Files App is a failure

[sevvere]

I have some stuff downloaded in Documents6. I can see them in Files app. I have a video downloaded ... I want to play it in VLC ... STILL HAVE TO COPY IT TO THE APP.

What was the point? I could do that FROM documents6 to begin with.

That’s not what anyone wanted. We wanted to just be able to play it in an app and not have multiple version floating around on our device.

Can’t rename files within the files app either (if you can its not obvious how to do it) which is really useful for video editing and figuring out what files are what when I’m importing them if the file names are screwy for whatever reason or I need a more specific title.

At this point, Apple is just being stubborn. There is absolutely NO REASON why you shouldn’t be able to ALLOW ACCESS TO A FILE to another app without moving it. No reason. Don’t give me security concern BS.
I’m not buying it.

You have to copy your files into LumaFusion too. If your working on a big project with a lot of files ... this is a workflow killer. Is it a huge deal ... i guess not ... but its one of those “Apple” things that I’m really tired of.

While I’m at it ... if Apple wants me to use an IPad as a primary device ... OPEN THE BLUETOOTH UP so i can download files from other devices (hint hint android) through Bluetooth. And no .. I’m not using Dropbox or whatever. That’s ridiculous. Why would i upload something so i can download it immediately to a device sitting next to the device i just uploaded from? Nope.

I knew the Files app was going to be BS from the moment they talked about it but remained hopeful. All the things i chose not to do on my IPad because it was too complicated and tiresome without a REAL file system capabilities .... I’m still not doing.

I’m looking at the m3 Microsoft Pro 4 right now to replace my IPad. File system ... real video editing capabilities (LumaFusion is good but is still not “there” yet) ... can easily transfer files ... mouse support. I REALLY REALLT want the IPad to become a real machine that i can use ... its lightweight, great screen, and I like having the ability to sit on a couch at a coffee shop and just use the IPad or sit at a desk and bring out my Keys-to-go keyboard for more functionality. But Apple is refusing to “release” the IPads full potential ... and I’m tired of waiting.

Rant over. I feel better now.

 

[Feenician]

If the VLC share sheet is forcing you to copy it to VLC, that’s a failure on VLC’s part. Period. The ability to open in place has been in iOS since iOS 9 and is unchanged in iOS 11.

 

[stulaw11]

Agreed, app problem and not an Apple problem.

 

[Feenician]

I do want to add, more sympathetically to the OP, that it frustrates me endlessly too that more apps have not adopted this simple change. I have discarded apps for not doing so.

 

[sevvere]

If the VLC share sheet is forcing you to copy it to VLC, that’s a failure on VLC’s part. Period. The ability to open in place has been in iOS since iOS 9 and is unchanged in iOS 11.

I’m in the Files App. I go into the Documents6 folder. I see a video. I select it. There is no ‘Play in” .. there is a “Copy to” ...


Same thing for Lumafusion. No way to just use the file ... you must “import it” which is just jargon for “copy to”. I’ve never used a video editing app where “importing” meant “making a copy of”. And lumafusion has supposedly (according to update notes) been upgraded to support Files App (which it is because i see the directory in Files app) yet once again, when selecting a video in Files app ... there is no option to “Import to Lumafusion” (In other words ... USE that file in lumafusion) ... no ... you have to “Copy to” Lumafusion.

MXPlayer is the same way for videos.

If you download an ebook .... can you just open it in IBooks? Nope. You import it into IBooks which, again, is just jargon for “copying”.

So i am unsure of what you are speaking of. Please name the video app that can play a video file in the Documents6 folder that does not require you to copy the file to the video app first.

 

[sosumi99]

I, too, feel a lot of the frustration you do about Files. For me, one of the most annoying design decisions is not having the ability to decide what app is launched when you open a file (this is the root of the problem with the Google Drive app hijacking file types). And it is annoying that so many apps still haven't implemented the ability to open files in place.

On the matter of renaming files, you can do so by holding down on the file until the contextual menu pops up, like in this screenshot.

 

[Feenician]

I’m in the Files App. I go into the Documents6 folder. I see a video. I select it. There is no ‘Play in” .. there is a “Copy to” ...


Same thing for Lumafusion. No way to just use the file ... you must “import it” which is just jargon for “copy to”. I’ve never used a video editing app where “importing” meant “making a copy of”. And lumafusion has supposedly (according to update notes) been upgraded to support Files App (which it is because i see the directory in Files app) yet once again, when selecting a video in Files app ... there is no option to “Import to Lumafusion” (In other words ... USE that file in lumafusion) ... no ... you have to “Copy to” Lumafusion.

MXPlayer is the same way for videos.

If you download an ebook .... can you just open it in IBooks? Nope. You import it into IBooks which, again, is just jargon for “copying”.

So i am unsure of what you are speaking of. Please name the video app that can play a video file in the Documents6 folder that does not require you to copy the file to the video app first.

>There is no “Play in”

Right, this is the problem. Since iOS 9 developers have had the ability to implement “Open In”, which opens files in place and “Copy to” share sheets. This has nothing to do with Files whatsoever. Files doesn’t implement that functionality any more than any previous version of iCloud Drive or anything else. It is up to the receiving application to implement the appropriate share sheet and ability to open/play files that aren’t in their own sandbox. The appropriate place to complain about an app not doing that is the app developers website.

