iPadOS 18 has a nice little feature for Files, useful for users who work on their iPad

iPadOS 18 isn’t going to be a huge update for power users, despite the fact that we now have the ultra-powerful M4 iPad Pro. But it seems we’ll have to wait until next year for a fancy update.

However, there’s one little change coming to the Files app which is actually huge: the ability to keep folders and files permanently downloaded.

Since the dawn of iCloud, the Files app has focused on cloud storage. That’s awesome – after all it means you have all your files accessible on all your Apple devices. However, it has one caveat – Apple decides which files can remain stored in the local cache and which ones go to the iCloud. And when you need a file – it can happen that it’s on the iCloud and you have to download it again.

That’s a problem if you have no internet connection and you need that file now. With iPadOS 18, this issue is solved, and you’ll be able to force some files to stay downloaded for the moment you need them.

With the new feature, you will be able to long-press on a file or folder and choose the “Keep Downloaded” option. Strangely enough, the feature wasn’t even announced during Apple’s developer conference WWDC 2024, but it’s a huge deal if you work on your iPad. Having your files accessible all the time is something that many users will find very helpful, in my opinion. Including me. I don’t particularly work on my iPad, but I do hate it when the internet connection is missing (or slow) and I need a file at that very moment.