How to Add Third-Party Cloud Apps to Files App on iOS 13 and iPadOS 13

If given a choice, I wouldn’t look beyond iCloud for my online storage needs. Unfortunately, Apple offers just 5GB of free iCloud storage in an age where even 50GB of base storage seems too less to accommodate the rapidly growing demands of users thanks to high-resolution photos and videos and powerful games. That’s why the need to look for third-party cloud apps like Google Drive (15GB free) and Box (10GB free) arises. So, if your iCloud storage is already full and you don’t want to upgrade to the premium plan (starting at $0.99/month for 50GB), give a thought to these noted offerings. Let me show you how you can add your favorite third-party cloud apps to the Files app on your iPhone and iPad.

Add Third-Party Cloud Apps to Files App on iPhone and iPad

While iCloud Drive remains the default option in the stock file manager app, users have the freedom to save their data in other cloud services. Though the process remains easy-going, Apple has slightly tweaked it in iOS 13 and iPadOS 13. Therefore, I thought it would be better to make a short piece about it. Here we go!

1. Launch the Files app on your iPhone or iPad.

Open Files app on iPhone or iPad

2. Now, select the Browse tab at the bottom.

Tap on Browse tab at the bottom

3. Next, tap on the three horizontal dots at the top right corner of the screen.

Three Dots

4. Next up, choose Edit option in the popup that shows up at the bottom.

Tap on Edit

5. Under the Locations section, you should see the cloud apps that are installed on your device. Turn on their toggles.

Turn on the toggles for cloud apps

6. Finally, make sure to tap on Done at the top right to finish.

Save files in other cloud apps

That’s it! From now onwards, your favorite cloud apps will appear under the Locations section. And you can store and manage your files inside them just the way you do in Apple’s iCloud Drive.

Remove Unwanted Cloud Apps from Files App

If you ever don’t want to use any cloud app that you had added earlier, you can easily hide them in the Locations section.

1. Open Files app on your device > Browse tab > three dots at the top right > Edit.

Tap on three dots and choose Edit

2. Now, turn off the switch next to the cloud apps you want to hide. Then, be sure to tap on Done at the top right to confirm.

Remove cloud apps from Files on iPhone and iPad

Quicly Add and Remove Cloud Apps in Files for iPhone and iPad

So, that’s how you can use third-party cloud apps in the Files app. Considering iCloud may not fit everyone’s needs, it’s good that Apple has allowed the stock file manager app to work with other services as well. It makes the app more user-friendly. With the introduction of the latest iteration of iOS, the Files app has become even more powerful thanks to the addition of a document scanner and the native zipping/unzipping tool. Let me know your thoughts and where does it stand against third-party file managers.

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