As for which video players implant that, I honestly don’t know. I don’t have a local video player even installed on iPhone or iPad. I would bet that some do implement it though.

Don’t get me wrong, I feel your pain here but this has been possible for years in iOS.

 

[sevvere]

I, too, feel a lot of the frustration you do about Files. For me, one of the most annoying design decisions is not having the ability to decide what app is launched when you open a file (this is the root of the problem with the Google Drive app hijacking file types). And it is annoying that so many apps still haven't implemented the ability to open files in place.

On the matter of renaming files, you can do so by holding down on the file until the contextual menu pops up, like in this screenshot.

Ok ... thanks for the information ... I think the problem is that if you try to rename a file in Documents6 folder in the Files App ... it won’t let you and thus does not offer that option probably so Documents6 app can still recognize the file it downloaded and has listed in it’s download list. Again ... i get it ... but I want to change the name .... i should be able to do it ..

Let’s just say I accepted that limitations ... i get it .. and say fine ... I’ll just make a file folder called “Project Videos” in the Files App that is just a file folder with video files i transfer into it .... guess what ... YOU CANT DO THAT ..... everything HAS to be directly linked to a APP !!!!

Ok ok ok ... FINE !! I’ll make more compromises ...


i could just copy that video file TO the folder in Lumafusion ... right? And then go back and delete that file from the Documents6 folder ... well nope . You cant do that ... its associated to Documents6. .. so now i have to open documents6 and delete it from there .

Ok. Great. More complicated BS ... but at least Now i have a video file within the “import” file inside Lumafusion file folder. But guess what .... Lumafusion doesn’t recognize it because it didn’t “Import it” into the file FROM THE APP. I only copied it there.

So I have to import the file from the lumafusion app from the documents6 download folder right?

Nope.

I CANT ACCESS IT from the Lumafusion app because its LOCKED DOWN by Documents6 REQUIRED BY IOS.

I don’t care if its the IOS fault or apps fault or a mixture of both.

I don’t care.

I want crap to work the way normal people do things in a normal workflow way. And it just doesn’t.

How people are not losing their S**T over this insanity is beyond me.

 

[Feenician]

Ok ... thanks for the information ... I think the problem is that if you try to rename a file in Documents6 folder in the Files App ... it won’t let you and thus does not offer that option probably so Documents6 app can still recognize the file it downloaded and has listed in it’s download list. Again ... i get it ... but I want to change the name .... i should be able to do it ..

Let’s just say I accepted that limitations ... i get it .. and say fine ... I’ll just make a file folder called “Project Videos” in the Files App that is just a file folder with video files i transfer into it .... guess what ... YOU CANT DO THAT ..... everything HAS to be directly linked to a APP !!!!

Ok ok ok ... FINE !! I’ll make more compromises ...


i could just copy that video file TO the folder in Lumafusion ... right? And then go back and delete that file from the Documents6 folder ... well nope . You cant do that ... its associated to Documents6. .. so now i have to open documents6 and delete it from there .

Ok. Great. More complicated BS ... but at least Now i have a video file within the “import” file inside Lumafusion file folder. But guess what .... Lumafusion doesn’t recognize it because it didn’t “Import it” into the file FROM THE APP. I only copied it there.

So I have to import the file from the lumafusion app from the documents6 download folder right?

Nope.

I CANT ACCESS IT from the Lumafusion app because its LOCKED DOWN by Documents6 REQUIRED BY IOS.

I don’t care if its the IOS fault or apps fault or a mixture of both.

I don’t care.

I want crap to work the way normal people do things in a normal workflow way. And it just doesn’t.

I definitely hear that. Seems like the only thing Apple could do at this stage is deprecate the older methods and enforce the newer workflows at an App Store approval level i.e. to be approved you must a) read and import from your import folder at startup b) implement “Open In” and so on.

 

[mariusignorello]

Developers are responsible for using the correct APIs, not Apple. There was a WWDC session where they addressed this.

 

[itsmilo]

Its totally stupid that it relies on the devs and not on Apple. I am not gonna look through every single app to figure out which is supporting it only to discover it does not.

Newsflash apple:

Theres a file
Add open with
List of apps that can support said file
Play / open file with chosen app
Save changes back to the original sandboxed file

NOT THAT HARD

Been like this since the first computer i have ever owned and on anything but iOS really. Even my 13 year old nokia

 

[sevvere]

Developers are responsible for using the correct APIs, not Apple. There was a WWDC session where they addressed this.

This isn’t personal but this is pure BS.

Apple rejects apps ALL THE TIME FOR LEGITIMATE STUFF AND RIDICULOUS CRAP. In other words, they have said to their consumers that they are taking responsibility for the CONTENT of their apps, the Functionality of their apps, even what kind of protocols the apps use (they reject peer sharing protocols).

