Articles and Lifehacks
Those who for the first time become the proud owner of any device from Apple are faced with the fact that it is significantly different from all other equipment on the market.
For example, many people are completely unaware of the extension of iOS application files. Let's try to figure this out and also understand how such files are used.
iOS Application File Extension
- All programs (including games) present on iOS devices have the same format. This format is absolutely identical for any Apple devices, regardless of whether it is a smartphone, player or tablet computer.
- These files are stored in the App Store. To be able to use them, the owner of the device downloads them using iTunes.
- All application files have the same format - .IPA. Essentially, it is an extension of archived program files from Apple for various devices.
- Each such file is a compressed folder and contains an executable file, as well as pictures, music, videos, etc. It is encrypted using a specific algorithm and is binary.
- A file in *ipa format can only be installed on an iOS device, and cannot be run as part of the iPhone simulator on a PC. However, after jailbreaking, the file can even be installed without iTunes.
- In other words, the IPA format is the format of installation files for equipment released by Apple.
In order for its extension to be visible in the Windows operating system, you should go to the “Control Panel”, find the “Folder Options” item there and go to the “View” tab.
- In this tab, uncheck the option to hide extensions for registered files and confirm your actions by clicking the “OK” button.
- It often happens that a user downloads a program for his iOS-based smartphone, but it does not have the *ipa extension. Most likely, such an application is located in a rar or zip archive, where our binary file is packed.
- To unpack you will need regular WinRAR. Files with the IPA extension can be renamed to .ZIP and unpacked.
Installing applications
If a user has downloaded an application for their iPhone and has no idea how to install it, they should understand the Cydia program.
You can also download the app from the App Store and install it for free. Applications hacked in this way are called Cracked IPA.
- To install a hacked program, jailbreak the device and log into Cydia (it will appear on the display after the jailbreak).
- In the program, open a tab called “Manage”, and then “Sources”.
- Click “Edit” > “Add”.
- In the window that opens, enter the repository address (cydia.hackulo.us via http://) and click “Add Anyway”.
- Now go to “Sections” > “Hackulo” and look for a patch called “AppSync for OS”.
- Click “Install” and “Confirm”, after which we reboot our device. Now you can install IPA applications.
The Files app arrived in iOS 11 and is a great addition to a system that has ignored document organization methods for many years.
Due to such a sad history of iOS, many users do not quite understand why they need a file organizer at all and how to work with it. We tell you how to get the most out of one of the most invisible, but very important innovations in iOS 11.
Don't limit yourself to Apple services
By default, the file manager on iPhone and iPad only works with iCloud Drive cloud storage. But it also supports third-party analogues. For example Dropbox. To activate them, you need to press the “Change” button at the top of the interface, and then enable all the necessary services.
Files can be sorted into folders
Just like on a Mac computer, in the file manager on iOS you can create new folders and put whatever you want there, including documents, photos and audio recordings. At the same time, you can create folders not only on the device itself, but also in any connected cloud storage. The button to create a folder is located below the search bar.
You can also sort documents by tags
You can share multiple files from different cloud storages at once
Tags will help here too. Using them, you can combine several files located in different services into one group. And then send it to anyone with one click.
Files from the Internet can be saved directly to iPhone
Deleted files can be returned
The iOS file manager has a trash can. All deleted files go there and are stored, in case the user changes his mind about getting rid of any of the documents or photos. To restore, you just need to open the “Recently Deleted” folder, select the desired file and click the “Recover” button.
You can manage files from your computer
Files on iOS and Finder on macOS are closely related. Closer than many people think. In the iCloud Drive cloud, a separate space is allocated for the computer desktop and for documents stored on it. They are constantly synchronized, which means that from your iPhone you can save the file to your Mac desktop. Moreover, they even have one basket for everyone. Files deleted from a Mac can be viewed and restored on a smartphone or tablet.
You can choose which programs the files will be opened in.
Perhaps these 8 simple tips will help you quickly master the Files application and learn something new about it.
Any mobile device requires a file manager. In iPhones, this problem is especially acute, since Apple is famous for its habits of creating devices that interact well with all products of the American brand, but are very problematic in contact with third-party manufacturers.
There are two types of file managers for iPhone: programs that run on the computer, and applications that are installed on the iPhone itself. Naturally, their purpose is different, because computer utilities must ensure the transfer of files between the iPhone’s memory and the PC itself, but mobile applications are needed to work with documents directly on the gadget.
Computer file managers
To transfer data from iPhone to PC and vice versa (in other words, to synchronize devices), a proprietary utility is usually used. Apple's iPhone file manager is called iTunes. Actually, this is the only official manager for iPhone. All other applications are developed by third parties.
iTunes main window
iTunes allows you to transfer files between your computer and iPhone, as well as all other Apple gadgets. You can transfer any data: it can be pdf documents, multimedia content, or contacts. You can transfer information between any devices, so iTunes is a universal solution for iPhone, MacBook, and many other devices.
In addition, it is a huge multimedia storage. There is always data here that will definitely be of interest to users: tens of thousands of films and audio tracks, applications, games and much more. All this can be transferred to your iPhone in just a few clicks.
In general, a lot of useful things can be said about this manager, which is what we tried to do in, and within the framework of this article we will continue to reveal the capabilities of other programs.
iTools File Manager
This is a third-party application for your computer, which is the best analogue of the official iTunes. This manager works much more stable than the original program and eliminates all sorts of glitches that are so characteristic of it. In addition, its functionality is somewhat broader: you can freely transfer PDF documents to iBooks, make program backups, and much more.
iTools main window
Uploading a photo via iTools is not difficult, because... An intuitive interface makes transferring files as simple and understandable as possible, even for a baby. Through this manager you can also synchronize your computer, iPhone and other Apple devices, which is very convenient from the point of view of organizing work.
