“A placeholder listing for an as-yet-unannounced app called ‘Files’ was spotted on the iOS App Store just hours ahead of Monday’s Worldwide Developers Conference, suggesting Apple plans to grant users direct file management access in iOS 11,” AppleInsider reports.
“Spotted by developer Steven Troughton-Smith late Sunday, a listing for Files appeared in the ‘Utilities’ section of the App Store,” AppleInsider reports. “The asset has since been pulled.”
“Apple failed to provide information alongside the app, though the title’s icon is a familiar blue file folder similar to those used in macOS,” AppleInsider reports. “The only tidbits revealed from the now removed listing were requirements regarding iOS 11 and 64-bit file structure support.”
https://twitter.com/stroughtonsmith/status/871602652320280576
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: It seems to us that many iPad users need a simple “iPad” for “lean back” consumption, but also need it to be able do more for it to really be great for “lean-forward” computing.
As we wrote two-and-a-half years ago, back in December 2015:
Imagine an “iOS Pro” mode.
Turn on iOS Pro on your iPad Pro
1. Tap Settings > General, and make sure iOS Pro is turned on.
2. There is no step two.Hey, we can dream, can’t we?
Shouldn’t such a thing already exist? Where would iPad sales be if it did?
“This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad.” If it’s like the Mac Finder or Windows File Explorer, that could confuse and alienate the millions of iPhone users who don’t comprehend file systems. Maybe not a good move for a company whose mantra is Simplicity
Not so, if it’s an app users have to seek out and download or even if it’s preloaded, as they’d have to launch the app in order to gain that functionality. If they were confused by it, they can simply not use that app.
Exactly its easy to visualise if you think slightly laterally with it only being there to use as and when you need that extra depth of control and flexibility over ‘physical’ files. Done right there is no need to compromise the iOS simplicity at all yet greatly enhances its ability to work closely with the Mac or independently as a serious work tool.
Not directly related but It also potentially opens the way for another concept I described in detail recently whereby the tablet can be used directly with the Mac as a touch extension for creative users without the limitations, costs and lack of flexibility or power compromise of a Surface desktop like solution, but that’s probably getting over excited at the moment, knowing Apple.
The fundamental problems with iOS are too numerous to mention, so I sincerely doubt this one Dropbox imitation app is going to solve it all.
iOS from day one has done its utomost to hide files from the user. It is so insulting that when querying what files are eating up all your device memory, iOS merely reports a colored rainbow bar, with “Other” shown to eating up all kinds of your storage. No way to see more or carefully remove specific files from there.
So let’s assume this new Files app allows people to see some of their files. Well that would be a huge improvement for local device management.
But what about the rest of the problems? Will iOS continue to force the user to use only one app to open a file? Will iOS continue to force the user to rent iCloud to move files between devices? What happens when one is offline? Will iOS understand file collaboration, versioning, master archives, and so forth? Will iOS understand security protocol such that the file saved on the Mac or local server is fully secured and editable by administrator, whereas the iPhone version in the file is locked to be read only?
Long story short, iOS remains a million kilometers short of what Mac OS has always offered. iPads will primarily remain toys and clerking tools, and iPhones will remain primarily digital leashes and web browsers. If you do creative and collaborative work, you almost invariably need a Mac or a PC.
Most users do not care about the file system like a small subset group of Geeks do.
Well… all of this, of course, depends on how many people use iPhones/iPads and also use Macs/PCs.
I suspect that is not a subset of geeks, but in fact the majority of users.
Mac versus iPad sales tell the story, Danox. iOS is okay for phones, but not for computing. Your assertion is plain wrong. Just ask anyone who has an iOS device if they also own a Mac or a Wintel box. If they are employed, they always do.
Files is just a Geek list check off, and the Geeks will still be unhappy.
Sounds like my long advocated filevault concept may yet be coming to fruition, the best of both worlds for simplicity of use when desired or there for those who need a more traditional filesystem and potentially seamless interaction between iPads (iOS devices) and Macs when working together and giving the iPad the potential to become a serious working tool.
Fingers crossed.
The impression I got from using iOS in the past was that files were kept with the App in the same ‘sandbox’ which other Apps could not touch. So erase the App and all the associated data files are removed. Has that changed where now there is a common storage area where files are stored and not removed when the app that originally used it is no longer on the device? Wouldn’t this ‘orphan’ some files to consume device storage?
Files is a copy of an app called Files United.