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No apps in File Sharing

I recently got an iPad Air, 3rd generation. I am running iTunes on Windows 10. I connected the iPad to the PC and backed it up with no issues. I am trying to transfer some pictures, videos, etc from my PC to the iPad, going to File Sharing. There are no apps there, nothing. What can I do and why is there no apps at all for this?

Posted on Oct 21, 2020 2:29 PM

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Posted on Oct 21, 2020 3:06 PM

iPad doesn’t expose its sandboxed/encrypted filesystem in the same way as a PC.


To transfer files between iPad and PC, you use the PC iTunes Application; iTunes manages the transfer process. To reiterate the link already provided by sberman:

Transfer files between iPad and your computer - Apple Support


An additional way of getting data to and from the iPad is to use iCloud for Windows - which you can download and install on your PC. For Widows 10, you’ll find iCloud for Windows in the Microsoft App Store; for Windows 7, it can be downloaded from Apple.

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Oct 21, 2020 3:06 PM in response to sharkbaitgg

iPad doesn’t expose its sandboxed/encrypted filesystem in the same way as a PC.


To transfer files between iPad and PC, you use the PC iTunes Application; iTunes manages the transfer process. To reiterate the link already provided by sberman:

Transfer files between iPad and your computer - Apple Support


An additional way of getting data to and from the iPad is to use iCloud for Windows - which you can download and install on your PC. For Widows 10, you’ll find iCloud for Windows in the Microsoft App Store; for Windows 7, it can be downloaded from Apple.

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Oct 21, 2020 3:48 PM in response to sharkbaitgg

sharkbaitgg wrote:

No, the reference you showed clearly says this - ....."Click File Sharing, select an app in the list, then do one of the following:"

Yes it does ... in step 3.

The second paragraph of the above article mentions a requirement of “apps that support file sharing.” Are you using such an app?


Have you considered LotusPilot’s recommendation of iCloud for Windows?

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Oct 21, 2020 4:15 PM in response to sberman

You just said in your last reply, "As the reference shows, no apps on the iPad are required." That's not true, as you now know. In step three you have to select an app from the list, and that list from from the iPad, not iTunes. My issue is there are NO apps on the list, so there are no apps on the iPad for File Sharing.


As for the "second paragraph of the above article mentions a requirement of apps that support file sharing, I have a new iPad Air 3rd generation, so why wouldn't Apple have those appropriate apps already on the iPad to do file sharing if that's their solution? I haven't used iCloud because I only want to add a fraction of the photos I have onto the iPad.

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Oct 21, 2020 5:09 PM in response to sharkbaitgg

I figured out the answer, for both photos and files.


For pictures, the iPad is defaulted to use iCloud. Disabling that in settings on the iPad lets you select "Photos" in iTunes and you are able to Sync Photos, selecting any or all folders in Pictures on the PC.


As for transferring files using File Sharing, the issue is all the apps that Apple used to install on previous versions of iPad for File Sharing.........Keynote, Numbers and Pages, are no longer installed. They still show up as icons on the master screen as if they were installed and ready to go, but they (and a few others) now have a little cloud in the bottom left of the icon. If you click on the icon, it will tell you the app is not installed and directs you to the App Store, where you can when install it. These Apps are now listed in iTunes when you click on File Sharing.


As always, the old school way of adding individual or a few files or pics to your iPhone or iPad is still to simply email them to yourself and save the attachment(s).

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No apps in File Sharing

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