How to access your iPhone files using iFile file manager

Modern society has seen technology come to play an important part in the way we interact with others and go about doing day-to-day tasks. But, has smartphone technology now developed so much that people can run a business using nothing but their mobile phone?

Android users have always had more freedom as far as their device file system goes, far more than Apple allows its own users.

This is just another example of how restrictive the iOS system has become and is one of the biggest reasons why people chose to jailbreak their devices. One of the most downloaded apps from Cydia was one called iFile, but with Cydia in very limited supply right now, we’ve had to look for another option – iFile file manager fits the bill perfectly. Also once a Cydia app, the developers have now opted to repurpose it so it can be used by anyone, regardless of whether they have a jailbreak on their device or not and it is completely free to use too.

What is iFile?

iFile is a file manager app, packed with great features to help users manage their iOS file systems efficiently and the way that you should be able to manage it. It gives you the same kind of access that you get on a Windows system and, Apple even gives you these features on your Mac but, strangely, they don’t provide it on the iOS devices. Some of the best features that you will find include:

  • Being able to see every type of file on your device
  • Being able to copy, delete, move and rename your files
  • Being able to download all file types to your device, including Debian files
  • The ability to compress and decompress some file formats such as RAR and ZIP
  • Use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to transfer files, including the IPA packages to another device with Fila installed
  • MP3 Player built-in
  • Download Debian packages and other files you could not normally get
  • Delete apps installed using the IPA manager and any preinstalled apps
  • Multiple languages supported
  • Very easy to use
  • Easily manage all your file types
  • Secure and reliable
  • No jailbreak needed
  • Supports multi-touch gestures
  • Works on all iOS devices from iOS 8 upwards
  • Free
  • Loads more cool and useful features

How to Install iFile: 

iFile is an easy app to install, but it isn’t an official app. What that means is, it doesn’t have the support it needs from Apple to be featured in the official app store. That’s not a problem, though, because there are three different ways that you can install it. One of them is for those with a jailbreak, and the other two are non-jailbreak methods:

Method 1: IPA File Download – Non-jailbreak

For this, have your Apple ID at hand. You are going to use your computer:

  1. Download Cydia Impactor tool onto your computer and save it to your desktop
  2. Download the IPA file for iFile onto your device, extract the file and save to your desktop
  3. Plug in your iOS device and open Cydia Impactor
  4. When it has picked up your device, drag the IPA file into the window
  5. Type in your Apple ID and tap OK on the Expired Certificates warning message if it pops up
  6. Now wait; Cydia Impactor may take a few minutes to sign and install iFile onto your device
  7. When the icon is on your home screen, iFile is installed, and you can use it to manage your iOS file system

Method 2: Using Cydia or Sileo – Jailbreak

You can download iFile via Cydia or its latest counterpart, Sileo but it will not work on the jailbreaks like rootlessJB that don’t have a package manager. If you already have a jailbreak that has Cydia or Sileo included, this method will work for you:

  1. Open Cydia or Sileo
  2. Tap on Sources > Edit > Add
  3. OS We need to add a new repository so type in this URL – http://tigisoftware.com/cydia/, and tap on Add Source
  4. Wait until the new repository has been added and restart Cydia or Sileo
  5. Now tap the Search bar and type in iFile
  6. Tap the right result and tap on Install
  7. iFile will be installed on your device

Method 3: TopStore Installer – Non-Jailbreak

TopStore is an alternative to Cydia and to the app store, offering thousands of paid apps for free, modified apps, games and Cydia tweaks too. It is an unofficial app installer, but it is one of the most comprehensive of all those released and is now the most popular way of installing apps like iFile:

  1. Download TopStore onto your iPhone or iPad
  2. Open it using the icon on your home page
  3. Search for iFile and tap the relevant result
  4. When the app page opens, tap on Install
  5. Wait, it will take a few minutes to install on your device

For those that don’t have a jailbreak, the method you choose will depend on what you want. If you only want iFile on your iPhone or iPad, choose the Cydia Impactor method but if you want more, if you want a fantastic choice of other apps and games, go for the TopStore method.

Fix the Untrusted Developer Error:

When you try using TopStore or iFile for the first time, an untrusted developer error will get in the way. This is just Apple’s way of telling you they don’t know the developer and so they won’t let you use the app. This is easy enough to get around, and you just have to trust the developer:

  1. When you see the error message, make a note of the name of the developer in it
  2. Launch your iOS settings app
  3. Go to the General section and then Profiles and Device Management
  4. Tap the developer name from the message and then tap the Trust button
  5. Close settings, the app is yours to use freely

As a file manager, you won’t get any better than iFile. It provides every feature you could possibly want for managing your file system in a way that Apple should allow but doesn’t. And, while you will find a few file manager apps in the app store, none of them will give you any more features than Apple does already – which isn’t a great deal.  iFile is easy to use and cannot be rivaled in any way so manage your file system the way it should be managed – download iFile today.