How to rename photos, videos, docs, and files on iPhone or iPad

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to rename PDFs, Word documents, photos, videos, and other files on your iPhone or iPad.

In the Files app

This is arguably the best option to rename any type of file on your iPhone. As long as you can store it in the Files app, you can rename it directly from there. But for this to work, you must copy your documents to the Files app and then you can follow these simple steps.

1. Touch and hold a file or folder and pick Rename from the menu.
2. Type the new name and press the done key on the keyboard.

Quick tip: When in Icons view, tap the file name at the top to rename it.

In Google Drive

1. Find the item you want to rename in the Google Drive app.
2. Tap the three-dotted icon next to the file and choose Rename.
3. Enter a new name and tap Rename.

Tip: You can show Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and similar storage service inside the Files app.

In Dropbox

1. Go to the Files section of the Dropbox app.
2. Hit the three dots icon next to it.
3. Choose Rename from the menu.
4. Type a new name and choose Rename from the top right or hit done on the keyboard.

In OneDrive

1. Find the file you want to rename inside the Microsoft OneDrive app.
2. Tap the three-dotted icon next to the item and choose Rename This File/Folder.
3. Enter a new name and tap Done.

In the Documents app

Here’s how to rename files inside Documents, a popular media file manager.

1. Tap the three-dotted menu the item you’d like to rename, and choose Rename. You can also hit the three-dotted menu from the top right, then choose Select , then pick the file and choose Rename.
2. Change the file name and hit Done.

In the Music app

You can’t rename a song, album, or artist inside the Music app on iPhone or iPad. However, you can change the name of the playlist you’ve created. Additionally, you can rename your local songs on your Mac or PC and sync them to your iPhone or iPad, which will reflect the new name.

In the Photos app

The Photos app on iPhone or iPad doesn’t offer a built-in way to change the name of pictures and videos. To do that, you will have to use your computer or move the picture to the Files app, Documents, or other apps. After setting a new name, you can save the image back to the Photos app. But if you only want to rename pictures and videos inside the Photos app to find them quickly by name, then a hidden feature has you covered:

1. Open the image or video inside the Photos app.
2. Swipe up or tap the info icon ⓘ.
3. You’ll see the Add a Caption text field. Enter the name you want to give to this file and tap Done.

From now on, whenever you search for that name inside the iPhone Photos app, it will show you that picture or video.

Your iPhone may take a few minutes to index this new information, which may cause it to not be immediately searchable with that new caption you just added.

In the Mail app

You can rename an attachment you received in the email when saving it to the Files app.

1. Tap and hold a file inside an email and pick Save to Files. You can also open an attachment and hit the Share icon, then choose Save to Files.
2. Change the file name and hit Save.

In iWork apps (Numbers, Keynote, Pages)

When you open Numbers, Keynote, and Pages, you’ll see the Browse section, which is basically an extension of the Files app. To rename a spreadsheet, presentation, or document, just tap and hold a file and pick Rename.

In Google Docs

1. Open the Docs app, and you should see your files here.
2. Tap the three dots icon and choose Rename.
3. Enter a new name and hit Rename.

In the Books app

You can’t rename a book downloaded from the Book Store but if you’ve added PDFs to the Books app, you can rename them:

1. Open the Books app and tap Library.
2. Tap the three dots icon below a PDF and choose Rename.
3. Type the new name and touch Rename.

In Canva

Editing Canva projects on iPhone is very simple:

1. Simply open the app and tap the three dots icon for a project visible in the Home or Projects tab.
2. Tap the pencil icon and add the new name.
3. Tap Done to save the changes.

In other apps

Renaming files inside other apps should be similar. Just look for the icon to open the menu, and from there, pick the option to change the name.

On a related note:

• How to batch rename files on Mac
• How to rename Bluetooth devices on your iPhone and Mac
• How to change the AirDrop and Personal Hotspot name on iPhone or iPad