A perfect example of this is the recently updated Documents by Readdle for iPhone, a full-on file and document manager that iPhone or other iOS device owners can use to manage any kind of content. Easily the most impressive aspect of Documents by Readdle is the app’s tremendous breadth, clearly represented by the different kinds of files it can handle, including (but not limited to) documents, music, videos, books, PDFs and more, all while serving as annotation tool and download manager at the same time. If you ever wished for a way to manage your files on your iOS device that resembles the way you do it on your PC or Mac, you will be more than happy with this app, which shows you all your files and documents in a “hub” screen that looks and feels very similar to how a regular folder looks on a computer. All that there is to do with the app, you do it from the bottom of the screen, where four sections sit along with the app’s own built-in web browser. The Documents section is where all your files are stored. Music, PDFs, Word documents, text files, pictures, zip files and even other folders. From there you can edit documents, highlight PDFs, view files, move them around, sync them via iCloud, name, delete, copy and even zip them. In this section you can also create new folders to better sort your files and nest folders within other folders. Pretty neat if you ask me. The Cloud section syncs your documents via iCloud, allowing you to access them on any devices you have this app installed on. The next section, (Network) is where you can link Documents by Readdle to different online services like Dropbox, Google Drive, SugarSync, and more. Additionally, you can also access your files on the iPhone using your local network via any web browser. This is quite convenient, since it allows you to transfer files to and from the app without the need to sync your iOS device with iTunes. Last but not least, the Settings tab gives you fine control over how you view and manage documents as well as the browser options. A noteworthy addition to the app is its integrated browser. It might not be as fast or as smooth as Safari or Chrome on the iPhone, but it serves a purpose: Downloading files straight into the app, allowing you to even specify its destination folder.
Conclusions
There are not many free file and document managers on the iPhone, so this makes Documents by Readdle even more welcome and impressive. The app is extremely capable at handling all sorts of files and its great editing and organization features means that you can use it as your sole destination not just for viewing, but also for working with several kinds of files. Definitely recommended if you are tired of using several apps to handle your documents.
