When iOS 11 came out, it introduced a new app called Files, which allows you to browse not only for files stored on your iPhone, but also see stuff you stored on other online (cloud) services, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and others.
How to use the Files app
You’ll find the Files app on the second home screen, by default.- Tap the Files icon to open the app.
- On the Browse screen:
- Tap the Search field to search for items by title.
- Tap a source in the Locations or Favorites sections to browse a particular service or your iPhone.
- Tap colors under Tags to search for files you’ve tagged according to categories.
- Once in a source, you may tap files to open or preview them, and you may tap folders to open them and view their contents.
- Tap Select in the upper-right corner of the screen and then tap items to select them for an action. Available actions, found at the bottom of the screen, include
- Duplicating files: Make copies of selected items.
- Moving files: Move files to other sources.
- Sharing files: Share files with other people in a variety of ways (Messages and Mail, for example). You can even invite them to make edits, if you like.
- Deleting files: Trash files you no longer need.
Should you like to retrieve a file you’ve deleted, go the Browse screen (tap Browse at the bottom of the screen if you’re not already there) and tap Recently Deleted. Tap Select in the upper-right corner, tap the file you’d like to retrieve, and tap the Recover button at the bottom of the screen. The file will be placed back in the location it was originally deleted from. Please note that some services may not allow you to retrieve a file you’ve deleted; if you don’t see the file you’re looking for, contact that particular service.
