In the Files app, you can search for and view your documents, images, and other files.

You can focus your search on Recents or a location or tag, and start a new search at any time, too. You can also select an app to open a file, and choose a default app for a type of file.

Here’s how to find and view files and folders in Files on iPad.

Find a specific file or folder

1. Open the Files app on your iPad.
2. Tap the Search button and enter a filename, folder name, or document type in the search field.

   When you search, you have these options:

   • Focus the scope of your search: Below the search field, tap Recents or the name of the location or tag.
   • Hide the keyboard and see more results on the screen: Tap the search key on the keyboard.
   • Start a new search: Tap the Clear Text button in the search field.
   • Open a result: Tap it.

Select an app to open a file

When opening a file, you can specify the app you want to open it with.

1. Open the Files app on your iPad.
2. Touch and hold the file you want to open.
3. Choose Open With from the menu. Choose an option.

Choose a default app to always open a file

1. Open the Files app on your iPad.
2. Touch and hold the file, then choose Get Info.
3. Below the Preview, tap the pop-up menu next to Always Open With. Then select an app.

   When you select a new default app to open the file, a prompt appears to verify if you want to change the default app for that file or file type.

Open a file in Quick Look

You can preview an image file or a PDF in Quick Look.

1. Open the Files app on your iPad.
2. Touch and hold the file, then tap Quick Look.

   Tip: To open a specific type of file in Quick Look, touch and hold the file, tap Open With, then tap Preview with Quick Look.

Browse files and folders

1. Open the Files app on your iPad.
2. Tap Browse at the top of the screen. Then tap a document on the Browse screen.

   If you don’t see the Browse screen, tap Browse again.

3. To view recently opened files, tap Recents at the top of the screen.
4. To open a file, location, or folder, tap it.

   Note: If you haven’t installed the app that created a file, a preview of the file opens in Quick Look.

To mark folders as favorites or add tags, read our article, Tag a file or folder.

Change how files and folders are sorted

1. Open the Files app on your iPad.
2. From an open location or folder, tap the More button in portrait orientation or the Icons button in landscape orientation.
3. Choose an option: Name, Kind, Date, Size, or Tags.

See also

• Organize files and folders in Files on iPad

In the Files app, you can organize documents, images, and other files in folders.

You can create a folder, copy or compress a file, and make other changes to a file or a folder, or rename it. You can also modify multiple files or folders at the same time. Depending on the item, some options may not be available, and New Folder only appears where you’re allowed to create one.

Create a folder

1. Open the Files app on your iPad.
2. Open a location or an existing folder.
3. Tap the New Folder button.

   Note: If you don’t see New Folder, you can’t create a folder in that location.

Copy, compress, and make other changes to a file or a folder

1. Open the Files app on your iPad.
2. Open a location or an existing folder.
3. Touch and hold the file or folder. Choose an option: Copy, Move, Share, Compress, Duplicate, or Delete.

The item you select determines which options are available. An app library, which is a folder labeled with the app name, can’t be deleted or moved, for example.

To modify multiple files or folders at the same time, tap Select, tap to select the files or folders you want to modify, then tap an option at the top of the screen (Share, Duplicate, Move, Delete, and so on).

Rename a file or folder

1. Open the Files app on your iPad.
2. Open a location or an existing folder.
3. Touch and hold the file or folder and choose Rename.

With Apple Intelligence, Files recommends a name above the keyboard when you rename a file.

Note: Apple Intelligence on iPadOS 27 or later is available on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPad models with M1 or later. Apple Intelligence is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply.*

Zip or unzip a file or folder

To save storage space on your iPad, you can zip a file or folder to compress it, and you can unzip a compressed file or folder as well.

1. Open the Files app on your iPad.
2. Touch and hold the file or folder you want to zip. Then tap Compress.

To unzip a compressed file or folder, touch and hold it, then tap Uncompress.

Tag a file or folder

1. Open the Files app on your iPad.
2. Open a location or an existing folder.
3. Touch and hold the file or folder, tap Tags, and then tap one or more tags.
4. Tap Done.

In the sidebar, tagged items appear below Tags.

