iPad The Files app is still a disaster

[canesalato]

I have a USB3 (+ usb-c adapter) pen-drive, a usb-c SSD, and 2 sd cards (each sd card with a separate adapter, one USB3, one USB-c). I needed to print a 1-page pdf using an external printer, so I attached my USB pen-drive to my 2018 iPad Pro. The pen-drive appeared in the sidebar, but trying to copy the PDF made the Files app freeze, until I removed the usb pen-drive.
Ok, let's try with the SSD. Everything seemed to go well, except at the end of the drag and drop, the file wasn't there. Tried again using copy and paste...nothing.
Same results with the first of my sd-cards. The second one worked (Yeah!), but the copy operation took several seconds (>20), for a PDF file of a few KB.
Opened my MacBook Air, copied the file in 1 second to each drive.

Verdict: the Files app has greatly improved, but external drive support is a hot mess in 13.1.

PS: few of the aforementioned external drives worked fine in early betas, including 13.0 beta 1. Go figure...

 

[alien3dx]

Tested this morning (ipad mini 2019)(lightning)


1. camera adapter + usb pendrive = not okay
** work in beta 13 version 4

2. camera adapter + usb pendrive + extra power together = not okay
** work in beta 13 version 4

3. camera adapter + extra power then usb pen drive = no okay..
** work on beta version 13.1

 

[Marshall73]

i have been using dual USB-C / A Sandisk flash drives to copy files to and from my iPad. I have 2 that I primarily use one 16GB fat32 and another 128GB hfs+. Been playing Around with the 128gb copying .mkv files to and from the iPad 8gb/16GB a time with no issues. The 16GB has been used for client files (docx, xlsx, pdf etc) both with no issues. This is on an iPad Pro 3rd gen 12.9.

smb networking is a bit janky though.

 

[richpjr]

i have been using dual USB-C / A Sandisk flash drives to copy files to and from my iPad. I have 2 that I primarily use one 16GB fat32 and another 128GB hfs+. Been playing Around with the 128gb copying .mkv files to and from the iPad 8gb/16GB a time with no issues. The 16GB has been used for client files (docx, xlsx, pdf etc) both with no issues. This is on an iPad Pro 3rd gen 12.9.

smb networking is a bit janky though.

I use the same flash drive and have had no issue with it either. I tried smb once just to see if it worked and it did, but I really don't ever use it.

 

[x34]

no webdav support means no files app on my iphone. it just sucks.

 

[macduke]

Is it still a disaster? I'm afraid to try it again since it jacked up my SD card so bad.

 

[canesalato]

Is it still a disaster? I'm afraid to try it again since it jacked up my SD card so bad.

Just a few minutes ago I ended an attempt to copy ~200 photos from the photo library to the MS oneDrive folder in files (not from the cloud, everything was downloaded to make things "simpler".
Result: the drag and drop operation was slow, it took minutes to do something that I expected to happen in seconds. When it finished, about 20 pictures were corrupted in oneDrive (they seemed to have been copied correctly, but Files could not open them). I deleted the corrupted photos and copied them a second time. This time they were ok.
The subsequent upload into oneDrive was painfully slow. Like...REALLY slow! After almost an hour waiting, I gave up, and decided that I would have copied the photos between my iPad and a PC using an external USB-C ssd.
Unfortunately the copy operation didn't work (spinning wheel). So I tried creating a zip file and copying that to the USB drive. After 10 minutes, the progress circle was still at around a quarter and seemed stuck. In the end, I did everything from a Mac, where the whole operation was done easily and took seconds.
My impression, after almost three years of use, is that Files, not only the application, but the whole underlying infrastructure, is broken beyond repair and they should rewrite everything from scratch. I don't trust it with my drives or my data.

 

[4492865]

Yes it's messy. This is because files is a wrapper around file providers and not the actual file system, each provider (OneDrive, DropBox, Box, Google etc) need to write their own implementation of that file provider and offer it to the Files app.

So the quality of the operations depends entirely on the implementation of the file provider, for which most have done a very sloppy job (Apple with iCloud Drive being the exception). You can for example not even move files between DropBox folders using Files. Working offline is problematic for most providers, as is working directly on a file — with every save it tends to create a new version of the file. Try opening an Excel sheet on Dropbox directly from Files, do some serious editing and saving and see how that goes.

All this because Apple doesn't want to expose the underlying file system instead. They should rewrite it and make it much closer to the actual file system.

 

[canesalato]

Yes it's messy. This is because files is a wrapper around file providers and not the actual file system, each provider (OneDrive, DropBox, Box, Google etc) need to write their own implementation of that file provider and offer it to the Files app.

So the quality of the operations depends entirely on the implementation of the file provider, for which most have done a very sloppy job (Apple with iCloud Drive being the exception).

