Connect FastFileLink MCP from Claude / ChatGPT: Complete Setup Tutorial

Plug the MCP server built into the FastFileLink Android app straight into Claude or ChatGPT, and the AI can browse your photo library, curate selections, and produce share links — all without leaving the chat window.

Prerequisites

Before you start:

• FastFileLink for Android, v3.9 or newer — install or update from Google Play.
• AI Photo Album Assistant enabled — turn the toggle on inside the app, pick the photos you authorize the AI to see, and wait for the MCP URL to appear (in the form https://<sub>.fastfilelink.com/mcp).
• Phone within reach — pairing requires a one-tap "Allow" on the phone before the URL is actually usable.
• A Claude account — custom connectors are a Pro-tier feature. ChatGPT steps are coming in the second section below.

Heads up: free users get a fresh URL every reconnection and have to re-paste it. Standard / Plus members get a fixed alias-backed URL that survives reconnects.

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1. Connect from Claude

The walkthrough below covers the Claude desktop / web client.

Step 1: Open the left sidebar and click "Customize"

Step 2: Inside Customize, click "Connectors"

Step 3: On the Connectors page, hit the "+" in the top-right corner

Step 4: The "Add custom connector" dialog appears

Step 5: Fill in the name and MCP URL

Type any memorable name into Name (we use ffl in the screenshot). Paste the MCP URL shown in the phone app into Remote MCP server URL, then hit "Add" in the bottom-right.

Step 6: The connector appears in the list — open it and press "Connect"

Step 7: Match the pairing code, then tap "Allow" on the phone

After pressing Connect you see a "Waiting for phone confirmation" page with a six-digit pairing code. Back to the phone — the FastFileLink app pops up an approval dialog simultaneously. Make sure the pairing code on the phone matches the one in the browser, then tap "Allow" on the phone.

This is the linchpin of the security model: even if the MCP URL leaks, nobody can connect to your library without a physical tap on the phone.

Step 8: Done — fine-tune tool permissions if you like

Once you approve on the phone, the browser auto-switches to "Connected to ffl" and lists every available tool. The default is "Needs approval" — Claude will ask each time it wants to invoke a tool. If you trust this connector, flip frequently-used tools to "Always allow" to cut down on prompts.

That wraps up the Claude side. Head back to the chat window and try something like "Pull together the photos from last weekend's trip and make me a share link" — Claude will reach into your library through MCP and do the rest.

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2. Connect from ChatGPT

ChatGPT custom MCP connectors work on any plan — including the free tier — as long as Developer mode is enabled. Once it's on, you can add a custom MCP server from the Apps tab in Settings.

Step 1: Click the avatar in the top-right corner and choose "Settings"

Step 2: In Settings, open the "Apps" tab and click "Create app" next to Advanced settings

If you already have other custom apps they'll appear under "Enabled apps" — ignore those and look for the "Create app" button on the right.

Step 3: Fill in name + MCP URL, pick "OAuth", check the risk acknowledgement, hit "Create"

• Name: any recognizable label (we use ffl)
• Connection: keep "Server URL"; paste the MCP URL shown in the phone app
• Authentication: select OAuth
• You must tick "I understand and want to continue" — without it, "Create" stays disabled

Step 4: An "Add ffl to ChatGPT" modal pops up — click "Sign in with ffl"

This kicks off the OAuth dance. The button opens the FastFileLink authorize URL in a new tab.

Step 5: Match the pairing code, then tap "Allow" on the phone

The new tab lands on a page served directly by FastFileLink with a six-digit pairing code. Switch to your phone — the FastFileLink app pops up an approval dialog at the same time. Make sure the pairing code on the phone matches the one in the browser, then tap "Allow" on the phone.

Once you approve, the tab automatically redirects back to ChatGPT and the connector is live.

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FAQ

The URL stops working after a while?
Free users get a tunnel on a random port; reconnects produce a new URL that you have to paste into Claude again. Standard / Plus members get a fixed alias-backed URL that survives reconnects.

No approval dialog on the phone?
Make sure the app is still in the foreground and hasn't been killed by battery-saver policies. Check the notification shade for the "AI Photo Album Assistant running" foreground notification — if it's gone, toggle the switch off and on inside the app.

Pairing codes don't match?
Tap deny. That means someone else is trying to connect with your MCP URL. Check if the URL leaked, and turn the assistant off and back on to mint a fresh one if needed.