8 Hidden Features Your iPhone Files App Can Easily Unlock

Your iPhone’s Files app has probably been flying under the radar, quietly organizing your documents and downloads—but it does more than just display PDFs and manage folders. Behind its minimalist interface are a ton of surprisingly useful tools that can simplify your workflow, digitize documents, and even compress files on the fly.

In this guide, we’ll reveal 8 hidden features of the Files app you probably didn’t know existed—and how you can use them to supercharge your productivity and make the most of your iPhone.

1. Scan Documents Without a Third-Party App

Forget downloading an extra scanning app—your Files app has one built right in! Whether you’re a student scanning lecture notes or a professional digitizing receipts, you can do it all straight from your iPhone.

• Open the Files app and navigate to the folder where you want to save your scan.
• Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
• Select Scan Documents and follow the prompts to capture and save.

This feature auto-detects page boundaries and cleans up images for a clean, readable final result. You can also scan multiple pages into one PDF file.

2. Create and Manage Zip Files

Compressing files used to be something you’d turn to a computer for—but no more. The Files app allows you to create zip files and extract them seamlessly.

• To zip: Select one or more files, tap the three-dot menu, then tap Compress.
• To unzip: Tap a zip file, and the contents will automatically extract into a new folder.

This is especially useful for sending multiple documents via email or sharing them on cloud services while keeping everything organized.

3. Tag Files for Ultimate Organization

Managing lots of files? Tags help you find what you need without having to scroll endlessly. They work across all folders and cloud storage services linked to your Files app.

• Tap and hold a file, then tap Tags.
• Choose from existing colors and tags, or create new ones to sort files your way.

Later, simply tap the tag from the sidebar menu, and Files will show you all documents with that tag, no matter where they’re stored.

4. Access External Drives and Network Storage

The Files app isn’t limited to just your iPhone. You can access files stored on external USB drives, SD cards (with the right adapter), and even cloud services or network drives.

• Plug in an external device via Lightning or USB-C (depending on your iPhone model).
• Files will automatically show the device in the sidebar.
• Tap to browse, copy, or move files between storage sources.

Need to access your office NAS or shared SMB drive at home? Files handles it, making your iPhone a genuine portable workstation.

5. Share With Control Using iCloud Links

Instead of emailing large files, use iCloud Drive’s sharing feature with advanced permission controls.

• Tap and hold a file stored in iCloud Drive.
• Choose Share > Add People.
• Select permissions like View Only or Edit, and how people can access the file (via link, invitation, etc.).

This makes it an ideal way to collaborate on documents or simply share securely without cluttering up your Messages or email inbox with massive attachments.

6. Use Quick Look to Preview Files Instantly

Opening files one by one can be tedious. Instead, use Quick Look—a simple preview feature that shows you the content of a file without fully opening it in another app.

• Simply tap once on a file in Files, and Quick Look will preview documents, images, audio, and more.
• Tap the Share icon within Quick Look to send or save the file from the preview window.

This is hugely beneficial when