Windows - WALTR - Get Media to iOS without iTunes

Transfer Video, Music and Ringtones to iOS

So what does WALTR offer?

WALTR is a simple drag-and-drop style application, available for Mac OS X and Windows, which allows you to transfer most common Video and Audio formats to your iOS device – like an iPhone, iPad or iPod. It even supports Ringtones (more about this later, you’ll need a M4R file for that, which is in essence a M4A file, just with a different extension).

I’m pleasantly impressed by how well WALTR works and if you’re frequently transferring files to your iOS device then I can highly recommend it. Occasional users and users not yet familiar with WALTR can start by using the Trial version which is not crippled like some of the other goofball tools.

WALTR is so easy to use that I’m actually a little embarrassed that I’m writing article about it … what am I supposed to write? Install, start and drag and drop … that’s really all there is to it …

Getting Started with WALTR

Getting started with WALTR is easy. Installing WALTR is easy, and obvious, but I’ll go through the steps anyway.

Please keep in mind that you can use the free 14 day trial, which is a fully functional version of WALTR. I highly recommend starting with that. If you’r an one time user, you’ve transferred the desired files and be done with it. However, if you’re a frequent user, you’ll be sold on this application in no-time.

Download WALTR.

You can download the free trial version from the Softorino website.
Keep in mind that this is also the full version, once you’ve entered your registration info.

Once you’ve completed the download, run the .EXE file by double clicking it.

Install WALTR

The installation under Windows takes a few more steps than under Mac OS X, but it’s still easy and straight forward. Just follow the instructions. The screenshots below are Windows XP based, but Windows 7, 8, and 10 will look similar. Obviously I made these screenshots before I found out that it didn’t work well under Windows XP. Please use Windows 7 or newer.

WALTR – Starting the installation EXE

Click “Run“.

WALTR – User agreement

Check “I accept the agreement” and click “Next“.

WALTR – Just use the standard install

You can customize your setup, but I’d recommend against that and slimply click “Install Now“.

Depending on your computer setup, WALTR might need to install the Microsoft Dot Net Framework 4.0. Just follow the instructions.

WALTR – Needs dot-net …

If your computer did not have Dot Net 4.0 installed, then just follow the instructions and once Dot Net installation completed click “Install Now” again on the previous WALTR screen so installation starts.

WALTR – Installing

WALTR – Security warning at first start

Once WALTR starts, you will get the (usual) initial security warning. Just click “Run“.

At teh first run WALTR will need to install a driver, which it downloads automatically.

WALTR – First run will install a special driver

Once installed the following screen appear, which you will see ach time you start WALTR:

WALTR – Start screen

WALTR – First run

I did not see the intro video that came with the Mac version, but maybe that’s just because this is one of the earlier version for Windows. In the Mac video you’re asked to disable “Auto iTunes Sync” – which might happen under Windows as well if you have iTunes installed.

Once you’ve completed these steps, connect your iOS device.

A message might appear on your screen, saying “Please stay patient, the pairing process might take a while…“. Which it did under Windows XP – and it stayed that way. After waiting a long time, I decided to reboot into Windows 8.1 and there the message didn’t even appear.

WALTR will ask you to tap the “Trust” button with the “Trust This Computer” message on your iPad, iPhone or iPod.
Note that you’ll need to UNLOCK your iOS device before you can “trust” this computer or even see the message.

WALTR – Trust this PC?

Tap the “Trust” button on your iOS device

Once you’ve tapped “Trust“, all is good and WALTR will be ready for drag and drop of your Music, Videos and Ringtones.

WALTR – Ready for Drag and Drop

WALTR Supported Audio and Video Formats for transfer to iOS

WALTR supports all commonly used (and some quite uncommonly used) file formats – which is good for us users .

Supported Audio and Music Formats

The following file formats can simple be dropped on WALTR, conversion (if needed) will be done automatically and so called lossless codecs will remain lossless (converted to ALAC).

Supported Ringtone Formats

In contrast to Android phones, iOS only supports M4R as a file format for ringtones.
If you have a ringtone in MP3 format, then you’d have to convert it to M4R first.

Supported Video Formats

For videos (Movies, TV-Shows, home made movies), the following formats are supported.

Transfer Video, Music or Ringtones to your iOS device

It’s so simple that it’s actually weird to have to write about it  ….

Simply grab your media file and drop it on WALTR. Transfer is very fast and if conversion is needed, then that happens very fast as well.

You can drop multiple files at once, and they do not even ned to be of the same kind – for example: drop a ringtone, music and a video all at once. WALTR handles it like a champ!

All files will be sorted properly on your phone. Just keep in mind that if you’d like to use an MP3 as a ringtone, that you first need to converted it (as described above) to an M4R file. Some screenshot can be seen below.

WALTR preparing for upload

WALTR completed the upload of a Ringtone

WALTR is showing artwork, if available, during upload

WALTR finished uploading a song

How to add Subtitles to your videos?

Well, WALTR allows you to do this in 2 ways …

One option is by dropping at the same time, the video file and the SRT file (or ASS file), which both should have the same or very similar name, on WALTR. Obviously, it’s hard for WALTR to guess the language of the subtitle when you do it this way.

For example, the files “mymovie.avi” and “mymovie.srt“. But if a language code is added, then it’s accepted as well, for example “mymovie.avi” and “mymovie.en.srt“.

Note that Dropping multiple subtitles will not work … and uploading a subtitle later does not work either – you’ll have to drag them on WALTR at the same time!

The other and better option is when a subtitle is already embedded in the video file, which is not uncommon amongst MKV files. Simply grab the file and drop it on WALTR.

Videos – Tap the subtitles button

Videos – Select the desired language

Videos – Subtitles show crispy clear

Where will I find my files on my iOS device?

As you may have noticed: once WALTR completes a transfer, it will show an icon indicating in what application you can expect to find your media file that you’ve just uploaded.

Audio/Music can be found in the “Music” app on your iOS device.

Movies/TVShows/Videos can be found in the “Video” app.

Ringtones can be found in your settings menu (“Settings”   “Sounds”  “Sounds and Vibration Patterns“).

Conclusion

I started as a skeptic and I’m totally sold on WALTR …
I can highly recommend it … It’s easy, fast, and supports everything I need.

Too bad it didn’t work well under Windows XP, which could be my fault, or simply because Windows XP has been globally dropped in favor of the newer Windows versions. Something we all can live with, I’m sure …

Now, again, if you’re a one time user $29.95 might sound steep. And maybe it is.
However, if you frequently want to upload media files to your iOS device(s) then it’s more than worth it.
The application feels very solid, looks very clean and does what is advertised … fast!