IPad favorites in Files App Disappear and Reappear

cybercrs, thanks for your response here. It happens for me on 3 iPads and my iPhone X. One device has “download full” for the photo library, and the others have “optimize” selected. I haven’t notice it happen more frequently on one set over the other.

Apple and I have been talking regularly about the issue, and they continue to gather logs and have me try various things. So far, it continues to happen. I’d invite all who have this problem to contact Apple and report the issue so that they can log the issue on multiple systems and, hopefully, find the cause with additional data.

I had another anomaly I’ve noticed in File that could be another manifestation of the same problem. As iCloud works to sync a few files, sometimes (not usually), the progress bar will progress a bit, flash near the end and restart over and over again. This can happen over the course of hours — I don’t sit there and watch, but it appears to be working on the same files as I check later.

My internet is generally reliable, and my bandwidth is more than sufficient (250Mbps down, 25Mbps up) for the small files it is trying to sync.

I, also have plenty of SSD space available on each of the iPads.

I’ve wondered, also, if it could be related to the system losing the key to decrypt the hierarchy and then finding it. I’ve wondered, also, if it might be a privileges problem. Another recent thought was that there might be a hidden file somewhere in the file system that is corrupted and causes problems.

I don’t, however, have Advanced Data Protection turned on. Apple can still view my iCloud files if they would choose to. I hope to use ADP but have one system that’s too old to support it, and this problem of disappearing favorites has given me some pause beyond that.

I’ve noticed another iCloud problem for some time. My Mac Mini 2014 keeps a full copy of my iCloud, creates Time Machine backups, and backs up to Backblaze. Sometimes, when I’m working on a file on the iPad Pro 12.9, it will indicate that there are two versions — one on the Mac Mini and one on the iPad Pro 12.9. No one has updated the Mac Mini version, it should just be the most recently downloaded one. The iPad then wants me to choose one of the versions. I choose the iPad version, and all seems fine. Somehow, it seems iCloud loses track of what system is making changes.

Before I had two iPad Pro 12.9s (work and home), I even had iCloud tell me there were two different versions on the same machine and wanted me to choose one. That was particularly odd. I don’t know if it was confused by iCloud not having synced the latest version or something else.

Finally, I notice at times that the Files app reports that iCloud syncing is paused while the system is on external power with a good internet connection (Safari works fine). Sometimes, this seems to coincide with the favorites disappearing.

Hi, _a_sharp_minor_. Thanks for joining the discussion!

I do have quite a number of files; though, Apple’s offering of up to 2TB (even 4TB with dual subscription), should be able to accommodate a large number of files. I’m not even using half of the 2TB at the moment. I did cut the number of files significantly some time ago by zipping up an archive of many very small files.

The files don’t actually disappear. Only their reference in the favorites list in the sidebar of the Files App disappear and reappear. Apple doesn’t directly expose access to the maintenance of this list, so I don’t know how it’s stored or whether it requires multiple keys or just one. The files remain accessible but much harder to find through large hierarchies. The files do not go to the deleted files folder.

I do have multiple full backups of what is in my iCloud files. There’s no need to restore the files, though, as the files remain. Again it’s the references to the files that disappear.

To get around the problem, I did explore the possibility of setting up a folder of aliases. I could, then, open that folder to reference into the various folders I reference often. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear the iPad supports following aliases as the Mac does.

Thanks for your ideas. I invite you to note any related challenges you might have faced.

Thank you, Jeff, for sharing your experience! I hadn’t tried this but just did while all my favorites and the favorite section was missing. For me it only restored the item I tagged. The others remain missing. This is, also, what I experience with the shortcut posted above.

I’m continuing to talk to Apple, and they’re collecting information; though, so far each collection has been missing items engineering desires or corrupted. I’ve been passed among several senior advisors. If we conclude anything, I’ll post an update here (if the thread is still open).

I haven’t added anything in a while but thought I’d give an update. My case has been in engineering for several weeks, and I’m continuing to wait for a response. I’d continue to invite you to flag the problem to Apple. When my case was researched, they claimed it was the only one referring to this problem.

Thanks all, for your continued posts. I’m the original poster. I haven’t heard back from Apple and, the last time I checked, the person assigned to my case couldn’t provide any updates. He has to wait until Engineering sends anything to him. It seems lost in the black hole in the Apple.

I had gone several weeks without it happening but just noticed all my favorites are gone yet again. I’m on the latest release. The only thing of seeming consequence I did recently was to reset all settings on this iPad. This was due to another bug I’m experiencing frequently but likely unrelated to disappearing favorites. I use an external monitor, keyboard, and trackpad. Often, the keyboard won’t type in a text field I’ve selected. It seems to be a window selection issue. In some cases, I’ll select Safari after using Pages, and Pages will retake focus without my action. I can click back on Safari multiple times as I fight with Pages for control. This is only one of many examples between apps; sometimes Safari takes focus from Pages in a similar fashion. It happens almost every day. Unfortunately, resetting all settings did not clear the issue.

I continue to invite anyone with the disappearing favorites problem to call Apple. Perhaps with enough people calling, it will get priority.

The problem did return this morning. Any news on your account escalation, vomako?