Got Files?

Got Files?

Now that you’re going paperless, Apple’s iOS 11 has you covered with the new Files app. In a way, it’s like iOS now has a “Finder” of sorts. If you’ve been used to using the iCloud Drive app on your iPhone or iPad, Files is the replacement for that app.

One of the best things about the Files app is that you can use it to access pretty much any kind of file you like. This means that you can access your scans, documents or presentations you’re working on, music, audio, pictures, etc. In many cases you’ll even be able to play music, audio and movies right from with the Files app too. (You just can’t unzip compressed files at the moment.)

The Files app gives you easy access to your files no matter what iOS device you’re on. Those files can be stored in your iCloud Drive or other cloud storage services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, Adobe CC, Microsoft OneDrive, etc. Several other location are accessible too, allowing you so see all of your files from within one application! No more needed to switch between different apps to see what’s stored at each service. (I’m even able to access files on my Drobo, which is a mass storage solution that Mac Zen likes!) An especially nice feature of the Files app is that can show you a preview of your file without having to open it - Even if a preview isn't available using the Dropbox, Google Drive or other apps.

In addition, the Files app will show you files that are stored on that device only. However, it’s far more convenient to have all of your documents available no matter what device you’re on, so a cloud-based storage solution works well. Mind you, if you will be offline for a period of time, you can download any of your files to your device so you have access to it.

The Files app has a great search bar, so you don’t have to remember exactly where you stored your file, you just need to be able to refer to it in some way and the app will locate it for you. You can also view your files by their Tags and you can even mark certain files as Favourites so you can quickly access to them.

So now that you’ve started going paperless, give the new Files app a try!