
Select 'Check for updates'
You'll get a pop up that either indicates an update is available or that you are up to date with the latest software release.
Logging Out Of Air Flow
🧠 Logging out is a great idea if you're using a shared computer. Be sure to do so when you finish your session so that your content on Air remains protected.
Need to sign out of your Air account? We've got you covered. Here's how you can log out:
Click to select the Air icon from your desktop menu bar and open Air Flow
Select the gear icon for Air Flow settings
Select 'Log out'
Quitting Air Flow
If you're ready to call it a day and close the Air app, here's how you can quit:
Click to select the Air icon from your desktop menu bar and open Air Flow
Select the gear icon for Air Flow settings
Select 'Quit Air Flow'
Uninstalling Air Flow
⏸️ Prior to proceeding with the steps to uninstall Air Flow, Air recommends that you make a duplicate of the folder named for your previously synced workspace to retain a backup of content stored on your hard drive.
Here's how to completely remove Air Flow from your device:
Quit Air by right-clicking the Air extension icon from your menu bar and selecting 'Quit Air'
Delete the Air folder by moving to bin or trash from your Finder window
Restart Air Flow
The app will alert you that it is unable to find the previously synced folder.
Select 'Stop syncing', which will remove all data from database
Select 'Continue'
Select 'Turn off syncing'
Right click the Air extension icon and select 'Quit Air' once more
Trash the Air app as you would any unwanted Mac app
That’s it! You can now re-install Air Flow here.
Air Flow FAQs
How does the Air desktop app work?
Air’s new desktop app integrates with your Mac OS Finder to make your entire workspace available on your computer, without opening the web browser. You have the control to choose which assets and boards are downloaded to your computer (called ‘Offline’ files) and which files are visible but not yet downloaded (called ‘Online only’). Updates made to workspace files in Finder will be immediately reflected in your workspace and on any other teammate’s synced computer so everyone always has the most up-to-date file.
What happens if I edit synced files on my computer?
Edits made to synced files in Finder will be automatically reflected on the asset in your workspace! That’s the magic of Air Flow – continuous workspace sync with your computer so everyone always has the most up-to-date content!
What happens if I edit a folder name or delete a folder that’s in my local workspace folder in Finder?
🚨 Workspace parent folder names should not be edited by users in Finder, and changing the name will break your sync.
Deleting a folder in your workspace folder in Finder will remove the corresponding board in your workspace. The assets within that board will not be removed from the workspace and can still be found in the workspace library.
Can multiple people in my workspace have the Air desktop app installed?
For sure! Multiple people on your workspace are able to use Air Flow. The app is meant for admins and editors of a workspace to use! Any edits or deletions of local files synced to your Air workspace via Air Flow will make the same changes to any team members that access your Air workspace through Air Flow or Air's web application.
How do versions work with Air Flow?
If you edit and save an existing file in Finder, it will create a new version of the corresponding asset in Air and keep the original version of the file within a version stack in Air as V1.
Renaming a file in Finder does not add a new version in Air.
If an asset in Air has multiple versions, Finder will always show the most recent (cover) version as the corresponding file.
This means if you update the cover version in Air, the corresponding file in Finder will update to the new cover version.
If you add a file to a board folder in Finder that has the same name as an existing file, you'll be prompted to replace it. This will add that replacement as the most recent version.
How much space does Air Flow take up on my computer?
The app itself takes up 350-500 MB of space on your computer’s disk. How much space the files within your Air folder uses is up to you as only the files you choose to sync (’Make available offline’) will take up meaningful space on your computer.
Can Air Flow be used on my Windows PC?
The Air Flow app is a Mac app. We hope to have Air Flow for Windows in the future. Let us know more about your interest in this by visiting our product feedback tool on Canny.
Can I sync more than one workspace to my desktop at one time?
Syncing more than one workspace at a time is not possible. While this is the case, you can seamlessly switch workspaces on Air Flow. Here's how.
What happens if I add a file to the folder named for my workspace and not to one of the boards/sub-folders on Air Flow?
A file synchronized through Air Flow must be placed in a board. Moving a file to the folder named for your Air workspace in Finder will not result in the file showing on Air's web app nor will it be accessible to users of your Air workspace.
Can I remove a board from another board on Air Flow?
Yes! Click and drag any board represented in your Finder to relocate it as you would any other folder or on your Air workspace.
Is it Air Flow or AirFlow?
It's Air Flow, with a space. But if you call it AirFlow when you ask our team about it in an email or chat, we will know what you are talking about and promise not to hold it against you.