Files app should be able to access everything on your device

[Rogifan]

So it looks like Apple has gimped the files app...the on my iPad location is only showing the folders below for me. So any media stored locally on the device is not accessible or searchable in this app. What is the point of “on my iPad” if it doesn’t contain everything that’s on your iPad?

 

[stulaw11]

Because the 3rd party apps need to be updated which wont happen until official release in the fall once iOS11 updates are allowed in the app store? Same as Dropbox, onedrive etc for integration into Files.

Nothing is gimped. Notice the only ones showing are Apple apps for obvious reasons.

 

[dancefreak]

My Onedrive is on there and accessible but it opens in a separate smaller window.

 

[stulaw11]

My Onedrive is on there and accessible but it opens in a separate smaller window.

Because it's just a basic link to the app in the meantime; same was as the old way of attaching to mail or saving an attachment via the share sheet interface. It's not integrated yet which will come once 11 is released both MS and Dropbox have already announced.

 

[TMRJIJ]

Apps have to be updated to support the Files app.

 

[Shirasaki]

contain everything that’s on your iPad

Is still a privilege of jailbreak user btw.

 

[Rogifan]

Because the 3rd party apps need to be updated which wont happen until official release in the fall once iOS11 updates are allowed in the app store? Same as Dropbox, onedrive etc for integration into Files.

Nothing is gimped. Notice the only ones showing are Apple apps for obvious reasons.

Yes it’s gimped. I have 45GB worth of video locally stored on my iPad (shows up under the TV app in settings) that is not accessible or searchable via the files app.
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Apps have to be updated to support the Files app.

So the TV app has to be updated to support the Files app?

 

[Feenician]

Yes it’s gimped. I have 45GB worth of video locally stored on my iPad (shows up under the TV app in settings) that is not accessible or searchable via the files app.
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So the TV app has to be updated to support the Files app?

I don’t think anyone knows their plans for that. Based on history though I wouldn’t expect Music or TV to have openly accessible folders in there. They might surprise us though.

 

[itsmilo]

Yes it’s gimped. I have 45GB worth of video locally stored on my iPad (shows up under the TV app in settings) that is not accessible or searchable via the files app.
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So the TV app has to be updated to support the Files app?

I doubt this will even be possible. Its pretty much just an app giving you access to all your different cloud solutions in one spot

 

[Shirasaki]

I doubt this will even be possible. Its pretty much just an app giving you access to all your different cloud solutions in one spot

This puts files app as a reduced function Documents app. Barely a shell of iCloud Drive app.
Well, maybe a later beta would surprise us.

 

[Rogifan]

I doubt this will even be possible. Its pretty much just an app giving you access to all your different cloud solutions in one spot

Well that sucks. Why is it so hard for Apple to allow users to access all the files on their device?

 

[Shirasaki]

Well that sucks. Why is it so hard for Apple to allow users to access all the files on their device?

Allow all access = one step closer to jailbreak.
Even if not, sandbox means it is difficult to assign a common area to put everything inside without damaging the privacy.

 

[stulaw11]

Yes it’s gimped. I have 45GB worth of video locally stored on my iPad (shows up under the TV app in settings) that is not accessible or searchable via the files app.
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So the TV app has to be updated to support the Files app?

What use would this be needed for? Apple wants your media synced via iTunes on a computer or itunes store/apple music apps, not side loaded, to begin with.

Further what possible real world usage scenario would one be using the Files app uploading or downloading GB of movies on their phone to icloud/dropbox/onedrive services? (before kiiling their data or battery)

This is not a free for all open up from Apple. It is a good start though.

 

[maflynn]

I think people were expecting a Finder type app that provides the same level of features and abilities, and that's just not Apple's intent. I'm not saying Apple is approaching this wrong, but its clear they want to limit the FS and so instead of fully exposing the file system they're limiting access and providing APIs for developers to leverage its features. Its a nice advance of what we currently have so I'm looking forward to it.

 

[lokey]

Wow, this "On My iPad" location in Files.app is not what I was expecting or wanted. I liked the idea of saving something to my actual iPad and know for certain it was on the device even if I wasn't on a network. I'm not even referring to movies or video, just like a PDF I downloaded from the Internet or something like that. I don't want to associate it to an application, I just want a place I can put it. Disappointing.

 

[stulaw11]

No one knows yet, the app is not even fully functioning (and likely wont be until final release time). The on your device section does nothing right now and moving anything to it is grayed out currently; and totally blank if you have no Apple productivity apps (pages, numbers, etc).

No one has any idea what Apple's plan is and the on device was not discussed in the keynote (likely intentionally).

Lots of assumptions and doom and gloom going on here based on being in beta under 30 days total; considering a week ago it did literally nothing and no apps even showed.

 

[lokey]

No one knows yet, the app is not even fully functioning (and likely wont be until final release time). The on your device section does nothing right now and moving anything to it is grayed out currently; and totally blank if you have no Apple productivity apps (pages, numbers, etc).

