Nextcloud Admin Guide

1 · Getting Started as Admin

Logging In

Open a web browser and navigate to your Nextcloud instance:

Log in with your administrator username and password. If you have forgotten your password, contact Computers2Go support.

Admin Panel Overview

Click your profile icon (top-right corner) → Administration settings. The left sidebar is organized into sections:

First-Time Admin Checklist

• ✅ Change the default admin password to something strong (16+ characters)
• ✅ Set a default storage quota (see Section 2) — prevents any one user from filling the server
• ✅ Enable the Group Folders app (see Section 3) for shared company files
• ✅ Create your user groups before adding users (makes onboarding faster)
• ✅ Send each new user the desktop/mobile app setup instructions from this guide

2 · Creating and Managing Users

Adding a New User

Setting a Default Storage Quota

Before adding users, set a sensible default so no single account fills your storage:

1. Go to Administration settings → Users
2. Click the gear icon (⚙️) near the top of the user list
3. Set Default quota — recommended: 10 GB per user for a therapy practice
4. Click Save

You can override this per-user when creating or editing a user account.

Editing an Existing User

In the Users list, click the three-dot menu (⋮) next to any user to:

• Edit — change display name, email, quota, groups
• Disable — prevents login without deleting data (use for departing employees)
• Delete — permanently removes the account and all their files

Managing Groups

Groups let you assign the same permissions and shared folders to multiple users at once.

1. In the Users panel, click Add group in the left sidebar
2. Name your group (e.g., Staff, Therapists, Admin)
3. Assign users to groups when creating them, or edit existing users to add them

Resetting a User's Password

Click the three-dot menu (⋮) next to the user → Edit → enter a new password in the Password field → Save. Or click Send password reset link to email the user a self-service reset link.

3 · Setting Up Shared Company Files (Group Folders)

Group Folders is the best way to give every staff member access to the same shared files. Unlike a regular shared folder (which lives in one person's account), Group Folders are owned by the organization — they persist even if individual users are deleted.

Enable the Group Folders App

Creating a Shared Company Folder

Recommended Folder Structure

Inside the shared folder, organize subfolders by department or purpose. Example structure:

Gamechanger Shared/
├── Policies & Procedures/
├── Forms & Templates/
├── Billing/
├── HR Documents/
│   └── (Sensitive — consider separate group with restricted access)
├── Marketing/
└── Training Materials/
  

4 · Installing the Desktop App — Mac

The Nextcloud desktop app keeps a folder on the Mac synced with the cloud automatically. Any file saved to that folder is instantly backed up and accessible from any device.

Download

1. Open a browser and go to: https://nextcloud.com/install/#install-clients
2. Click macOS to download the .pkg installer
3. Alternatively, it's available on the Mac App Store (search "Nextcloud")

Install

1. Open the downloaded .pkg file
2. Follow the install wizard — click Continue, Agree, Install
3. Enter your Mac password when prompted
4. The Nextcloud icon (☁️) will appear in the menu bar when running

Connect to Your Server

Sync Settings

Click the ☁️ menu bar icon → Settings:

• Sync folder: Default is ~/Nextcloud in your home directory. You can change this to any folder.
• Bandwidth: Limit upload/download speed if it affects your internet connection
• Launch at login: Enabled by default — keep this on so files stay synced

Virtual Files (macOS)

If prompted about "VFS" (Virtual File System), enable it. This shows all cloud files as placeholders on your Mac — they appear in Finder but only download when you open them, saving significant disk space.

5 · Installing the Desktop App — Windows

1. Go to https://nextcloud.com/install/#install-clients → click Windows
2. Run the .msi installer — click Next, Accept, Install
3. After install, the Nextcloud icon appears in the system tray (bottom-right)
4. Follow the same connection steps as Mac (Section 4) to enter the server URL and log in

6 · Installing the Mobile App

iOS (iPhone & iPad)

1. Open the App Store on your iPhone or iPad
2. Search for "Nextcloud" — look for the official app with the white cloud icon
3. Tap Get to install
4. Open the app and tap Log in
5. Enter server address: https://gamechanger.client.computers2go.cloud
6. Enter your username and password, tap Log in

Android

1. Open the Google Play Store
2. Search for "Nextcloud"
3. Install and open — same login steps as iOS above

Mobile App Features

Enable Auto Camera Upload (Recommended for All Staff)

This automatically backs up all photos taken on the phone to Nextcloud:

1. Open the Nextcloud app → tap your profile icon (top-left)
2. Tap Settings
3. Tap Auto Upload
4. Toggle on Enable auto upload
5. Choose the upload folder (default: InstantUpload/CameraUpload)
6. Select Upload only on Wi-Fi to avoid using mobile data

7 · Working with Files & Folders

Uploading Files

• Drag & Drop: Drag files from your desktop directly into the browser window
• Upload button: Click the + button → Upload files
• Desktop app: Save or copy files into your local Nextcloud folder — they sync automatically

Sharing Files & Folders

Click the Share icon (person with +) next to any file or folder:

File Versioning

Nextcloud automatically keeps previous versions of every file. To restore a previous version:

1. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) next to the file → Details
2. Click the Versions tab (clock icon)
3. Click the restore button next to any previous version

Versions are kept indefinitely and stored in your MinIO object storage — they do not count against your user quota.

