All my work-related text files and documents are stored in Dropbox, which continues to offer specific advantages over Apple’s iCloud Drive: Dropbox integrates with hundreds of iOS apps, it supports public sharing on a file and folder-based level (fantastic for collaboration), and it even works with external web automation services such as IFTTT and Zapier. It is possible to create your own centralized, Finder-like setup on an iPad, but it comes with substantial trade-offs.ĭropbox is my primary cloud filesystem and backup service. Alas, this also means that people who want to, but can’t adapt – either because they can’t use cloud services at work or prefer not to store personal files anywhere online – will have to work harder to make an iPad their primary computer. If you don’t adapt – if you think you can force iOS to be more like the Mac’s Finder – you’re going to have a bad experience in your transition to iOS.
THE BRAIN 9 SOFTWARE VS DEVONTHINK VS MAC
I use document providers every day for collaboration with the MacStories team.Īccepting this new reality – that an iPad can’t manage local files and folders like a Mac – took time and dedication. While the document picker and document providers get a bad rap, they have improved since the days of iOS 8. I use iOS apps to open and manage files that live in a cloud service, and I leverage iOS’ document providers to open and import files in apps that don’t integrate with Dropbox. Over the past year, I’ve consolidated all my file storage needs in Dropbox and iCloud. The best way to manage files on iOS is to go all-in with cloud storage and rely on native apps and integrations to access your files everywhere and minimize duplicates. After years of experiments and workarounds, I’ve come to terms with the fact that file management on iOS requires a new mindset altogether.