iOS 11's Files app FAQ: Everything you need to know!

iOS 11 will have a new way to interact with your files. Here's what you need to know about it!

It's been a long time coming: In the fall, iOS will have an official way to view, manage, and organize your files. Apple has long resisted providing a Finder-style option for users, largely because of the sometimes cumbersome process of file management for the average person, but no longer — at WWDC, Apple previewed the Files app, a new way to view and manage your documents.

Here's what the Files app is, what it isn't, and what you can expect.

Apple occasionally offers updates to iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS as closed developer previews or public betas for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. (Sadly, no public betas for the Apple Watch or tvOS.) While the betas contain new features, they also contain pre-release bugs that can prevent the normal use of your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or Mac, and are not intended for everyday use on a primary device. That's why we strongly recommend staying away from developer previews unless you need them for software development, and using the public betas with caution. If you depend on your devices, wait for the final release.

So what is the Files app?

Files is to iOS as Finder is to macOS. Although not as full-featured as its macOS counterpart, the Files app lets you view, preview, organize, store, and share files from iCloud and other cloud-based providers.

What devices can use the Files app?

Any device that supports iOS 11 — iPhone and iPad alike.

iOS 11 FAQ: Everything you need to know!

What can you store in the Files app?

Just about anything! Files, folders, zip archives, presentations, the works.

What about music and movies?

Yup! You'll be able to store these, too — and in some instances, even play them right in the Files app. We've confirmed that MP3s, AACs, MP4s, MOVs, and FLAC files will all play inside the Files app. (Still no luck on WebM, though.)

Can you unzip a compressed document in the Files app?

Sort of, but not really. The app offers a "Preview Files" button when you open a zip file; tap it, and you'll view any assets in that zipped file one by one (where they can then be saved separately to iCloud Drive), but you won't be able to actually unzip the file or view any folders contained therein. 

What about offline access?

Yes! You can download any file locally to your device, where it will be copied from your service of choice to an "On My iPhone" or "On My iPad" folder.

Can I organize files?

Yes! You'll be able to view your files by Name, Date, Size, and Tags, as well as either in List or Icon view. You can also add and rename folders and files, and on iPad, you'll be able to drag and drop files into folders.

What's this about Tags and Favorites?

The Files app offers a new Tags section that lets you add colored and custom-named tags to any file in the app. These tags make it easier to find documents without having to constantly organize them into folders; they're very similar to the Finder's own tagging system.

Can I duplicate files? What about aliasing?

At this time: No, and no. (And don't even start with me about compressing folders — this is version 1 of the Files app!)

What's this about organizing files from other cloud services?

The Files app isn't just for your locally stored and iCloud Drive documents. When it launches in the fall with iOS 11, Files will also support viewing and opening files from Box, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Baidu, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Google Drive. They all live separately in their own Locations folder, however — they don't yet mingle together the way Apple Music tracks and personal library tracks live side by side.

It's unclear as to exactly how this process will work beyond some sort of service-specific APIs; my guess is, third-party apps can build extension-based support to hook into Files, so you'll need to either have that app on your device to use the service, or you'll have to authenticate with it (á la Mail apps).

It's also unclear as to whether you'll be able to use service-specific features (like Dropbox's Sharing), or you'll be restricted to simple read/write access, with all sharing and collaboration done through iCloud Sharing.

Wait, iCloud Sharing? Does that mean I can share files and collaborate now?

Yes! iOS 11 will bring iCloud Sharing out of the iWork apps and standardize it across the operating system as well as macOS. This means that you'll be able to select any document, photo, screenshot, video, and the like and share it with friends and co-workers. Shared Folder support looks like it might be an option, as well, including user collaboration and viewing/editing access to files, but it's as of yet unclear how that will work beyond using APIs like NSFileCoordinator and NSDocument.

How do you view documents from the Files app in other apps?

It's not entirely clear as of yet, but if I had to speculate, I imagine it would work much like the Document Picker in iOS 10 works now. If you tap on an upload toggle in Safari or an open link in an app, you'll likely be brought to the Document Picker and asked where you'd like to source your files.

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