File Comments

Click a file's three-dot menu → Details → Comments tab. Add notes or questions about a file. All collaborators with access can see and reply to comments. Useful for review workflows.

Tags

Tags help organize and find files. Click a file → Details → Tags. Type a tag name (e.g., urgent, 2026, client-ABC). Search for tagged files using the search bar with the tag filter.

Activity Feed

Click the Activity icon (clock, left sidebar) to see a log of all file changes: who uploaded, downloaded, modified, or shared each file.

8 · Live Document Editing (Collabora)

Your Nextcloud is connected to a Collabora Online server — a full office suite that runs inside the browser, similar to Google Docs. You can open and edit Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations without installing anything.

Opening a Document for Editing

1. In Nextcloud Files, click on any .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx file
2. It will open directly in the browser editor — no download required
3. The toolbar provides all standard formatting tools
4. Changes are saved automatically — no need to click Save

Real-Time Collaboration

Multiple users can edit the same document simultaneously. Each user's cursor appears in a different color. Changes appear live for all collaborators within seconds.

Supported File Formats

Keyboard Shortcuts (in document editor)

9 · Nextcloud Talk — Chat & Video Calls

Nextcloud Talk is built-in team messaging and video conferencing. No Zoom or Teams subscription needed for internal communication.

Starting a Direct Message

1. Click the Talk icon (speech bubble) in the left sidebar
2. Click New conversation (pencil icon)
3. Search for a colleague's name and click Create conversation
4. Type your message and press Enter to send

Creating a Group Chat

1. Click New conversation → name the room (e.g., "Team Updates")
2. Add participants from the Participants tab
3. Group conversations support file sharing — drag files directly into the chat

Video Calls

1. Open any conversation (direct or group)
2. Click the camera icon to start a video call
3. Allow browser access to camera and microphone when prompted
4. Use the screen share button to present your screen during the call

10 · Calendar & Contacts

Nextcloud Calendar

Click the Calendar icon in the left sidebar. The Calendar app is a full web-based calendar with:

• Personal and shared calendars
• Event invitations (sends email to attendees)
• Recurring events
• Sync to iPhone/Mac via CalDAV (see below)

Syncing Calendar to iPhone

1. On iPhone: Settings → Calendar → Accounts → Add Account → Other → Add CalDAV Account
2. Server: https://gamechanger.client.computers2go.cloud/remote.php/dav
3. Username: your Nextcloud username
4. Password: your Nextcloud password
5. Tap Next — your calendar will appear in the iPhone Calendar app

Syncing Calendar to Mac

1. Open Calendar app on Mac → File → New Calendar Subscription
2. Or: System Settings → Internet Accounts → Add Account → CalDAV
3. Use the same server URL and credentials as above

Nextcloud Contacts

The Contacts app stores and shares contact cards across all devices. Sync to iPhone via CardDAV: Settings → Contacts → Accounts → Add Account → Other → Add CardDAV Account. Use the same server URL and credentials.

11 · Activity Feed & Notifications

Activity Log

The Activity app (clock icon in sidebar) logs every action on your files. As admin, you can see activity across the entire system. Users see only their own activity.

Configuring Your Notification Preferences

1. Click your profile icon (top-right) → Personal settings
2. Scroll to Notifications
3. Choose which events trigger notifications:
   • File shared with you
   • File changed / deleted
   • New comment on file
   • Mentions in Talk messages
4. Set delivery method: Email (immediate or digest) or Push (requires mobile app)

Admin Notifications

You will receive email notifications when:

• A Nextcloud update is available
• Security issues are detected (login brute-force, suspicious activity)
• Storage is running low

12 · Admin Maintenance Tips

Checking Storage Usage

1. Go to Administration settings → Users
2. Each user shows their current storage usage and quota
3. The Overview page shows total server storage usage

Keeping Nextcloud Updated

Updates are managed by Computers2Go. You will see a banner in the admin panel when updates are available. Contact C2G support to apply them — do not click auto-update without coordination, as the server has a custom MinIO storage configuration.

User Onboarding Checklist (for each new staff member)

Offboarding a Departing Employee

1. Go to Users → click the three-dot menu (⋮) next to the user → Disable
2. Transfer ownership of any files they own to another user if needed
3. After 30 days (or sooner if policy requires): Delete the account
4. Remove them from all groups

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Backup Information

Your Nextcloud data is automatically backed up daily by Computers2Go:

• File data — stored in MinIO object storage with versioning (all file versions kept)
• Database — backed up nightly to MinIO, 30 daily copies retained
• Server snapshots — weekly full backups of the entire server

In the event of data loss, contact Computers2Go with the file name and approximate date it was last seen — we can restore it from backup.