A Quick And Easy Way To Play Audio Files On Your IPhone Without iTunes

I’ve always been frustrated with iTunes, for any number of reasons, spending hours trying to get it to do what I want.

So, I avoid it at all costs.

And, I’m not alone. You see comments like this one all over the internet:

“Why won’t iTunes let me add music to my iPhone? How do I manually add songs to my iPhone?”

But, from time to time, I really want to download audio files to my iPhone — like the audio from a YouTube video that I want to listen to outside of YouTube, or a group of audio guided meditations that came with a book I bought.

So, how can I do this, quickly and easily?

In my search, I came upon many ideas, mostly requiring a cable attachment, downloadable software, or just too many steps for my liking. After reviewing many of the options, I chose this one — it’s simple, free, and actually came with bonus features.

All you’ll need is the Documents app by Readdle — available for free via Apple’s App Store.

Here are the quick and easy steps:

1. Download the audio files to your computer.
2. Install and open the Document App by Readdle.
3. Tap the big blue “+” (Import) button.
4. Choose “Connect to Computer” (you’ll need to be on the same wi-fi network)
5. On your computer, go to docstransfer.com (per the instructions in the app), and enter the 4-digit code provided by the app.
6. Click on “Upload Files”
7. Choose any files or a folder, using the standard File Explorer, and click on “Open”.
8. That’s it — your files will automatically upload to your iPhone.
9. Tap on Disconnect in the app.

To play an audio file (or open a photo or PDF, etc.), just tap on the file name, and the Documents app will launch the appropriate player. The audio player has all the standard features — playlists, loop and shuffle, playback speed control, etc.

Here’s the bonus:

The Documents app is much more than an audio player. It’s a full featured file manager, that lets you watch movies, edit PDFs, read ePUBs, view and mark up photos, and more. Just download and run.

Super simple — I wish I had discovered this years ago.

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