Just before Apple"s WWDC event for 2017 kicked off on Monday, it came to light that there could be a new file management app for the company"s latest mobile device operating system. Simply named "Files", the utility would bring to iOS 11 a feature that has been a staple of Android and Windows phones for a while.
The new iOS file manager was shown off during the course of WWDC 2017 by Apple Senior Vice President Craig Federighi, demonstrating the app"s support for nested folders, search, tagging, and both local and cloud storage. Furthermore, Files will also support drag and drop, which could come in handy for quickly copying e-mail attachments into a specific folder.
Now, in an announcement on its Office Blogs, Microsoft"s OneDrive team has thrown its support behind the Files app, and said that:
"...we are excited to announce support for the new app and its file management capabilities. OneDrive integration with the Files app will make it easier for you to access your content from any Apple device and will provide a better file management experience on iOS for your personal and work OneDrive and SharePoint sites. We will share more details when iOS 11 releases."
While Microsoft"s support for the first-party file management app in iOS may have some questioning the future of the OneDrive app for iOS, Microsoft"s app does include additional features such as scanning, powered by Office Lens, and camera upload.
Particularly on iPad, the Files app could be perceived as bringing a bit of a Mac feel to Apple"s handheld device while also addressing the needs of power users who have been calling out for such functionality. It will also go some distance towards simplifying the file management experience for those who access two or more cloud storage services on a regular basis.