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With iOS 13, the Files app is taking a huge leap toward the Mac model of file management. There’s a whole bunch of smaller changes, as well as some big upgrades that make it really useful. Is it enough to make the iPad a computer replacement??
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0:00
What's going on everybody, Ian here for Cult of Mac
0:09
With Apple slowly turning up the dial on what iOS can do to be more like a computer, it
0:15
seemed only fitting that we take a look at the Files app in iOS 13, as it's one of the
0:19
big changes that's going to make it possible to do more computer-like tasks on iOS and
0:25
on the iPad. With iOS 13, the Files app on iPhone and iPad is taking a huge leap forward, moving closer
0:31
toward the Mac-style file management system, with a bunch of small changes and some major
0:37
ones that are really going to reshape how the Files app works for those power users
0:40
who rely on the Files app and rely on Files to get work done
0:45
First off, and possibly most importantly, the Files app now supports external storage
0:49
devices like flash drives and external hard drives. In fact, I've even seen some people post videos online connecting things like a Zip
0:57
Disk or a Jazz Drive. Older iPads or any iPad that's using a lightning port to charge will require Apple's USB 3
1:05
to Lightning cable, which basically allows it to provide enough power to the iPad and
1:10
the USB device while also connecting the USB device to make your USB external drive work
1:16
on your iPad, where the newer iPad Pros you can connect through the USB port using either
1:22
USB cable or USB adapter of some sort to go to USB, and they can provide enough power
1:27
for those USB devices to work, assuming they don't require external power
1:32
Once connected, your external media should show up in the Files app, allowing you to access those files, throw them into other applications and work on them, or move them
1:40
either to cloud services or to your iPad's local storage to work on later without the
1:45
flash drive attached. Having external storage support was one of the biggest requests iOS and specifically
1:50
iPad users have had for quite a while. Having the ability to access files and use them in different apps whenever they need
1:57
makes the iPad way more useful as a productivity tool. Another big change in iOS 13 that's most evident in the Files app is the fact that you can
2:05
now use your iPad's local storage, the storage you rightfully paid for, to store files and
2:10
documents and different types of content. This is also really convenient, again, if you're the type of creative who wants to do
2:17
work in different apps on your iOS device, you have the ability to put those files on
2:22
the device, use them without having to go through the Photos app or through a cloud
2:26
storage provider to get those files on your iPad. The Files app also has a couple new options when browsing your files, as well as a new
2:34
info panel that gives you access to a ton of really useful features and some really
2:38
useful information. One of the main things is the new three-column view, which comes straight from macOS, allowing
2:45
you to see files and folders within the structure of your local storage, your cloud storage
2:51
or your external media storage, so you can see what folder you're in, what subfolder
2:55
you're in, and then what file it is you're looking at within that structure, making it
2:59
really fast and easy to grab a bunch of files, move them around or move them up or down a
3:03
storage tree, so you can make things more organized and more clearly laid out without
3:08
needing to constantly jump back and forth through the different tile or list views
3:12
Now when using that new three-column view, tapping on any individual file will bring
3:17
up the new info panel, which is also brand new in iOS 13
3:21
That info panel gives you information like when a file was created, the type of file
3:25
it is, where it exists in your file structure, as well as access to a couple new quick actions
3:31
for things like marking up a document or converting it to a PDF, and at the same time, if you
3:36
long-press in any other view, you can choose Info, and you can get that same information
3:41
and if you select multiple files of a compatible format, you can even create a PDF out of those
3:47
files, which is something that used to be reserved for specific custom workflows instead
3:52
of being built into the Files app. One other big feature in Files in iOS 13 is the ability to compress a whole bunch of files
3:59
into a zip archive, making it super convenient, super easy to move those files in bulk to
4:04
a cloud storage or send them off in an email or do something that requires multiple files
4:09
to go to one place and be accessible as a bundle in another location
4:13
Again, this is another one of those features that existed in shortcuts before, but now
4:17
is built straight into the Files app, allowing you to take one or a group of files or a group
4:22
of folders or a mix of files and folders and long-press and choose Compress, and it will
4:27
turn it into a zip archive within that folder structure, allowing you to move it where you
4:32
need to and do with it what you need. Another feature coming to iOS 13 in the Files app is the ability to access SMB servers
4:40
Now, this is something that's huge for tech nerds and enterprise customers especially
4:44
where they have their own kind of a local version of a cloud storage through an SMB server
4:50
Now with the Files app, you'll be able to connect to those SMB servers, access those files, use them in apps or move them around just as you would on a Mac or Windows PC
4:58
This is a huge upgrade because you won't need any third-party software or weird cloud storage hacks
5:05
You can access them on your iOS device. Outside of that, the Files app is pretty much what you expect, a cloud storage and local
5:12
storage file browser that allows you to access files and use them in apps as you need
5:18
It still supports drag and drop. It still keeps its same place in the share sheet, and it's still accessible throughout
5:23
the system for allowing you to do more computer-like things and use your iPad or your iPhone as
5:29
a computer replacement if the need fits. Let me know what you think of the changes coming to the Files app down below, and also
5:36
let me know if there's any features you'd like me to cover in these last couple weeks
5:40
as we lead up to the official release of iOS 13. Also while you're down there, make sure you subscribe to the channel, hit the notification
5:46
bell, give the video a thumbs up if you enjoyed, and until next time, I'm Ian for Cult of Mac
5:51
and I'll catch you in the next one
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