To remove a tag, tap it again.

Mark a folder as a favorite

1. Open the Files app on your iPad.
2. Open a location or an existing folder, touch and hold the folder, and tap Favorite.

*Apple Intelligence is available with Siri and device language set to Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions. Siri AI is available in beta in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 and requires an Apple Intelligence–enabled device set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts. Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to the Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions.

See also

• Change to icon, list, or column view

In the Files app, you can locate and view your files, organize and rearrange them in folders, compress, rename, and share them with friends, and transfer them to and from iCloud Drive and other locations. Downloads, iCloud Drive, and Recents are all in the sidebar.

1. Open the Files app on your iPad.
2. Do any of the following:
   • View files downloaded from email or the internet: Tap the Sidebar button at the top of the screen and tap Downloads in the sidebar. See Find your downloaded files.

     Note: If you don’t see the Sidebar button, tap the Hide Sidebar button.

   • Browse your files on iCloud Drive: Tap the Sidebar button at the top of the screen. See Browse iCloud Drive.
   • View files you opened recently: Tap the Sidebar button at the top of the screen and then tap Recents at the top of the sidebar.
   • View shared files: Tap the Sidebar button at the top of the screen and then tap Shared in the sidebar.
   • Copy, move, share, or delete a file or folder: Locate the file or folder, touch and hold it and then tap Copy, Move, Share, or Delete. See Modify files and folders in Files.

You can copy, move, customize, share, and delete your documents, images, folders, and other files on iPad.

You can add colors and icons to your folders to make them easier to spot, and change your view of the files in a location or folder to icons, a list, or columns. You can also move a file or folder to a new place.

Here’s how to modify files and folders in Files on iPad.

Customize the appearance of your folders

Color and icons make your folders easier to spot.

1. Go to the Files app on your iPad.
2. Touch and hold the folder you want to customize, then choose Customize Folder & Tags.
3. Tap Tags, choose a color, and then tap the Back button.
4. Select an icon or tap Emoji to add an emoji to the folder.

To remove the icon from the folder, tap Clear below the icons.

Change to icon, list, or column view

In an open location or folder on iPad, you can change your view of the files.

1. Start the Files app on your iPad.
2. Tap a location at the top of the screen—Recents, Shared, or Browse— or tap the Sidebar button. Tap a location in the sidebar.
3. Tap the List button, the Icons button, or the ColumnView button and choose how to view the files.

   To look deeper into a file hierarchy in List view, tap the Forward button next to a folder to expand it.

   To look deeper into a folder hierarchy in the Column view, tap an item in the rightmost column. To see a preview of a file along with its metadata (such as its kind, size, and creation date), tap the file in Column view. (If the preview doesn’t appear in the rightmost column, swipe left.) To view the file and perform various actions on it without leaving Files, tap Open below the file preview.

Move a folder to the Dock for easy access

To make a folder you access frequently easy to find and open, move it to the Dock.

1. Start the Files app on your iPad.
2. Touch and hold the folder you want to move until a menu opens.
3. Choose Add To in the menu and tap Dock.

You can tap the folder in the Dock to expand it and see the files in it. To open a file from a folder in an app, drag the file to the app in the Dock or, if the app is already open, directly into the app’s window. For example, if you have Messages open, you can drag a file from a folder directly into a conversation you’ve pulled up.

Rearrange the sidebar

1. Start the Files app on your iPad.
2. Tap the Sidebar button to show the sidebar.
3. Tap the More button at the top of the sidebar, tap Edit Sidebar, and then do any of the following:
   • Hide a location: Turn the location off.
   • Delete a tag and remove it from all items: Tap the Remove button next to the tag. (See Tag a file or folder.)
   • Remove an item from the Favorites list: Tap the Remove button next to the item. (See Mark a folder as a favorite.)
   • Change the order of an item: Touch and hold the Reorder button and then drag it to a new position.

Delete a file or folder

1. Start the Files app on your iPad.
2. Locate the file or folder you want to delete.
3. Touch and hold the item and tap Delete.

See also

• Find and view files and folders in Files on iPad