Missing files in iPad's Files App

This is exactly my problem. I can't remember when it started but for a while I have to think of my Ipad like a leaky bucket. I can't trust storing anything on my ipad and must back everything on my Google drive. This is a major oversight for such a high quality product. It's like having a car that runs perfectly in everyway but the breaks randomly stop working.

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 happened to me this afternoon. All the files I had saved and homeworks I had completed over the course of a class got moved to the "recents" folder and are no longer saved in the file pathway I had set up for them. I had opened and worked on all of these documents yesterday. Some of these documents include lecture notes about my final project setting up a model and this is happening three days before I have an exam. To say this is frustrating is an understatement, especially since many others seem to have this issue with no resolution. A huge disappointment that will result in massive time consumption for me to fix.

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.

How is this even possible?????? I lost PDF files I annotated since January! The files are not in my iPad or iCloud, or deleted files, the files are just lost among with hours of work. All files deleted are from 2024 and it seems those were deleted as part of a recent update sent by Apple. What is the solution so I can recover my work?????

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

I've contacted them and they had no idea on how to recover.

Did they use iCloud?

If yes, it doesn't work for me, because I disabled the iCloud backup feature a long time ago, so there's nothing in my iCloud. :(

cant believe they havent fixed it yet, my files are gone too all of a sudden, yet my exam is thursday. WEIRDLY THO.. the file name remained but contained content from my other file i was working on simultanoeusly. i tried to look for a revert option but its not there, even my mac book says no older versions of the doc. how dissapointing

Files intermittently go missing and as I don’t pay for iCloud it means I need to start all over again. For Apple to accept that their iOS will be allowed to do this is absolutely appalling. Even Microsoft would not accept this! Completely blows my confidence using Apple devices. Currently on version 17

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. :/

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.

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?

All my files that I had used my Apple Pencil on has vanished overnight. T_T After seeing these comments I have no more hopes left. I searched everywhere, even on my iCloud, but 3 months worth of notes are gone forever! I feel devastated. Why has apple not sorted this out yet? Does this happen in the books app as well? I am scared now, since I have notes in there too.