Did you know you can quickly access your most recent files on your iPhone without navigating through folders or apps? Thanks to Apple's Files widget, you can directly access your files with a tap of your Home Screen.

files
The Files widget helps keep your important documents at the forefront. It's great way to keep track of your most recent work without manually sorting through files, ensuring that nothing important gets lost or overlooked.

Using the widget also makes for a tidier and more orderly ‌Home Screen‌, since it reduces the need for numerous app icons dedicated to file access. Here's how to set it up.

  1. Unlock your ‌iPhone‌ and navigate to the ‌Home Screen‌ page where you want to add the Files widget.
  2. Press and hold on an empty area of the screen or on any app icon until the icons start to jiggle, indicating you're in edit mode.
  3. Tap the plus (+) icon located in the top left corner of the screen to open the widget gallery.
  4. Use the search bar at the top to type "Files" or scroll down until you find the Files widget.
    files

  5. Tap on the Files widget to select it, then swipe left or right to choose the widget size. The medium or large widget sizes are recommended for showing recent files.
  6. Tap Add Widget to place the desired widget size on your ‌Home Screen‌.
  7. Position the widget by dragging it to your preferred location on the ‌Home Screen‌, then tap Done in the top right corner to exit edit mode.
    files

The Files widget will automatically display your most recent files directly on your ‌Home Screen‌, enabling quick and easy access.

Note that if you decide you want the widget to show files from a specific folder, a different category of files (shared or downloaded files, for example) or only files tagged with a particular color, it's easy to change.

Simply press and hold on the widget, tap Edit Widget, and then tap Recents (in blue). Choose your preference from the list, then tap a blurred area of the screen to return to the ‌Home Screen‌, and your widget will be updated to show the relevant files.

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
Apple Maps 2024

Apple Maps Might Start Showing Ads

Sunday February 16, 2025 7:22 am PST by
Apple is "exploring" the idea of showing search ads in the Apple Maps app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Back in 2022, Gurman said software engineering was "already underway" to display ads in the Apple Maps app, but Apple did not move forward with the idea at the time. Today, he said Apple is "giving this notion more thought" again. This time around, he said Apple has yet to...
iPhone 17 Roundup Feature 2

iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

Monday February 17, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker. In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
m2 pro mac mini

Apple is Now Selling a Refurbished Mac Mini for Just $319 (!)

Saturday February 15, 2025 9:58 am PST by
A few days ago, we reported that Apple's refurbished Mac mini pricing had a problem, and it appears that Apple has taken note. Apple was offering a refurbished Mac mini with the M2 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $559, which was $50 more than a refurbished Mac mini with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. All other key specifications were equal. That's no longer...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
Tim Cook Apple Park

10+ Announcements Apple Could Have Rolled Into a February Event

Saturday February 15, 2025 8:00 am PST by
Apple appears to have enough upcoming product announcements to justify a full event this month, yet all signs indicate these reveals will be handled through a series of press releases instead. There are a multitude of rumors from reliable sources about specific announcements in the coming weeks, so here's everything that Apple could have feasibly included in a hypothetical February event: ...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

Apple's Next iPhone SE Launching on Wednesday - Here's What We Know

Friday February 14, 2025 4:04 pm PST by
Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an Apple announcement that's coming on Wednesday, February 19, and it's looking like that mystery announcement will be the next-generation iPhone SE. We've been hearing about the iPhone SE 4 for quite some time now, and we essentially know everything to expect. If you want a sneak peek at what's coming, read on. Naming Apple first introduced the iPhone SE in...