Find files on your iPhone or iPad

Learn where to find your files, folders, downloads, and other saved items in the Files app on your iPhone or iPad.

How to open files and folders in the Files app

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, tap to open the Files app.

    • If you don't see the Files app icon on your Home Screen, swipe down and search for the Files app.

    • When you search for “files" on an iPhone, the Files app icon is listed under Top Hit at the top of the screen.

  2. To search for a file name, use the search field in the Files app. Or tap the Browse tab, then choose a location:

    • Choose On My iPhone or On My iPad for files saved locally on your device.

    • Choose iCloud Drive for files, folders, and downloads that sync across your devices in iCloud Drive, including Pages, Numbers, and Keynote documents.

    • Choose the name of your external storage device for files stored on a connected USB drive or SD card reader.

    • Choose the name of a third-party app for files saved in third-party cloud services that you've added to the Files app, such as Box, Dropbox, and OneDrive.

  3. Tap to open the file.

If you can't find your file

  • If you can't find a photo, check the Photos app. While you can save photos to iCloud Drive (or another cloud service) in the Files app, your photo library is stored in the Photos app.

  • If you can't find a downloaded file, check iCloud Drive > Downloads for the file.

  • Learn other ways to search, sort, and customize the Files app.

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