# iOS Files app

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/files-app/

5 people recommended iOS Files app in Hacker News comments, 2 had mixed feelings and 11 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 12 months, in 2 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

4 of the 5 people who recommend it commented in one thread, “Android and iPhone users can now share files, starting with the Pixel 10”.

**Verdict:** More people criticize it than recommend it. Built-in iOS file browser people use for iCloud, local and external drive files. Critics say it crashes, cannot reach Photos or Music, and lacks some features.

Summary written by Claude from the comments below.

## What people warn about

- Cannot reach Photos, Music or app files (3 comments in the sample): "Unfortunately a lot of apps have never caught up and will only save stuff in the pre-Files sandboxes" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45997086)) "The Files app cannot access images in the Photos app or music in the Music app." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47236959)) "it gives you access to almost none of your actual files" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47236206))
- Confusing, counter-intuitive behavior (3 comments in the sample): "counter-intuitive behavior one could think of" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46072526)) "why is that the default in the first place?" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46798441)) "It's unclear what "copy" even does." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48283861))
- Behind rivals, needs improvement (3 comments in the sample): "The Files app is occasionally useful and is better than the first decade, where iOS didn’t have one." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50169271)) "Try connecting to a WebDAV server on File. It's possible but it's shitty." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45995567)) "Files is behind the rest and can be a whole lot better" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50169410))

## Why people recommend it

- Useful and preferred for daily file use (3 comments in the sample): "the iPhone’s Files app is actually really useful for me" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45995521)) "the iOS file explorer app is excellent" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45995531)) "I still prefer the iOS Files app" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45996346))

## Other file managers people recommend

- [Dolphin file manager](https://hackerapproved.com/p/dolphin/): 66 recommend, 8 mixed, 16 criticize
- [Finder (macOS)](https://hackerapproved.com/p/finder/): 43 recommend, 18 mixed, 165 criticize
- [Midnight Commander](https://hackerapproved.com/p/midnight-commander/): 29 recommend, 5 mixed, 5 criticize
- [Windows Explorer](https://hackerapproved.com/p/windows-explorer/): 29 recommend, 4 mixed, 138 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "iOS Files app", https://hackerapproved.com/p/files-app/ (5 recommend, 2 mixed, 11 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.