Top 10 Apple Files Tips and Tricks to Use Like a Pro

One of Android’s greatest strengths has been system-wide file management on the device. File manager is something iOS users have wanted on iPhone for a long time. With iOS 11, Apple finally kept its word and integrated a native Files app into the iOS ecosystem.

Apple has taken this even further with added enhancements for the Files app in iOS 13. The app is currently facing its popular rivals on the Android system.

Apple has cleverly integrated offline device storage alongside online cloud providers in the app. As expected, it excels in basics such as copy/move and tagging system and file organization.

That’s not all. Apple Files is full of surprises. In this post, we are going to talk about ten best iOS Files tips and tricks to use it like a pro.

1. Use Long Press Option

With iOS 13, Apple abandoned 3D Touch in favor of the long tap functionality. Now every iPhone running iOS 13 can do all the 3D touch tricks without an extra layer of screen on the device. Now everything depends on the software.

It also plays properly in the Files app. You can long press any folder or file and the drop-down menu will let you skim through a number of options like favorite, tag, info, rename, compress and more.

2. Use Favorites

As I mentioned earlier, Apple Files integrates everything from device storage to iCloud and third-party apps like Google Drive and OneDrive.

Your files can be saved in multiple locations, and sometimes they are difficult to access in a hurry. In such cases, the favorite function can always be used to pin them to the home screen.

In any location, you can long-tap on a folder or file and choose a favorite from the drop-down menu. The selected items will appear under the favorites tab on the home page.

3. Use Tags

Similar to macOS, Apple has color tagging built into its file manager. Users can add different tags to certain file types. Tap and hold the folder or file, go to the tags and select the corresponding color. A new tag can also be added on top of the default tags.

Here’s how I use it. I set all my travel related images to a green tag. My scanned shopping receipts go to a purple label.

Speaking of scanning, did you know that Apple Files has a built-in document scanner? Let’s talk about that.

4. Scan Documents

The iOS ecosystem is full of excellent file browser apps. But if you want a basic browser with minimal functionality, look no further. The Files app has a neat scanner function to capture documents.

Open Apple Files > tap the three-dot menu above and select scan documents. It will open the camera interface and ask you to take a photo.

The app will automatically adjust the corners and you can also adjust them manually for better precision. That’s not all. Users can also apply filters to change the style and appearance of the scan.

5. Edit Storage Location

As you know, Apple Files supports most of the third-party cloud providers such as OneDrive, Google Chrome, Dropbox and Box. When you install these apps on your device, the location automatically appears in the Files app. However, you can rearrange or remove them.

Go to Apple Files > tap the three-dot menu and select the edit option. You can now turn locations on or off and arrange them to your liking.

6. Move Files From One Cloud To Another

Before investing in the iOS ecosystem, I used OneDrive to store media and files.

Transferring from one cloud to another can be difficult and time-consuming. You can use services like Multcloud, but why trust a third-party software with login credentials?

With its deep integration between cloud providers, Apple Files allows you to move files from one platform to another.

Go to the first location, tap and hold the folder and select move or copy. Now navigate to the destination folder and paste the data to load. I used it to move my content from OneDrive to iCloud.

7. Explore Mac Integration

One of the biggest benefits of investing in an Apple ecosystem is the rich integration you get with Apple hardware and software. One such example is the tweak between Mac, iCloud, and the iOS Files app. Let me explain why.

If you are a Mac user and decide to save screenshots or media files to iCloud platform, the saved data will already appear in the Files app widget menu.

You can view them from a widget feed menu or long-press the Files app to see the content. You don’t need to open iCloud. It’s already on the home screen.

8. Compress/Extract Files

After thinking for a long time, Apple finally added the ability to compress/decompress files/folders with iOS 13 updates.

Go to device storage and long tap on a single file or folder and select the compression option. It will create a zip file in the same location.

Tap the zip file to reverse the action and the Files app will open the content in a few seconds.

9. Rename Photos

There is no official way to rename photos on iOS. Apple has long suggested a workaround.

First, you need to go to the Photos app, open the photo and save it to the Files app using the sharing function.

Now, open the Files app > navigate to the destination location and long tap on the photo to select the rename option.

You can also select the info option to see additional details like created date, modified date, time, image resolution and more.

10. Use Markup Tools

Along with the Photos app, the company also offers formatting tools in the Files app.

Long press any photo or file and you can choose the option to mark it. It allows you to scribble, highlight words using a pen/pencil tool. Tap the ‘+’ button and you can add text, signature, different shapes, arrows and more.

Master Apple Files

As you can see from the numbers above, Apple Files is more than a simple file manager. It is a combination of small utilities like browser, cloud manager, zip/unzip, editing tools and more. Use them and tell us your favorite function in the comments section below.

Next: Apple Reminders is another excellent iOS app from the company. Read the post below to use it like a pro.