Two ways Android comic apps use WebDAV
When people search for a WebDAV comic reader on Android, they usually want one of two workflows:
- Browsing a raw folder of CBZ files on a NAS. If you curated thousands of
.cbzand.cbrfiles on a Synology or Unraid box, raw WebDAV directory listing (PROPFIND) is actually the slowest way to read them on a phone: opening a 300 MB CBZ over plain WebDAV forces the reader to pull the archive or issue dozens of HTTP Range requests before showing a cover. Running Komga or Kavita on that NAS and connecting over OPDS gives you instant cover grids, search and single-page streaming. - Using a WebDAV drive as your encrypted cloud shelf. If you collect manga and doujinshi on your phone (from E-Hentai, ExHentai, nhentai, JMComic, Zaimanhua or an OPDS server) and want those books backed up off-device and synced to a second phone or tablet without filling internal storage, WebDAV acts as the remote object store. That is how Easemic uses WebDAV.
WebDAV endpoint URLs and the 404/401 traps we hit
Almost every WebDAV setup failure comes down to a missing path suffix or using a main account password where the server demands an app-specific password. Below are the exact endpoint shapes verified on supported WebDAV drives:
| Provider / Server | WebDAV URL format | Credential requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Nextcloud | https://your-domain/remote.php/dav/files/USERNAME/ | Settings → Security → Devices & sessions → Create new app password |
| Synology NAS | https://your-nas:5006/ComicFolder/ | DSM user with WebDAV Server package permission enabled |
| Nutstore (Jianguoyun) | https://dav.jianguoyun.com/dav/Folder/ | Account Info → Security Options → Third-Party App Management password |
| 123pan | https://webdav.123pan.cn/webdav | Dedicated WebDAV app password (bare host returns 404) |
| pCloud | https://webdav.pcloud.com/ (US) or https://ewebdav.pcloud.com/ (EU) | Account password (two-factor auth must be off, per pCloud docs) |
Two first-hand failures worth knowing if you use 123pan: first, entering https://webdav.123pan.cn without the trailing /webdav path returns 404 Not Found on every request. Second, on 2026-09-29 our automated test rig suddenly started receiving 401 Unauthorized from 123pan even though the app password still appeared active in their web dashboard. Deleting the WebDAV application entry in 123pan and minting a new password restored access immediately.
Why client-side encryption matters on consumer WebDAV drives
Self-hosted Nextcloud or Synology disks sit in your own closet, so nobody scans them. Commercial drives that offer WebDAV (Nutstore, 123pan, pCloud) run automated hash matching and content moderation filters on unencrypted uploads, just like Google Drive and OneDrive.
When you bind a WebDAV folder in Easemic, encryption is mandatory and automatic: you set a library password on the phone, and Easemic encrypts every page image and index entry on the device before sending the HTTP PUT request. The WebDAV server never sees comic filenames, ComicInfo metadata or readable JPEGs.
When you open a cloud-only book to read, Easemic streams the needed pages into a bounded on-disk cache window and decrypts them in memory as you swipe. In version 0.2.0 we fixed an out-of-memory crash on 200-page full-color books by moving pages larger than 4 MiB out of heap byte arrays and into temporary file descriptors handed directly to the image decoder.
WebDAV vs S3 storage for comic streaming speed
WebDAV works well when you already pay for a drive subscription, but consumer WebDAV gateways often throttle concurrent request rates. If you want near-instant first-page loads (123 ms on Bunny Storage, 199 ms on Cloudflare R2 in our US home fiber tests), an S3-compatible bucket or Bunny Storage zone is faster and costs around $1.32 to $2.85 a month for a 200 GB library (see our S3 pricing breakdown).
Questions people ask
Can I stream comics over WebDAV on Android without downloading the whole library?
Yes. In Easemic, you can connect a WebDAV server (Nextcloud, Synology DiskStation, Nutstore or 123pan) as your library storage and turn on "Keep only the cloud copy". Easemic fetches and caches only the pages around your current reading position.
Why does 123pan WebDAV return 404 Not Found when I enter webdav.123pan.cn?
123pan’s bare WebDAV host answers every PROPFIND and GET request with HTTP 404. You must include the /webdav path suffix in the server URL (https://webdav.123pan.cn/webdav) and authenticate with a dedicated app password, not your main account password.
Why did my 123pan WebDAV login suddenly start returning 401 Unauthorized?
During our testing on 2026-09-29, 123pan silently invalidated an active WebDAV app password without showing an error in the web console. Deleting the app entry in 123pan’s WebDAV settings and generating a fresh app password fixed the 401 immediately.
Are comics stored on a commercial WebDAV drive encrypted?
In Easemic, every comic collected into a WebDAV, Google Drive or OneDrive library is encrypted on the phone with your password before upload. The server only sees encrypted objects, protecting your library from automated content scanners.
Does Easemic browse arbitrary CBZ folders I already put on a WebDAV drive?
No. Easemic uses your WebDAV folder as the backing store for the library it manages (comics you collect from built-in catalogs or OPDS servers). To read existing CBZ archives or image folders you already have, import them from the phone under More → Import from phone or serve them through Komga or Kavita OPDS.