Improve the files a pp

Extend the powers of this useful feature

Files is iOS’s equivalent of Finder in macOS and enables you to browse files stored on your device’s built-in storage or in iCloud Drive.

You can also add other cloud services to browse them in the same interface and, with the help of a third-party app, access files on Macs, PCs and networkattached storage (NAS) drives.

By default, the only locations in Files’ sidebar are iCloud Drive (assuming you have signed in to iCloud in Settings) and On My iPhone/iPad. These two locations work a little differently from one another, because folders on your device’s storage are created and controlled by apps; you can’t move or delete them yourself, or add new ones. However, you can create folders as you wish in iCloud Drive.

The large pane on the right is where you browse within storage locations. Simply tap to open a folder or file. By default, this pane isn’t scrolled all the way to the top. Swipe down on it to reveal some extra options hiding above. Tap one of the attributes listed there – name, date, size or tags – to sort the pane’s contents by it. Tap the list icon to the right to switch between icon and list views, and the folder icon to the left to create a new folder (on iCloud Drive). Tap a folder to look inside it. The previous folder’s name appears at the top left, where you can tap it to go back.

You can add third-party cloud services, such as Google Drive, Box and Dropbox, under Locations in the sidebar. That enables you to manage them all in one place and copy files between them. By default, you can’t add non-cloud storage, such as shared folders on your Mac or network-attached storage, but we’ll show you a way around that.

Hold for the operators

To reveal options for a file, long-press it: that is, hold a finger on a file for a moment, until it visibly lifts up, then let go. When you do this, a contextual menu of commands will appear. That works for one file at a time; for multiple files, tap Select, then tap the files you want to do something with and similar options will appear at the bottom of the screen.

When browsing your iCloud Drive, you can delete folders created by apps – typically emblazoned with the respective app’s icon – if you want, but you can’t move them. All the other options are similar.