No one has any idea what Apple's plan is and the on device was not discussed in the keynote (likely intentionally).

Lots of assumptions and doom and gloom going on here based on being in beta under 30 days total; considering a week ago it did literally nothing and no apps even showed.

You're not wrong. Could be just a beta thing, which is what I'm hoping. No doom or gloom required.

 

[Rogifan]

I think people were expecting a Finder type app that provides the same level of features and abilities, and that's just not Apple's intent. I'm not saying Apple is approaching this wrong, but its clear they want to limit the FS and so instead of fully exposing the file system they're limiting access and providing APIs for developers to leverage its features. Its a nice advance of what we currently have so I'm looking forward to it.

I’m ok if they want to limit access to the true file system but I should be able to access documents or media I load on to my device. For some reason Apple has decided any locally stored file associated with the TV app is off limits. Which makes me wonder then if iOS 11 supports FLAC how do you get that media on to your device and what app would you use to play that media? iTunes doesn’t support FLAC.
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No one knows yet, the app is not even fully functioning (and likely wont be until final release time). The on your device section does nothing right now and moving anything to it is grayed out currently; and totally blank if you have no Apple productivity apps (pages, numbers, etc).

No one has any idea what Apple's plan is and the on device was not discussed in the keynote (likely intentionally).

Lots of assumptions and doom and gloom going on here based on being in beta under 30 days total; considering a week ago it did literally nothing and no apps even showed.

I could understand with regards to 3rd party apps but Apple’s own apps? Unless there’s big changes coming to iTunes in the fall but I doubt it.

 

[TurboPGT!]

Yes it’s gimped. I have 45GB worth of video locally stored on my iPad (shows up under the TV app in settings) that is not accessible or searchable via the files app.
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So the TV app has to be updated to support the Files app?

AH...yes. You have no idea what the App is for. Got it.

 

[Rogifan]

AH...yes. You have no idea what the App is for. Got it.

So what is On My iPad for then? Any documents I’d have in Keynote, Numbers or Pages would be stored in the cloud. The only ‘files’ local to my device are videos I’ve loaded via iTunes. I guess Apple doesn’t consider those ‘files’? Either that or the Files app is a gimped file system. I’ll go with the latter.

 

[TurboPGT!]

So what is On My iPad for then? Any documents I’d have in Keynote, Numbers or Pages would be stored in the cloud. The only ‘files’ local to my device are videos I’ve loaded via iTunes. I guess Apple doesn’t consider those ‘files’? Either that or the Files app is a gimped file system. I’ll go with the latter.

Like I said, you don't understand the Files app.

Has it escaped your notice that the "On My iPhone" section isn't even usable yet?

 

[Rogifan]

Like I said, you don't understand the Files app.

Has it escaped your notice that the "On My iPhone" section isn't even usable yet?

I don’t know what you mean. What’s there to understand? Also I don’t have iOS 11 installed on my iPhone so no I wouldn’t notice that.

 

[TMRJIJ]

So what is On My iPad for then? Any documents I’d have in Keynote, Numbers or Pages would be stored in the cloud. The only ‘files’ local to my device are videos I’ve loaded via iTunes. I guess Apple doesn’t consider those ‘files’? Either that or the Files app is a gimped file system. I’ll go with the latter.

I wouldn’t consider those files either. Since you did put them through iTunes, I would imagine them only being used within their respectable media apps (Photos, Music, and TV) unless otherwise accessible through API for obvious reasons.
You can put those videos in iCloud Drive or I’m guessing just save them in the ‘On My iPad’ section (which as of now isn’t functional yet) to be able to open them in different apps (also something that isn’t possible yet).
We really don’t know the extent of how integrated the Files app will be but I can certainly tell you that anything that will ‘puncture’ the sandbox will not possible due to privacy, security, DRM, etc.

 

[TurboPGT!]

I don’t have iOS 11 installed

/thread

 

[Feenician]

I wouldn’t consider those files either. Since you did put them through iTunes, I would imagine them only being used within their respectable media apps (Photos, Music, and TV) unless otherwise accessible through API for obvious reasons.
You can put those videos in iCloud Drive or I’m guessing just save them in the ‘On My iPad’ section (which as of now isn’t functional yet) to be able to open them in different apps (also something that isn’t possible yet).
We really don’t know the extent of how integrated the Files app will be but I can certainly tell you that anything that will ‘puncture’ the sandbox will not possible due to privacy, security, DRM, etc.

I don't know exactly what all this is going to look like in the end either but puncture get the sandbox is an explicit goal according to Craig Federighi, on the post WWDC Talk Show (I think he may have even used that word, or very similar). The idea being that it is explicitly with a user's consent. There are a couple of interesting talks up on the Apple site but even having watched them it's all still a bit vague. Couple of more betas and we'll have a better picture of what's coming.

I still doubt TV and Music will expose their contents though.