You are correct and I have heard, off the records, from Dropbox developers, that the APIs provided by Apple have been and are a hot mess, which is the reason why these providers are ALL bad. Even when developers manage to work around bugs, a new iOS update comes and everything breaks again. iCloud is in a much better state (I imagine it uses private APIs and has OS access privileges that other provides do not have) and yet it still it is quite buggy.
The implementation of external drives is also essentially broken, even though Apple developed it entirely. This team at Apple did a very poor job...
Finally, I am sad to say, it seemed to work (relatively) better with 13.1. Subsequent updates made it become progressively even worse for me.

 

[4492865]

You are correct and I have heard, off the records, from Dropbox developers, that the APIs provided by Apple have been and are a hot mess, which is the reason why these providers are ALL bad. Even when developers manage to work around bugs, a new iOS update comes and everything breaks again. iCloud is in a much better state (I imagine it uses private APIs and has OS access privileges that other provides do not have) and yet it still it is quite buggy.
The implementation of external drives is also essentially broken, even though Apple developed it entirely. This team at Apple did a very poor job...
Finally, I am sad to say, it seemed to work (relatively) better with 13.1. Subsequent updates made it become progressively even worse for me.

That’s some really interesting background info. I kind of assumed Dropbox & Co were sloppy with their implementation, didn’t know the APIs are such a hot mess. That’s a real shame.

You’re right even with iCloud it’s sloppy given that they pulled all their new innovations (offline folders/files and folder sharing) from the beta and it’s still not anywhere on the horizon.

 

[blizzforte]

I tried using the 2TB T5 SSD with the iPad Pro (2018) but it doesn't even copy all files, needs very long time and it even ejects the SSD sometimes. It kinda feels dangerous as of right now. And yes I'm using the in the box USB-C cable. And it's all brand new.

Question here: How do I use iTunes correctly? I will have to use it as long as the files app still doesn't work correctly with ext. SSD's. And I mean not just using iTunes to move music or pictures from Win 10 to the iPad Pro, but folders and such as well, like with the SSD? Or is it best to use iCloud for all that?

 

[1193001]

I tried using the 2TB T5 SSD with the iPad Pro (2018) but it doesn't even copy all files, needs very long time and it even ejects the SSD sometimes. It kinda feels dangerous as of right now. And yes I'm using the in the box USB-C cable. And it's all brand new.

Question here: How do I use iTunes correctly? I will have to use it as long as the files app still doesn't work correctly with ext. SSD's. And I mean not just using iTunes to move music or pictures from Win 10 to the iPad Pro, but folders and such as well, like with the SSD? Or is it best to use iCloud for all that?

ditto, i have a gdrive ssd usb c. but sometimes the files app will corrupt files I try to copy to the ipad

 

[blizzforte]

It's really a shame. The iPad Pro is amazing but it really needs a stable desktop class file app! But as I asked earlier, how do I use iTunes correctly? I will have to use it as long as the files app still doesn't work correctly with ext. SSD's. And I mean not just using iTunes to move music or pictures from Win 10 to the iPad Pro, but folders and such as well, like with the SSD? Or is it best to use iCloud for all that?

 

[rui no onna]

And I mean not just using iTunes to move music or pictures from Win 10 to the iPad Pro, but folders and such as well, like with the SSD? Or is it best to use iCloud for all that?

Yeah, the few times I've used, I don't think you can create folders within iTunes. Better to use iCloud.

 

[alien3dx]

Is it still a disaster? I'm afraid to try it again since it jacked up my SD card so bad.

i bought second MacBook 2011 early because something like transfer file, remote seem too odd.I'm not waiting anymore.

 

[macdogpro]

Hi, any new solution for transferring large video files from Sony camera’s SD card to the files app on ipad pro?

I use Baseus USB-C hub with buit-in SD card reader, small files from flash drive and hard drive transferred okay, but large file (well not really large, just a less than half gigabytes video file) seems to took way longer than it should.

While more larger files of recorded videos from my Sony A7III camera would just simply refused to transfer (smaller files might, which also took forever).

I haven’t tried direct transfer using usb c cable from camera to the ipad tho. Many people saying this method also resulting similar case.
Edit: Tried it, it is the same experience. Smaller files transferred much faster tho.

Not to mention split screen files app always crashed when trying to copy and paste multiple files.

 

[macduke]

Hi, any new solution for transferring large video files from Sony camera’s SD card to the files app on ipad pro?

I use Baseus USB-C hub with buit-in SD card reader, small files from flash drive and hard drive transferred okay, but large file (well not really large, just a less than half gigabytes video file) seems to took way longer than it should.

While more larger files of recorded videos from my Sony A7III camera would just simply refused to transfer (smaller files might, which also took forever).

I haven’t tried direct transfer using usb c cable from camera to the ipad tho. Many people saying this method also resulting similar case.
Edit: Tried it, it is the same experience. Smaller files transferred much faster tho.

