Cannot OPEN pdf and rtf files on iPhone

[Ambrosia7177]

Let me start off by saying that I absolutely HATE how iOS works when it comes to file-management and documents...


I am trying to set up a mobile sound-booth in my car for voiceovers.

Have all of the rigging figured out, but iOS always breaks stuff!

All I want to do is transfer over a PDF or RTF script from my MacBook Pro to my iPhone, and be able to open the document - like you work on a "normal" computer - and read it.

I bought iMazing last year, and have use it to download photos/videos from my iPhone to my MBP.

(As iMazing support explained, apparently you can't just copy over files to iOS like to a computer. And it sounds like data only exists inside of apps, and that you need an app that has a public "Documents" folder exposed so that you can drag files from your Mac to that older using iMazing.)

On that note, this summer I had a similar issue trying to upload scripts to my iPad. (As I recall, I had to install some app on my iPad to be able to open and read MS Word documents, as well as RTF's. Sadly, my iPad is out of town in storage, and so I can't check to see what app I used. But that may not matter, since that is iPadOS and not iOS.)

At any rate... It blows my mind that iOS doesn't have a native way to open text files, RTF's and PDF's like desktop/laptop computer does.

Someone mentioned "Documents by Readdle", but I have read lots of bad reviews, and it seems like a money-grab app.

Would prefer something open-source, SAFE, and something that doesn't steal or upload my stuff to "the Cloud"?!

I don't need to edit on my iPhone - I just want to use my iPhone as a poor-man's teleprompter and be able to read a simple script so I can do my voiceovers.

Please help!!

 

[Ambrosia7177]

P.S. I used iMazing to copy some test PDF's and RTF's to iPhone > File System >Documents and then in my iPhone I clicked on the "Files" app and expected to see things there, but the files are nowhere to be seen...

 

[dotnet]

All I want to do is transfer over a PDF or RTF script from my MacBook Pro to my iPhone, and be able to open the document - like you work on a "normal" computer - and read it.

I usually use AirDrop for transferring files between Mac and iPhone, but most of the time I just put stuff into the iCloud Documents folder which is available on all my devices.

To read a PDF I find it in the Files app and tap on it. That's it. Does that not work for you?

 

[Ambrosia7177]

I usually use AirDrop for transferring files between Mac and iPhone, but most of the time I just put stuff into the iCloud Documents folder which is available on all my devices.

iCloud isn't an option or me.

To read a PDF I find it in the Files app and tap on it. That's it. Does that not work for you?

See my last (2nd) post where I address this.

 

[MarkC426]

See my last (2nd) post where I address this.

Just send the pdf via email/message.
Save to files and open.

Why not make your life easier and use iCloud….. 🤔

 

[Ambrosia7177]

Just send the pdf via email/message.
Save to files and open.

I don't have email set up on my iPhones, and the one I want to use doesn't even have a SIM card.

What is the purpose of the Files app if you cannot open files in the iPhone > File System >Documents folder?

Why not make your life easier and use iCloud….. 🤔

Privacy...

 

[MarkC426]

Copy your pdf’s to an external ssd (Samsung T7 or similar).
Connect to iPhone, open with the files app locally.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

Copy your pdf’s to an external ssd (Samsung T7 or similar).
Connect to iPhone, open with the files app locally.

I appreciate your suggestion, but even if that works, what about iMazing? I mean I purchased it solely for the purpose of being able to easily transfer files between my MBP and iPhones and iPad.

Maybe I'm just missing something obviously, but it seems like I should be able to use iMazing to transfer files so that the Files app can see them?

 

[BigBlur]

I second the AirDrop method... AirDrop the PDF from the Mac to the iPhone. Simple as that...no internet, cables, or extra tools required. It'll go to the Files app, and you can read it from there.

P.S. I used iMazing to copy some test PDF's and RTF's to iPhone > File System >Documents and then in my iPhone I clicked on the "Files" app and expected to see things there, but the files are nowhere to be seen...

If you did it right, it's there somewhere. I don't mean to sound snarky here, but perhaps spend some time and explore the Files app to get familiar with it. I'm guessing you need to go to Browse > On My iPhone > Documents.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

Copy your pdf’s to an external ssd (Samsung T7 or similar).
Connect to iPhone, open with the files app locally.

It seems that a large part of the problem is that my iPhone 15 pro max does not have apps installed to be able to handle PDF's and RTF's...

I just downloaded Pages and when I go into iMazing, I do see it has a publicly exposed Documents folder.

iMazing > iPhone > apps > Pages > Documents

I am able to transfer my PDF and RTF into the Page's Document folder, and when I open Pages on my iPhone the PDF is greyed out but I can open the RTF.

In Pages, if I then choose "Screen View" and then "..." and then "Text Size" and then increase the size, it works okay, but that is a lot of steps to do what I need!

This is probably another thread, but it seems the problem is that I need an iOS app that supports PDF and RTF and which allows me to easily read them like books.

(A little leery to install Adobe Acrobat because I hate Adobe...)