So in other words ... people are telling me that you can “open in place” since iOS 9 ... yet can’t name ONE FREAKING APP related to video (where this feature would be most useful) that uses it ... really? Since ios9 ? And Apple hasn’t stepped in and said “Sorry, you should be able to open in place VLC ... MXPlayer (both extremely popular video apps) and we are going to reject your app until you put this in place”

I’m not accepting this. Apple can’t micromanage ridiculous crap in apps and then evade responsibility and blame when apps aren’t offering “open in place” functionality ... SINCE IOS9??!!!

Come on.....

 

[011]

Don't want to talk too much off topic, just suggestion, for bluetooth file sharing, you mentioned in the first post.

You can use AirDroid app

AirDroid - File Transfer&Share by Sand Studio
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/airdroid-file-transfer-share/id1194539178?mt=8

 

[sevvere]

Don't want to talk too much off topic, just suggestion, for bluetooth file sharing, you mentioned in the first post.

You can use AirDroid app

AirDroid - File Transfer&Share by Sand Studio
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/airdroid-file-transfer-share/id1194539178?mt=8

Thanks I’ll check it out .. didn’;t realize this existed but the problem with these apps is once you start doing something else on your iPad ... the downloads ALWAYS seem to stop. But I’ll check it out ... thanks.

 

[Zwhaler]

Hence why I use Android. I manage content and media. When I saw the "Files" app at WWDC I wondered... has Apple finally added a proper user accessibile file system?

No.

Sincerely,
happy Android user since 2012.

 

[macfacts]

Developers are responsible for using the correct APIs, not Apple. There was a WWDC session where they addressed this.

That's the problem, Apple's implementation.

On Linux, Android, Windows, mac os: programs can open files from SD cards, ftp, local network shares, etc and the app doesn't have to be updated to support how to access from different places becuause it is done at the OS layer. Apple is implementing these features at the end user program layer

 

[stulaw11]

This isn’t personal but this is pure BS.

Apple rejects apps ALL THE TIME FOR LEGITIMATE STUFF AND RIDICULOUS CRAP. In other words, they have said to their consumers that they are taking responsibility for the CONTENT of their apps, the Functionality of their apps, even what kind of protocols the apps use (they reject peer sharing protocols).

So in other words ... people are telling me that you can “open in place” since iOS 9 ... yet can’t name ONE FREAKING APP related to video (where this feature would be most useful) that uses it ... really? Since ios9 ? And Apple hasn’t stepped in and said “Sorry, you should be able to open in place VLC ... MXPlayer (both extremely popular video apps) and we are going to reject your app until you put this in place”

I’m not accepting this. Apple can’t micromanage ridiculous crap in apps and then evade responsibility and blame when apps aren’t offering “open in place” functionality ... SINCE IOS9??!!!

Come on.....

There was never a central Files app that Apple curated ether until recent where apps had to worry. From where else that Apple had control of would you have opened a video file from that didnt open in place in VLC?

And to be fair I believe the "open in place" LSSupportsOpeningDocumentsInPlace API only works for documents

And I'm sorry but app devs are lazy for the most part. Even paid apps have horrible support and bug fixes. Look at Onedrive from freaking Microsoft, worth how many hundred billion, STILL doesnt even have basic files integration in Onedrive.

 

[Feenician]

Look at Onedrive from freaking Microsoft, worth how many hundred billion, STILL doesnt even have basic files integration in Onedrive.

This is driving me crazy. I am a beta tester for pretty much everything for them, gave them a ton of valuable feedback and they have been pretty responsive but I asked them about this and got what amounted to “Yeah yeah. Maybe some time” in response from them

Their big problem is that they’ve tied everything to the “Backstage” file dialogs.

 

[Stq]

The only app I've seen that supports "open in place" is PDF Viewer by PSPDFKit. It's a shame that so few apps are implementing this feature.

 

[slooksterPSV]

Tap and hold to bring up the context menu for rename

 

[pika2000]

I want crap to work the way normal people do things in a normal workflow way. And it just doesn’t.

How people are not losing their S**T over this insanity is beyond me.

Sell your iPad, get a laptop.
How people are getting upset expecting an iPad to be a laptop?

 

[jamesrick80]

If the VLC share sheet is forcing you to copy it to VLC, that’s a failure on VLC’s part. Period. The ability to open in place has been in iOS since iOS 9 and is unchanged in iOS 11.

Sorry, you cannot deny that Apple's files system is literally crap.

 

[sparksd]

Sell your iPad, get a laptop.
How people are getting upset expecting an iPad to be a laptop?

i.e., give up, shut up, go away; quit trying to come up with efficient workflows in order to make the iPad a viable alternative to a laptop. Pretty poor response.

 

[pika2000]

i.e., give up, shut up, go away; quit trying to come up with efficient workflows in order to make the iPad a viable alternative to a laptop. Pretty poor response.

Plenty of people and pros manage to work with the iPad just fine. Real pros will use the correct tools for their needs, not blaming a tool for not performing like a different tool.

 

[sparksd]

Plenty of people and pros manage to work with the iPad just fine. Real pros will use the correct tools for their needs, not blaming a tool for not performing like a different tool.

And plenty of pros have criticized the inadequacy of the tools that Apple has provided.