LePan 乐盘

Help and support

Get started with LePan.

Install your private drive, connect your devices, and keep your files and backups together.

LePan stores files on a compatible Leither node: a computer that you or someone you trust operates. Your phone and browser connect to that computer. LePan does not include a hosted storage account.

1. Install LePan

You need a storage computer and the LePan app on an iPhone or Android phone. Keep the storage computer powered on and connected to the network when you want to access it or run backups.

Joining someone else’s node? Ask its administrator for an invitation and the mobile app installation link. You can skip the computer installation and go straight to Set up your phone.

Windows or macOS

  1. Open the LePan download page on the computer that will store your files. Choose Windows x64, Mac with Apple silicon, or Mac with an Intel processor.
  2. On Windows, open the setup executable and approve the Administrator prompt. On macOS, open the package; it installs LePan Setup in Applications and opens Terminal to continue setup.
  3. Follow the prompts to install or select a Leither node. For a new node, choose the maximum storage it may use. The limit applies to the whole node and does not reserve that space in advance.
  4. Finish setup and keep the first mobile invitation private. You will use it to connect your phone.

The Windows and macOS packages include their own Node.js runtime. You do not need to install Node.js separately for these packages.

Linux and command-line installation

Install Node.js 18 or later, then run this command on the storage computer as the normal account that runs Leither:

npx --yes @inoku/lifedrive@latest

Follow the storage and setup prompts. If mobile setup has not been enabled, run:

npx --yes @inoku/lifedrive@latest --upgrade --household

This enables users and prints the first setup invitation. Keep Leither running while completing phone setup. If several nodes are present, use the installer’s instructions to select the intended node.

Install the mobile app

Use the LePan iOS or Android release channel provided for your device. If your node administrator invited you, ask them for the appropriate app installation link. Install and open the app before importing the invitation; the invitation itself does not install LePan.

2. Set up your phone

First user on a new node

  1. Copy the entire setup invitation from the computer to your phone using a private transfer method. A new setup invitation expires after ten minutes.
  2. Open LePan’s setup screen, or go to Settings → Set up users.
  3. Enter your name and a recognizable device name. Choose Paste node identity, or Choose identity file if you saved the invitation as a file.
  4. Wait for the connection to finish. Your phone creates its own device key and opens your personal drive. The first user becomes the node administrator.

Join an existing node

Import the invitation from the administrator through the same setup screen. An invitation for a new person creates a separate private drive. An invitation for another device of an existing user connects to that user’s drive and requires approval from an existing device.

Allow local-network access if your phone asks for it so LePan can reach a nearby node. Photo, folder, and camera permissions are requested when you use the corresponding features.

3. Connect more devices

Add another phone or tablet

  1. On a paired device with device-management permission, open Settings → My devices → Pair another device.
  2. Transfer the invitation privately to the new device. Open LePan there, enter a device name, and import it through Set up users → Choose identity file.
  3. Compare the match code on both devices. On the existing device, open My devices and choose Approve this device. Refresh the list if the request has not appeared.

Use a web browser

  1. On your phone, open Settings → My devices → Pair a browser and copy the browser URL it provides.
  2. Open that address on a computer connected to the same network as the node. The page displays a QR code.
  3. On the phone, choose Scan browser QR code, scan it, and approve the browser session.

Use My devices to review or remove a device’s access. To give another person their own private drive, the administrator uses Invite another user.

4. Use your private drive

Upload and organize

Open Files to browse your drive. Use the photo or file upload controls to choose items from your device, and New folder to organize them. Select an item or open its menu to see the available rename, move, copy, and download actions. Controls vary slightly between the phone and browser interfaces.

Open, download, and share

Open a file to preview supported content. Choose Download to save a copy to the current device. To send a file or folder to someone else, choose Share and review the link’s available password, expiry, and access-limit settings before sending it. Sharing a link does not give the recipient access to the rest of your drive.

Find backups and deleted items

Synced shows copies saved by automatic photo and folder backups, organized by source device. Files holds the items you manage directly. Deleted items appear in the corresponding Files Trash or Backup Trash, where you can restore them or permanently delete them. Emptying Trash cannot be undone.

Use Apple’s Files app

On iOS, enable Files integration in LePan Settings to make your drive available as a location in Apple’s Files app. This lets compatible apps browse, open, and save files on the drive. It is separate from automatic backup.

5. Back up photos and folders

  1. Open Settings → Auto sync on the device whose files you want to back up.
  2. Enable photo and video backup, folder backup, or both. Grant access to the photos you want included and use the system folder picker to select folders.
  3. Review the available network settings, then choose Sync now to start. Keep the app open for the initial transfer if many files need to be copied.
  4. Open Synced to review saved copies and their status. Check that the backup has completed before relying on it.

Auto sync copies supported content to the node; it does not delete the originals on your phone. Only authorized photos and selected folders are included. A selected folder does not grant access to other apps’ private storage.

Background work depends on iOS or Android scheduling, battery settings, network access, and node availability. If a backup pauses, reopen LePan or use Sync now. Stop sync stops active work; turn off the relevant Auto sync options to disable future backups. Copies already saved on the node remain.

6. Troubleshooting and maintenance

The node is unavailable

Check that the storage computer is awake, Leither is running, and both devices have a working network connection. Try connecting on the same local network first. Check local-network permission on the phone and ask the node administrator to review the node address, firewall, and your device access. Access from outside the home also depends on the node’s network configuration.

An invitation expired or setup was interrupted

If an unused invitation expired, ask the administrator to create a fresh one. If the first setup claim had already started before the connection was lost, reopen LePan on the same phone and import the same invitation again. Keep the app installed so its pending device key is preserved. For a device awaiting approval, compare its match code with the request shown on an existing device.

Photos or folders are missing from a backup

Check photo permissions in the phone’s settings and confirm the relevant source is enabled in Auto sync. For a folder, check that access is still granted. Make sure the node has enough available storage, reopen LePan, and choose Sync now. Review the status in Synced rather than assuming that a background transfer finished.

A phone was lost or replaced

Use a remaining device manager to pair a replacement and remove the lost device’s access from My devices. LePan may require a replacement phone and device manager before it allows removal, to prevent lockout. Removing access does not erase files previously downloaded to the lost device.

If every authorized device is lost, contact the node operator. There is no ordinary password-reset flow. Keeping another paired device with device-management permission helps preserve access.

Update LePan

Update the phone app through the same distribution channel used to install it. The node administrator can upgrade the server by running this command on the storage computer:

npx --yes @inoku/lifedrive@latest --upgrade

Follow the installer’s completion instructions. Upgrades preserve users, device keys, files, and backups; the installer does not restart Leither. Reload the browser client after the node update.

Privacy and deletion

Read the privacy policy for details on data handling, or follow Delete your data for instructions on local device data, node files, and identity removal.