One of the useful features of the application for working with data is the “Desktop” section. On the “Icons” tab, here you can work with the iPhone desktop and synchronize in real time. Folders can be created, moved, deleted, renamed, and various objects can be placed in them. It is possible to transfer a backup copy of your iPhone desktop files to your computer to avoid data loss.
File manager for iPhone
Here the situation with the transfer and viewing of documents and objects, including pdfs, is somewhat different. The iPhone does not have a built-in manager, so you have to resort to third-party solutions to conveniently transfer any data between devices and transfer it within the gadget itself.
You can edit only a few types of data through the standard iFile viewer: txt, doc, docx, rtf, htm, html, sql. Through third-party solutions, you can edit pdf documents, repack archives, and do much more.
iFile - Screenshots
The application also has its own twist: you can transfer any files to your iPhone via the web interface. This is especially true for small documents in pdf format and archives, which will reach the device “over the air” in a couple of seconds. Data can also be transferred in the opposite direction, you just need to activate the web server function in the phone itself. And then you can view any directory on your phone from your computer and transfer any document to it.
iStorage File Manager
To load information into the application, just copy the data to the Documents folder through any computer file manager. Then you should go to the same folder on your smartphone and select the desired file. The program will open it in a suitable editor and allow you to view and edit it. It is worth noting the convenient display of information on a mobile device.
Apple has announced the app Files", which is designed to become a full-time file manager on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Well, better late than never. In this material we will tell you about the main features of this application and answer the most interesting questions.
In contact with
“Files” allows you to view and manage files (images, videos, documents, music and other data) that are stored in user folders both on the disk directly on the device and in cloud storage. Program " Files"is an advanced version of the application.
On which iPhones and iPads is Files Explorer available?
Program " Files» available on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad running iOS 11 or later.
Files application: appearance and management
The application interface is simple and minimalistic. We have a main window with folders and a left side menu with sources. The sources are Places And Tags.
Tab Places contains a menu with storage sources (iCloud Drive, Dropbox, etc.), files located directly on the iOS device itself. There is also a folder with recently deleted files (see screenshot below).
For convenience, it is possible to sort the list of files by name, date, size or tag. Also allow you to switch between views " Badges" And " Review».
There is a search and the ability to create subfolders.
At the bottom there are two main tabs " Review" And " Recent».
How to drag multiple files at once in the Files app
The nice thing is that Apple has implemented the ability to manage files using multi-touch gestures in Explorer. By selecting one file, you can easily add other documents by tapping on their icons or holding files with one finger to navigate through folders in Explorer.
When moving files, be careful, because once you start the operation, you will not be able to stop it or cancel all actions with one click. As an option, do not physically move the files, but assign tags to them.
What actions can be performed with files?
The application is not compatible with many file types. Despite this, some of them are available for preview, and some for editing. Despite the fact that the program almost always shows a preview of the data contained in the files, this does not mean that “ Files» will open this type. Often the application opens unsupported formats in third-party programs. For example, launching Ulysses files opens the application associated with this format.
Images can be viewed and edited using standard markup tools. Text files can be viewed only those that can be opened by standard iOS programs. Files of unsupported formats are opened in third-party applications, of course, if they are installed. You can watch videos in AVI and MOV formats. As for music, a nice bonus will be support for high-quality tracks in . The archives are viewed, but they will not allow you to archive or unarchive the files.
In June 2017, at a developer conference, Apple showed a new application for its devices called Files.
Today I came across it in one of the folders on my iPhone and tried to remember how many times I have used this pseudo-cloud storage aggregator throughout its existence.
And I remembered: never. Do you remember that you have such an important program, according to Apple, on your iPhone or iPad?
The Files were doomed from the start
Let's remember what it all is, since this program takes up valuable space on our iOS devices.
By creating Files, Apple tried to make it easier to work with various cloud storage services, such as its iCloud, so that the user could manage all files from one program.
In fact, the “Files” application was supposed to perform the functions of a Finder, a kind of file manager, only not for local files on the device, but for pictures, photos, documents, archives and other things stored in the “clouds”.
At first, the application only worked with iCloud, and the guys from Cupertino promised that support for other storages would be added in the very near future. We didn’t lie: at some point it became possible to link your Dropbox account to “Files”.
And that was the end of it.
Neither Yandex Disk, nor Megashare - there is no way to attach any other storage to the application. I remember that I imagined the principle of “Files” to work like the standard “Mail” application, when there is a choice of many services.
Now it’s time to admit that the idea of collecting all network files in one place is good, but Apple implemented it very crookedly.
Judge for yourself:
- many files ( archives, for example) the application sees them, but cannot open them
- there are more advanced and convenient analogues from third-party developers, such as Documents from Readdle
- for most cloud storages there are separate applications in the App Store, which are an order of magnitude better than “Files”
A short survey of colleagues confirmed: “Files” is used in daily work completely useless application.
And in general, most programs and applications themselves perfectly save their data in iCloud directly, so that you can easily access them from another Apple device.
Well, don’t forget about Handoff.
What to do with this application?
Alas, the most realistic scenario for using the “Files” application is to upload audio tracks there in uncompressed flack format and listen to them, launching them one at a time: “Files” can play this format.
True, I'm not sure that anyone would want to bother like that.
Looks more realistic such a scenario: long tap on the icon, application deletion mode, tap on the cross, the “Files” application is deleted like a bad dream.
Do you think Apple will ever remember this unsuccessful experiment with a cloud storage aggregator? Or maybe you actively use this application every day?
Tell us in the comments how you do it. Maybe Yabloko did everything right?