Check out these handy sidebar tips to make the most of the Apple Files app on your iPad and get things done effortlessly.
The sidebar in the iPadOS Files app gives you a centralized location for navigating all of your items. The good thing about this is that it is customizable. You can add options to it and hide or remove the ones you do not use.
Also see: How to connect and use a flash drive, hard disk, SSD, or SD card with your iPad
Show and hide the sidebar
Open the Files app on your iPad and tap the sidebar icon from the top left corner to show or hide it. If you’re in portrait orientation, tap outside the sidebar to hide it when it’s open.
Show and hide the sidebar options
The sidebar has sections like Locations, Favorites, and Tags. You can tap the arrow icon next to each one to expand or collapse that section. For instance, if you do not use Tags, you can keep it collapsed.
Edit the Sidebar
Make sure the sidebar is visible on the screen. Now, tap the three dots menu icon and choose Edit Sidebar. You can now choose to hide or show locations like On My iPad, iCloud Drive, and third-party apps such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and more.
Manage your Favorites
If there are specific folders you often use, you can add them as favorites by touch and holding them and choose Favorite. Once you do this, that folder will appear under the Favorites section. You can access it easily from the sidebar without having to go to On My iPad or iCloud Drive.
To remove a folder from under Favorites, swipe left on it and tap Remove.
Use the top toolbar
The iPad Files app has a top toolbar with options to search, select, change view options, add new folder, and more. You can also tap the folder name to take additional actions like copy, move, get info, and more.
Scan documents
You can touch and hold an empty area in the Files app and choose Scan Documents. In addition to that, you can also tap the menu button in the sidebar and choose Scan Documents to get scans for physical documents in digital form.
Check out next: How to use Quick Actions in the Files app on iPad and iPhone