Modify files and folders in Files on iPad

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

The Files app displaying multiple folders and locations named Downloads, Letters, Family, and so on. At the bottom of the screen are buttons for Recent files, Shared files, and the Browse tab.

Modify and rearrange documents

When viewing a file in a supported document format, you can modify and rearrange the document’s contents.

Go to the Files app on your iPad.
Open the document you want, tap its title, then choose any of the following:
- Save to Photos: Save the document in the Photos Library.
- Duplicate: Make a copy of the document.
- Move: Move the document to another location.
- Rename: Rename the document.
- Export: Save a copy of the file in a different file format.
- Print: Print the document

To mark up a document, tap .

To rearrange a document, touch and hold a highlighted page and drag it to a new location.

Note: Not all document formats are supported by the Files app.

Customize the appearance of your folders

You can add color and icons to your folders to make them easier to spot.

Go to the Files app on your iPad.
Touch and hold the folder you want to customize, then choose Customize Folder & Tags.
Tap Tags, choose a color, then tap .
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

You can change your view of the files in an open location or folder on iPad.

The Files app showing the files and folders in your iCloud Drive. At the top of the screen are buttons for selecting items, creating a new folder, changing the view (List, Icons, Columns), and Search.

Go to the Files app on your iPad.
Tap a location at the top of the screen—Recents, Shared, or Browse— or tap , then tap a location in the sidebar.
Tap , , or , then choose how to view the files.
To look deeper into a file hierarchy in List view, tap 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

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

Go to the Files app on your iPad.
Touch and hold the folder you want to move until a menu opens.
Choose Add To in the menu, then 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

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

Delete a file or folder

Go to the Files app on your iPad.
Locate the file or folder you want to delete.
Touch and hold the item, then tap Delete.