Apple's Files app lets you view and access files stored on your iPhone or iPad. online services such as iCloud Drive, Box, Dropbox, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive, all in one place. You can also view your files directly on your iPhone or iPad and perform various commands on them.

With the iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 update, Apple has spiced up the Files app with some cool new features. You can now sort your files by groups, more easily multitask with multiple windows, and select multiple files by dragging them with an external mouse. mouse.

To get these features, open Settings > General > Update software and make sure you have updated to the latest version of your operating system. Your device will tell you that your software is up to date or prompt you to download the latest update.

Let's check out the Files app to see how you can work with your documents.

Connecting services to the Files app

The first time you launch Files, you need to enable and connect the services you use. Tap the ellipsis icon at the top of the screen and select Edit from the menu. The app displays all available file storage services. Turn on the switch for any online locations you want to add. You can also tap the hamburger icon next to your favorite services and drag them into a new order.

Tap the name of a service you want to load and connect. The first time you do this, authentication is required to view items in this folder. In some cases, you may receive an authentication message, which means that you must first open the mobile version of the application in order to use it in Files. Do this for each site you add.

You can also access downloaded files in Safari through the Files app. If you download a PDF, audio, or document from Safari, a Downloads folder appears in the Files app. Tap On My iPhone or On My iPad, and you'll see folders for other apps and services on your device, as well as a Downloads folder. Open this folder to access all files downloaded from Safari.

Connect to external storage

You can connect your device to a USB flash drive, SD card or external hard drive. external hard drive. To do this, you must physically plug the storage device into your iPhone or iPad using the appropriate adapter cable. You can then access that disk and its contents through Files.

If you have a network or NAS server, you can connect to it with your device and access it through the Files app. Just make sure it supports, and has enabled, SMB (Server Message Block), a universal network protocol that allows different systems to access and share the same files.

To set up this feature in the Files app, tap the ellipsis icon in the top right, then tap the workspace icon. Connect to the server and type the server name or IP address. (For example, to access my Synology NAS, I had to type smb:// followed by the NAS name and then .local as in smb://SynologyNAS.local.) Then enter the user name and password of this device.

At first, I couldn't connect to the NAS. Through a helpful online forum, I found out that I need to set the maximum SMB protocol to SMB3. If you're having trouble connecting to a server or NAS through the Files app, you may need to contact the provider for assistance.

You can access an encrypted drive whether it's directly connected to your iPhone or iPad or set up on your network. However, only drives formatted using APFS are currently supported. To try, connect your encrypted storage device or connect to an encrypted network share. Select the drive and press the Lock Link button. Enter the drive password, then select Unlock to gain access to the hard drive.

Search and view files

You can search for files in different locations. In the search box at the top, type a word or phrase for the file you want. The app scans your various locations and displays a list of search results in response.

If you frequently use the same folders, consider marking them as Favorites for quick access in the future. Tap the folder and select Favorites from the menu or simply drag the folder to the sidebar. Any folder marked as a favorite will be available in the left sidebar, under the Favorites section.

Recently viewed files can be found quickly in the app. Tap the Recents button in the sidebar to view files that were recently added, moved, or viewed.

In the Files app, tap a specific service to see the folders and files stored there. Tap a file to open it and the app downloads and displays the file. You can view documents, PDFs, images, audios, and videos this way. Photos and other static images can even be edited with the built-in drawing and coloring tools.

Manage your files

You can perform basic file management by copying, moving, or deleting files. Open one of your online storage services to view your saved folders and files. To run a command on a single file, tap its thumbnail. In the menu, you can copy, duplicate, move, rename, preview, mark, share or delete the file.

To run a command on multiple files, tap the file's thumbnail. Select in the upper right corner on an iPad (the button is hidden behind a three-dot icon on an iPhone). Touch each file you want to include. The bottom of the screen displays links to share, duplicate, move, and delete the selected file. Tap More to see additional controls, like Download and Compress.

Now that your iPad works with an external mouseWith the external mouse, you can select multiple files at once without using the Select option. Make sure your mouse is connected to your iPad, then click and drag a series of files, and they should be selected.

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Tagging and sorting files

The Files app lets you view key details and even tag each file. Tap a file and select Info from the menu to see the file type, size, date and time created, author, and other details. With a photo, you can find out the size, resolution, exposure time, focal length, and ISO speed.

If you want to add a tag to categorize the file, tap Show more and swipe down to see all the details of the file. file. At the bottom of the screen, tap the Add link tags button. You can then add a tag from the existing color-coded list or tap Add New Tag to create a new one based on specific criteria, which can help you find that file.

You can now sort files in a folder by groups. To try, open a folder, tap the three-dot circle icon, and select Use Groups. Files in this folder are sorted into different groups, with the default being Kind (file type).

To change the criteria, tap the three-dot circle icon and select Group by. You can then categorize the files into groups based on date or size. To undo the grouping, tap the icon again and uncheck the Use groups option.

Zip and Unzip Files

The Files app also lets you zip and unzip files and folders. Tap an item and select Compress from the pop-up menu to create a ZIP archive of the item. If you have a zipped file to open, just tap on the ZIP file to unzip it or tap on the file and select Unzip from the menu.

Manage deleted files

If you want to delete a file, tap on it to open a pop-up menu, then select the “Delete” option. Delete order. Any mistakenly deleted files can be recovered by pressing the Recently Deleted Files enter key. This will show you all recently deleted files in your various file storage services. Press the Select button and then select the file you want to restore. Press the Recover button to return the deleted file to its storage service.

Multitasking with multiple windows

Your iPad includes a range of multitasking capabilities that have been improved in iPadOS 15. You can more easily view and work with your files when you have multiple windows open by same time. Open a folder in the Files app and tap the ellipsis icon at the top of the screen to open the new multitasking toolbar.

Tap the center icon to open in Split View mode. You can then open a second instance of the Files app and view another folder at the same time.

Now, if you want to view a file, tap on it to open a Slide Over type floating pane that you can position above one of the two existing windows.

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