iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 Include Support for Formatting External Drives

[darngooddesign]

Does this mean apps will get access to the raw filesystem of a drive? Or is this purely a feature of the Files app?

Hard to say how it might change, but apps like Photoshop currently use a files app style window to access files.

 

[shenfrey]

Build it and they will come
Post it and they will comment
Humans - always predictable

 

[Mother Nature]

There is now a ‘keep downloaded’ option for folders and files stored in iCloud Drive. This can be applied to multiple folders and files at once.

Unlike the Photos app, there isn’t an option to keep all files downloaded.

"Keep original" is the option for iCloud photos to remain downloaded and available at original resolution

 

[Homme]

A feature that the A10 7th gen iPad will get that the A10X iPad Pros and A11 iPhones won’t get😂😂

 

[mystery hill]

"Keep original" is the option for iCloud photos to remain downloaded and available at original resolution

“Download and Keep Originals”

 

[thejadedmonkey]

My concern is that these aren't OS level features, they're adding app level features.

Sure it's nice, but why is it hidden in the Files app? Shouldn't it be in some utility folder, like macOS?

 

[Kal Madda]

If it wasn’t because I know you for quite a long time here in MR, I’d have said that it was a click bait message from the video author to make us see the video.

No, you still cannot eject an external drive before hot-unplugging it. The format option is very welcome, but I’ve been on the situation where the SSD doesn’t stop blinking (even after 15 minutes of my iPad locked) and had to hot-unplug it while it was still reading/writing on it.

So, yeah, the eject button would be quite useful to avoid the risk of corrupting an external drive that could have important data.

PS: congrats on your finding, Kaleb. Wishing to see you again on the forums once your suspension on MR is over!

Thanks. 👍🏻. I’m happy to see changes like this coming to the Files app. 👍🏻. I think adding an Eject button would at least lead to less confusion for some even if we assumed it had no other utility. I think it would have utility, and would make sense because it could also enable faster data transfers with caching if they incorporated a safe way to eject drives using caching. This could be beneficial when using external drives with Final Cut Pro and other pro apps. It will be interesting to see what they may add over the course of the beta cycle.

 

[svish]

Great to see this on both iPad and iPhone

 

[yabeweb]

Long press……..

I know, but then it’s not right clicking, it’s long pressing :]

 

[yabeweb]

Duh, same way you one-hand clap.

Guess this is a way of saying in us, but I can actually clap with one hand

 

[yabeweb]

Two finger tap?

So ine is saying long press, another two finger taps, its a guessing game or what.

I was referring to the fact that in a touch based interface they refer to a desktop term a way of interacting.

 

[yabeweb]

When you’re connected to the iPad with a bluetooth mouse, you can right click anything. I do it all the time.

Well not everyone uses mouse and keyboard, are you telling me this feature is only existent if you shell for mouse and keyboard ( I know it’s not, I know how to “ right click on a touch iPad “)
referring to a desktop term for a tablet feature is cracking me up.

 

[Kal Madda]

Well not everyone uses mouse and keyboard, are you telling me this feature is only existent if you shell for mouse and keyboard ( I know it’s not, I know how to “ right click on a touch iPad “)
referring to a desktop term for a tablet feature is cracking me up.

Hold-press or “long-press” is the touch gesture for it on the iPad, and right-click is the trackpad/mouse gesture for those using the iPad with the Magic Keyboard Case. 👍🏻

 

[darngooddesign]

I know, but then it’s not right clicking, it’s long pressing :]

Neither is two-finger trackpad tap on my MBP. But if you need to be pedantic, just tap with your left hand and long press with your right hand. 😁

 

[darngooddesign]

My concern is that these aren't OS level features, they're adding app level features.

It’s being added to the OS.

Sure it's nice, but why is it hidden in the Files app? Shouldn't it be in some utility folder, like macOS?

Thats like saying creating a folder, moving a file, or renaming a file are hidden in the Files app.

 

[bookcase]

tbh, I didn't know I could access my external drive on my iPad to begin with -- I just tested it out and works perfectly. With the new M2 iPad Air and Magic Keyboard, I'm not finding a compelling reason to hang on to my MacBook Air. I have a hefty MacBook Pro for work that could take care of any heavy lifting I would need.

 

[yabeweb]

Neither is two-finger trackpad tap on my MBP. But if you need to be pedantic, just tap with your left hand and long press with your right hand. 😁

You say pedantic, I say attention to details

 

[Mousse]

How do you right click on a touch based device ....

Two finger tap has always been how my devices right click.

Anyhow... I think this is a horrible idea.

On the other… "What could possibly go wrong…"

This. You--well I at least--tend to be less cautious while using a phone/tablet than while using a computer. If I had a nickel for every time I absent mindedly dismissed a pop up on my phone/tablet, I'd be Scrooge McDuck swimming in coins. When ever a pop up message appears on my computer, I take it seriously.

 

[darngooddesign]

You say pedantic, I say attention to details

It's obvious you didn't actually want to know how to do a right-click so you were just wasting all of our times to be argumentative.