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This article will show you how to Sort Files on iPhone, iPad and Mac. The Files app on the iPhone, iPad and Mac is kind of like a file system. It has many of the most basic file system functions. File systems often let you change how you sort files and folders. The iOS Files app also lets you sort files and folders in different ways, such as by name, by date, by size, or by tags. The ability to sort files in the Files app on the iPhone and iPad is somewhat secret, though.
When you first open the app, you won’t see any sorting options right away. You probably already know how to sort things in the Finder on an Apple computer. You can choose between an icon, list, or column view. You can sort the files and folders in these windows by dates (added, made, changed), size, name, and a lot more. Some of these sorting choices are also available in the Files app on iOS, but not nearly all of them.
How to Sort Files on Mac
Use iCloud Drive
iCloud Drive will not only help you organise your files into groups, but it will also keep them in sync across all of your devices. So, if you have a personal Mac and a work Mac, or even if you just have a PC and an iPad, you can use iCloud Drive to make sure your files are automatically on both. Here’s how to turn iCloud Drive on and off on your Mac:
- Open System Settings.
- Click Apple ID > iCloud.
- Make sure to turn on iCloud Drive.
- Then, click iCloud Drive once again and choose Options to select which folders and apps sync with your Mac.
Use tags
Using native Mac tags is another way to improve your organization. It lets you give your file(s) a certain tag or colour, which makes it much easier to find them later. If you want to know more information about this visit official Apple support site.
Setting up tags can be a lot of work up front, that’s true. But once you’ve given your files names, it will be much easier to find them. First, you need to add names to your files. Here’s how you can do that with just a couple of clicks.
- Open a new Finder window.
- Go to the files or folders you want to add tags to. Right-click or hold down the Control key on the file.
- You can either choose one of the preconfigured tags or click Tags to create your own.
How to Sort Files on iPhone, iPad
With iOS 16, Apple added a drag-and-drop tool that makes it easier to change files on an iPad or iPhone. You can use the buttons on the screen to select and move files, but it’s faster to just pick them up and move them.
- Open the Files app.
- In the Locations list, visible in the panel on the left side of the app, tap the location of the file. Tap On My iPad to display the app-labeled folders that contain files that are stored on the device.
- Tap and hold the file you want to move. It pops out of its place on the screen, and a translucent copy appears under your finger.
- To move multiple items from the same folder, tap the files with another finger to add them to the stack of files.
- Use another finger to tap the destination of the stack of files.
- Drag the items to a new destination, which may be a folder or a menu. The blue number in the upper-right corner turns green when the files are over a valid location.
- Lift your finger to transfer the files to the selected folder.
FAQs
Click the View menu in Finder and choose “Clean up” to make sure that all of the icons are in the right place. 2. If you want your desktop icons to be automatically arranged, click the View menu and hold down the ALT key until the “Keep Arranged By” choice appears in the View menu.
Figure out if it makes sense to organise files by name, date, project, or department. After that, the best way to organise the folders on a shared drive is to start with the most general categories for your main folders and then get more detailed with subfolders.