How To Use Files App On Iphone Or Ipad Like A Pro

You can access the following files from Files app

Here are the files that you will be able to access from the Files app:

Files on iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Pages, Numbers, and Keynote documents on iCloud drive. Files from other cloud services and apps, such as Dropbox, OneDrive, Adobe Creative Cloud, Google Drive, and others.

This could surprise you, but the Files app doesn’t support the iPhone’s photo library. We have mentioned the steps for that in one of the following sections.

Enable access to third-party apps in Files app

By default, the Files app doesn’t have access to certain file formats inside your iPhone. I guess Apple took user privacy protection a bit too seriously. So, to access the files of these apps, you need to:

Check files stored locally on iPhone or iPad

Since the main purpose of the Files app is to view the documents inside your iPhone or iPad, here’s how you can view the files on your iPhone: If you do not see the option for On My iPhone, follow the steps mentioned above and toggle on On This iPhone.

Save items to the Files app

You can also use the Files app to save files to your iPhone and then access them. Here’s how you can do it.

Save files on your iPhone or iPad

Let’s say you saw an interesting image on Safari or want to save a document to your iPhone. How can you save it to Files? It’s quite simple if you follow the following steps:

Save pictures from the Photos app to Files

Connect external devices to the Files app

The Files app can access files from iPhone and cloud storage and read external devices. To do so, connect external devices to your iPhone or iPad, and then you will see them under Locations in the Files app.

Create new folders

You can also create folders inside the app and then move them. For those who are wondering how to create folders on iPhone, here’s how. You can also tap the three dots on the top and select New Folder to create one.

Move documents

How to use drag and drop to move files

Another great feature of the Files app is the option to drag and drop. To do this, you tap and hold the file until it lifts, tap and hold again, and then drag and drop where you want to save the file.

Move multiple docs at once in Files app manually

Create a Duplicate

Another file will be created with the same name, except it will have a number next to it to show that it’s a copy of the original file.

Duplicate multiple docs at once

Duplicates of the selected files will be created. These files will have the word ‘2’ at the end of the file name. (The file name will depend on the number of times you have duplicated.)

Search files or folders in the Files app

It won’t be easy to find the right file that you want to find if there are lots of them. So here’s how you can search in the Files app:

Create a Favorite folder

If there are a lot of files on your iPhone, it is best to mark the important ones as favorites so that you don’t have to look around or even search the next time you want them. Here’s how you can mark the files as favorites in the Files app: That’s it! Now, you will see the selected folder under the Favorites section on the Browse page.

Remove folders from Favorites

No one can be the favorite of someone every day. That’s the same case for those folders you have marked as favorites. It’s time to remove them from your favorites list. Here’s how: You can also tap and hold the folder. Select Remove to delete them from Favorites.

View recently accessed files

From here, you can see the recent files that you have accessed through the Files app. You can organize the view by tapping the four squares on top and selecting the option of your choice.

Share docs or folders from the Files app

To share multiple Docs and Folders in Files App, tap the three dots and choose Select. Then select all the files, tap the Share button, and choose how you want to share the file.

How to use Tags in Files app

Just like Finder in macOS, the Files app on your iPhone and iPad also offers the ability to tag files and folders. This allows you to easily search for your files and folders by keeping things organized. Here’s how you can use Tags in Files app:

Add Tags for individual file or folder

Add Tags for multiple files or folders

Untag files and folders in the Files app

In case you want to untag a tagged file or folder, follow these quick steps:

Remove Tags in the Files app

If you don’t like an existing tag and want to get rid of it, follow these steps:

Rearrange Tags in Files app

Don’t like how tags are arranged in the Browse tab or the tags menu when tagging files or folders? Well, you can rearrange tags using the steps below:

Delete document

To permanently delete the files:

Delete multiple docs

To permanently delete multiple files:

Recover recently deleted items in the Files app

Let’s accept it, life is a mess, and we won’t be able to recover the moments with people who have been gone forever. But at least you can recover the deleted documents from the Files app. Here’s how:

Recover multiple items

Use coloring or drawing tools in Files app 

You can use markup tools on certain file types in the Files app to color and draw. For example, you can add a signature, text, magnifier, sketch, draw on images, and Edit PDFs. For this:

Zip and unzip files on iPhone

It is effortless to zip and unzip files in the Files app. You can learn more about it here with proper screenshots. But keep in mind the Files app won’t be able to open password-protected and encrypted files.

Use keyboard shortcuts in the Files app

If you have paired your device with a physical keyboard, you can quickly carry out your tasks using keyboard shortcuts. Read our guide to learn how to use keyboard shortcuts in the Files app on the iPad. That’s it! Phew! That was a long ride, wasn’t it? Still, with this detailed guide, I hope you can understand all the features you can use with the Files app. If you still have any doubts or queries, let me know in the comments. Read more:

Best File Manager Apps for iPhone and iPad Finest Note-Taking Apps for iPhone and iPad How to find size of files and photos on iPhone and iPad How to Access Column View in iPadOS Files App

🗣️ Our site is supported by our readers like you. When you purchase through our links, we earn a small commission. Read Disclaimer. View all posts

Δ