Your computer as storage
Mings Agent for Windows and Mac
Keep your Mings photos and videos on your own computer. Upload from your phone and view them anywhere — the files live on your computer, and Mings never stores a copy.
Set it up on Windows
Get your pairing code in Mings
Sign in at mings.eq7.in or in the app, then go to Storage → Add storage → Your computer → Windows PC. Mings shows a code and a ready-made command.
Open Command Prompt or PowerShell on your PC
Press Start, type cmd (or PowerShell) and press Enter. Either works, and a normal window is fine — no “Run as administrator”.
Paste the command from Mings and press Enter
It installs the agent (about 180 MB, no admin rights needed) and connects it to your account in one go. It looks like this:
powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "irm https://mings.eq7.in/agent/install.ps1 | iex; mings-agent pair XXXX-XXXX"Already installed, or prefer two steps? Install with the line below, then run
mings-agent pair <CODE>.powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "irm https://mings.eq7.in/agent/install.ps1 | iex"Answer one question: online at the sign-in screen?
Before connecting, the agent asks whether to start with the computer. Press Enter (yes) and approve the Windows prompt once. Your PC is then online right after a restart, before anyone signs in, and stays online after you sign out. Answer n and it starts when you sign in instead.
Done
Mings shows your computer as Connected, then Online within a few seconds. Choose Use for new uploads, and new photos from your phone go straight to your PC. A Mings icon appears in the notification area.
mings-agent pair <CODE> --folder D:\Mings --limit 500GBUninstall on Windows
In Command Prompt or PowerShell, run the line below. It disconnects the PC from Mings and removes the agent, its start-up entries and settings. If you turned on starting before sign-in, approve the Windows prompt so the scheduled task is removed too. Your photos stay in the folder (%USERPROFILE%\Mings by default); delete it yourself if you no longer need them.
If that doesn’t work: remove it by hand
Open Command Prompt as administrator (Start → type cmd → right-click → Run as administrator) and run these lines. “Not found” messages are fine.
Then remove the computer in Mings: Storage → your computer → Remove.
Set it up on a Mac
For Macs with Apple silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4 or later) running macOS 13 Ventura or later. Intel Macs aren’t supported yet. Not sure? Apple menu → About This Mac shows “Chip: Apple M…”.
Get your pairing code in Mings
Go to Storage → Add storage → Your computer → Mac. Mings shows a code and a ready-made command.
Open Terminal on your Mac
Press ⌘ Space, type Terminal and press Return.
Paste the command from Mings and press Return
It installs the agent (about 100 MB, no password needed) and connects it to your account. It looks like this:
curl -fsSL https://mings.eq7.in/agent/install.sh | sh -s -- pair XXXX-XXXXAlready installed, or prefer two steps? Install with the line below, then run
mings-agent pair <CODE>.curl -fsSL https://mings.eq7.in/agent/install.sh | shAnswer one question: online at the login screen?
Before connecting, the agent asks whether to start with the Mac. Press Return (yes) and type your Mac password when asked (it isn’t stored or sent anywhere). Your Mac then stays online after you log out, and at the login window after a restart. With FileVault turned on, a Mac can’t run anything after a restart until someone unlocks it at the login screen; after that it stays online even when you log out.
Done
Mings shows your Mac as Connected, then Online. A Mings icon appears in the menu bar, with the status, your photo folder and Pause.
mings-agent pair <CODE> --folder /Volumes/Photos/Mings --limit 500GBUninstall on a Mac
In Terminal, run the line below. It disconnects the Mac from Mings and removes the agent, the menu-bar icon, its start-up items and settings. If you turned on starting with the Mac, type your Mac password when asked so that is removed too. Your photos stay in the folder (~/Mings by default); delete it yourself if you no longer need them.
If that doesn’t work: remove it by hand
Paste these lines into Terminal. Messages about things not found are fine; the sudo lines ask for your Mac password.
Then remove the Mac in Mings: Storage → your Mac → Remove.
Everyday commands
| mings-agent status | Connection, space used and free, and anything being processed |
| mings-agent pause | Stop sharing this computer for now (Mings shows it as offline) |
| mings-agent resume | Start sharing again |
| mings-agent startup on | Start with the computer, so it’s online at the sign-in screen (Windows asks for admin approval once; a Mac asks for your password). startup off undoes it |
| mings-agent logs | Recent activity, useful when something isn’t working |
| mings-agent unpair | Disconnect from Mings — your files stay in the folder |
| mings-agent uninstall | Disconnect and remove the agent — your files stay in the folder |
The commands are the same on Windows (Command Prompt) and Mac (Terminal). Run the install command again at any time to update to the latest version.
Questions
Does my PC need to be on?
Yes, for uploads and for opening photos that aren’t already on your phone. While it’s off, Mings shows those photos as offline and queues new uploads until it’s back. Photos you’ve already viewed stay cached on your phone.
Does someone need to be signed in to Windows?
Not if you turned on mings-agent startup on (the agent offers it after pairing). It then runs as a Windows scheduled task under your own account, with no extra rights and no stored password, from the moment the PC starts. If the PC goes to sleep at the sign-in screen it goes offline, so check Settings → System → Power if you want it always reachable.
I reinstalled or paired again. Where are my photos?
Pair with the same folder and Mings reconnects the computer you had, with all its photos. It recognises the photos in the folder, so this works even after uninstalling. If a computer is gone for good, remove it in Storage: its photos leave Mings but stay in the folder on the PC.
Does Mings keep a copy of my photos?
No. Originals, thumbnails and previews are all made and stored on your computer. Mings only keeps the list of your files (names, dates, sizes) so the apps can show your library. Keep your own backup of that folder — it’s the only copy.
How does my phone reach my PC?
The agent opens a secure, encrypted connection out through Cloudflare’s free tunnel service, so there’s nothing to change on your router. Every request must be signed by Mings for your account; the agent rejects everything else.
It says “irm is not recognized”
That’s the older short form of the command, which only works in PowerShell. Use the full command shown in Mings (it starts with powershell) — it works in both Command Prompt and PowerShell.
“mings-agent is not recognized”
The installer adds a small launcher so mings-agent works straight away, even in the window you installed from. If your PC is set up differently, open a new Command Prompt window, or use the full path the installer prints.
Is the Mac version safe to run?
Yes. The installer checks every download against a fingerprint published by Mings, needs no password, and installs only into your own Library folder. Your Mac password is asked for only if you choose to start the agent with the Mac; it goes to macOS (sudo), never to Mings. The agent itself runs as you, not as an administrator.
Windows Defender or my antivirus warned me
The agent is new and not yet code-signed, so some security tools are cautious about it. Every download is checked against a fingerprint published by Mings before it’s installed. The agent only touches the folder you choose.
What does the installer download?
The Mings Agent (from mings.eq7.in), Cloudflare’s tunnel program and FFmpeg (to create thumbnails and previews), both from their official releases (on a Mac, FFmpeg comes from Martin Riedl’s FFmpeg build server). Everything goes into %LOCALAPPDATA%\Mings\Agent on Windows, or ~/Library/Application Support/Mings/Agent on a Mac.
Intel Mac, Linux or a NAS?
Not yet. Today the agent runs on Windows 10/11 (64-bit) and Macs with Apple silicon. Intel Mac, Linux and NAS (Docker) versions are planned.