Missing files in iPad's Files App

SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME!

Lost my exam notes and I’m about to take the exam.

I edited a PDF of the notes with an Apple Pencil.

The file is no longer in its location.

The files icon shows on Recents, but it can’t be accessed.

Why?! For the love of all that is good!

Very frustrated and upset about this, Apple.

VERY UPSET.

I might as well dump Apple all together if this is how they operate.

It seems there is a severe bug in iPadOS 17 with the Files app and PDF files with image layers (the stuff written with an Apple Pencil is added as an image layer to a PDF). I've started to use the Documents app https://apps.apple.com/us/app/documents-file-manager-vpn/id364901807.

It's pretty easy to backup/copy the annotated PDFs to Google Drive, Dropbox, Box or OneDrive.

Data loss is completely unacceptable. The same thing happened to me. I lost about 5 PDF files that were annotated using an Apple Pencil.

This happened to me today. After sharing a PDF file (locally stored on iPad 9th gen) that I handwrote in, the file is no longer existent where I saved it and it is not in the recently deleted either. I dont understand how a file can just cease to exist like that. one of the many reasons my next set of mobile tech will not be from apple

Yo i’m just happy I found this thread jk. I was straight up gaslighting myself thinking i didn’t transfer those files. BUT THEY LITERALLY JUST DISAPPEARED

After waiting 3 days for them to call me back, I had others tests to do over the phone, they are going to call me back again on monday. It's never ending. Now the files aren't visibles anymore. I think they are forever lost.

My docs and all of my work from yesterday just vanished right in front of me. no explanation. Disappeared! no recents, nothing. i just bought this pos yesterday. How is there no fix for this if it's been going on for months? how do i know it won't happen again? This is unbelievable.

My files are being missing from past few weeks. I don’t understand why is it the APPLE is breaching our privacy or they can’t make just make a decent file storage APP.

I specifically observed in the PDF files which i was doodling on them are getting missed.

can’t give us a simple FILE storage APPLICATION?

the exact thing happed to me. it was a 1gb file that I needed to study for school. I even tried to connect it to my Mac and use a 3rd party to find it in the root files but I still cannot find it. it seems like iOS has requested it into the system data and cannot release it no matter what I do.

It happened with me too. Initially I thought that there must be storage issue so I purchased iCloud. But the problem still persists. I have lost some really important files on which I had put hours to highlight and annotate with notes. I have an exam coming and now I have no idea what to do. The apple support says that this is the first time they have heard this type of issue and is blaming me that I must have deleted those files. This is pathetic and disheartening. Someone please suggest a solution to recover those files

Hi, I’m writing this on the 28/06/2024 and I’m only just having this issue. Super frustrating, two weeks worth of university work gone, glad to know apple hasn’t done a single thing to fix this bug. :/

I wish that I saw this post way earlier. I lost all my clients’ pdf with their signatures and details. I’m so upset with Apple and how could they not able to resolve this issue for such a long period of time? I’m so disappointed with Apple.

This is utterly frustrating. I was trying to migrate some of my PDF annotation work from the desktop to the iPad just so it’s faster to do write ups. Now I am experiencing the same issue; The files are visible as thumbnails in recents but the files were nowhere to locate. This is a serious loss of time especially that a lot is relying on the iPad for efficiently doing tasks be it personal or mission critical. I have to redo the drawings on each PDF file I annotated.

How hopeless this is that we can only discuss about it and never get an actual resolution.

concern regarding a critical issue I recently encountered on my Apple device. Without any prior warning or indication, several important files have suddenly disappeared from their respective folders. Despite thorough searches, including checking the Recent Delete folder, I have been unable to locate these missing files.

This unexpected deletion has caused significant inconvenience and potential data loss, which is highly troubling. I rely heavily on the integrity and reliability of Apple’s systems for my personal and professional work, and such an incident undermines my confidence in the platform.