 

[MarkC426]

My iPhone (SE) and iPad opens PDF’s natively, no app required.
A bit like preview on macOS,

Pages also come pre-installed on iPhones.

 

[IJustWannaTalk]

I've always done this by adding them to Books and syncing either manually with a cord or through iCloud.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

I second the AirDrop method... AirDrop the PDF from the Mac to the iPhone. Simple as that...no internet, cables, or extra tools required. It'll go to the Files app, and you can read it from there.

I appreciate the suggestion, it's just that I don't know how to use AirDrop - I tried it in the past and it didn't;'t work on my older iPhone, and right now I am drowning in having to learn 1 million things when all I want to focus on is my voiceovers.

(I need to learn AirDrop, but will have to take a raincheck on that for today.)

If you did it right, it's there somewhere. I don't mean to sound snarky here, but perhaps spend some time and explore the Files app to get familiar with it. I'm guessing you need to go to Browse > On My iPhone > Documents.

Not taken as snarky.

But it isn't as simple as you think...

I use LibreOffice on this MBP, and I DuckDuckGo'ed things, and was able to figure out I use Collabora Office on my iPad to address a similar issue.

So to your advice...

- Copying files to iMazing > iPhone > apps > Pages > Documents should work, but doesn't.

- I was able to copy my PDF and RTF to Pages > Documents and Collaboration Office > Documents respectively.

- After doing that, if I go into Files, I can now see...

Files > Browse > On My iPhone > Collabora Office > Test_01.pdf

Files > Browse > On My iPhone > Collabora Office > Test_01.rtf

Files > Browse > On My iPhone > Pages > Test_01.pdf

Files > Browse > On My iPhone > Pages > Test_01.rtf

So the Files app apparently doesn't allow direct interaction - at least not with iMazing.

But if you copy files into an app's Document folder, then Files sees things.


(Who is the FLUNKY at Apple that designed and coded that?????)

 

[Ambrosia7177]

My iPhone (SE) and iPad opens PDF’s natively, no app required.
A bit like preview on macOS,

But how is the PDF getting on your iPhone?

As I recall from the past, if I downloaded a PDF from Safari, then it would appear in Files, I think.

My issues is that iOS is being a brat...

Pages also come pre-installed on iPhones.

It wasn't on my iPhone - maybe I deleted it?

 

[Ambrosia7177]

I've always done this by adding them to Books and syncing either manually with a cord or through iCloud.

As mentioned, I won't use iCloud for privacy and security. (My choice.)

Because things get created on my laptop, I need an easy way to transfer to my MBP.

It looks like I sorta solved things - at least I know I can transfer RTF's to Pages and PDF's and RTF's to Collabora Office, but now the issue is that I still don't have a great ay to read things...

Maybe I should start a new thread on that point?

 

[Ambrosia7177]

In case anyone is interested, here is a screenshot of iMazing after I (sorta) got things working...

 

[BigBlur]

(I need to learn AirDrop, but will have to take a raincheck on that for today.)

From Finder: Right-click the file > Share... > AirDrop
From an app (i.e. Preview): File > Share > AirDrop

Make sure your phone is awake for it to show up in the list.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

From Finder: Right-click the file > Share... > AirDrop
From an app (i.e. Preview): File > Share > AirDrop

Make sure your phone is awake for it to show up in the list.

It's not that easy because I have my MBP and iPhone locked down, and when I tried in like a year or two ago I couldn't get it to work. It's on my To-Do List, but I don't have time to figure out what to unlock to make things work.

(But thank you!)

 

[todd2000]

You seem to be REALLY over complicating this. Transfer the files with airdrop (its easy) Click Here. PDFs open without any any additional software, and pages will open RTF files…

 

[IJustWannaTalk]

As mentioned, I won't use iCloud for privacy and security. (My choice.)

Because things get created on my laptop, I need an easy way to transfer to my MBP.

It looks like I sorta solved things - at least I know I can transfer RTF's to Pages and PDF's and RTF's to Collabora Office, but now the issue is that I still don't have a great ay to read things...

Maybe I should start a new thread on that point?

You can sync Books using a cord or bluetooth, no iCloud required.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

You can sync Books using a cord or bluetooth, no iCloud required.

PDF's don't seem to be a good choice.

I am at wit's end right now...

 

[IJustWannaTalk]

PDF's don't seem to be a good choice.

I am at wit's end right now...

I'm reading a PDF on my phone right now.
Doesn't work for RTF files, that's my mistake.
Best of luck, my man.

 

[kevcube]

P.S. I used iMazing to copy some test PDF's and RTF's to iPhone > File System >Documents and then in my iPhone I clicked on the "Files" app and expected to see things there, but the files are nowhere to be seen...

go to "files", click browse in the bottom bar, click "On My iPhone".

if they're not there, iMazing sucks and you should use airdrop

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

You’re trying to fix the wrong problem. Get airdrop fixed.

 

[brofkand]

If being able to plug in the device and drag/ drop files easily is a must have for you then purchase an android tablet. File management on iOS devices is maddening as you are learning.