Not to mention split screen files app always crashed when trying to copy and paste multiple files.

So far the iPad Pro isn’t a real computer in several aspects, especially for people like us. I switched jobs early this year and now I only have an iMac and am waiting for the Apple Silicon MacBook Pro. I was planning to just load up on SD cards to tide me over since they’re so cheap when traveling but with the pandemic I haven’t gone anywhere. Honestly just get a used MacBook Air or something, lol. I was tired of my SD cards becoming unreadable from the iPad screwing them up.

 

[macdogpro]

So far the iPad Pro isn’t a real computer in several aspects, especially for people like us. I switched jobs early this year and now I only have an iMac and am waiting for the Apple Silicon MacBook Pro. I was planning to just load up on SD cards to tide me over since they’re so cheap when traveling but with the pandemic I haven’t gone anywhere. Honestly just get a used MacBook Air or something, lol. I was tired of my SD cards becoming unreadable from the iPad screwing them up.

Yeah, being a Sony shooter also making things crappier on iPad OS ?
Luckily, I still keep my prehistoric 2009 MBP to handle files management.
Very ridiculous to find I can not even possibly know a folder’s total size or a multiple files’ size, nor remaining capacity of an external apps.
The lack luster of the Files App is the major drawback of iPad ecosystem right now.

But still gonna use my IPP for most of my work, ezpecially since video editing using Lumafusion is a breeze for my needs.
Hope Apple keep improving the Files App soon while I’m waiting (and saving) for the ARM iMac.

 

[alien3dx]

Yeah, being a Sony shooter also making things crappier on iPad OS ?
Luckily, I still keep my prehistoric 2009 MBP to handle files management.
Very ridiculous to find I can not even possibly know a folder’s total size or a multiple files’ size, nor remaining capacity of an external apps.
The lack luster of the Files App is the major drawback of iPad ecosystem right now.

But still gonna use my IPP for most of my work, ezpecially since video editing using Lumafusion is a breeze for my needs.
Hope Apple keep improving the Files App soon while I’m waiting (and saving) for the ARM iMac.

i used historic macbook 2011 also for travel while i got ipad mini.Easier. Wait second gen arm then decide. For me if the intel price drop , i will bought the last apple intel. Still scare compability issue.

 

[macdogpro]

i used historic macbook 2011 also for travel while i got ipad mini.Easier. Wait second gen arm then decide. For me if the intel price drop , i will bought the last apple intel. Still scare compability issue.

True. Historically, first architecture transition product is premature, obviously. But that might also not happening to the A series SOC that has been developed several years now on iDevices. We’ll see.
The recently released Intel iMac 27” is very tempting btw.

 

[sparksd]

Hi, any new solution for transferring large video files from Sony camera’s SD card to the files app on ipad pro?

I use Baseus USB-C hub with buit-in SD card reader, small files from flash drive and hard drive transferred okay, but large file (well not really large, just a less than half gigabytes video file) seems to took way longer than it should.

While more larger files of recorded videos from my Sony A7III camera would just simply refused to transfer (smaller files might, which also took forever).

I haven’t tried direct transfer using usb c cable from camera to the ipad tho. Many people saying this method also resulting similar case.
Edit: Tried it, it is the same experience. Smaller files transferred much faster tho.

Not to mention split screen files app always crashed when trying to copy and paste multiple files.

Yep, Files app still sucks. It resides in my unused apps folder.

 

[macdogpro]

Yep, Files app still sucks. It resides in my unused apps folder.

What replacement apps are you using for files management?

 

[0128672]

What replacement apps are you using for files management?

FileBrowser, FileBrowserGO, and FileBrowser for Business are some that people here like. I'm back to using the Files app, and although additional functionality would be nice in the future, it suits my current needs just fine.

 

[sparksd]

What replacement apps are you using for files management?

FileBrowser for Business. Used for local files, attached external storage, network assets (NAS, desktop, etc.), and cloud services. Works really well and the developers are very responsive. Cost $13 but I'd pay double that for it after using it for some time. I also have Documents by Readdle and File Explorer Pro but only use FileBrowser at this point.

 

[macdogpro]

FileBrowser, FileBrowserGO, and FileBrowser for Business are some that people here like. I'm back to using the Files app, and although additional functionality would be nice in the future, it suits my current needs just fine.

Do you not also experiencing much unstable performance with the Files app?

FileBrowser for Business. Used for local files, attached external storage, network assets (NAS, desktop, etc.), and cloud services. Works really well and the developers are very responsive. Cost $13 but I'd pay double that for it after using it for some time. I also have Documents by Readdle and File Explorer Pro but only use FileBrowser at this point.

What’s the main differences between FileBrowser, FileBrowserGO, and FileBrowser for Business?
I think I just need local file management and external drives access, which one should I choose? Or should I take the bundle?