Missing files in iPad's Files App

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?????

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

Lotuspilot advice worked for me. Files folder disappeared completely, files within locatable but unopenable. So …. to repeat ….. delete (offload) Pages app. Restart device. Reinstall pages. Folder reappeared like magic! Good luck

After losing edited PDFs in the native Files app, I started using the app Documents and then either keeping the files in Documents or off loading them to Dropbox. I've had no problems since and the Documents app gives you more editing and markup options than the native Files app.

Unfortunately this has been a problem for a long time with no resolution. My solution was to use the app called Documents. I haven’t had a problem since I started using it.

It’s really quite amazing that Apple can’t fix this issue.

I stopped using the Files app to markup PDFs a long time ago because of this issue. I now use the app called Documents. I haven’t lost a PDF since.

Has anyone tried to use the Notes app to annotate PDFs? I just noticed that you can annotate a PDF and then if you want, either keep the PDF in Notes or export it.

Hey everyone! I spent hours with Apple Support and this is what worked for me:

1. Download everything that you still have that isn’t deleted to another computer or upload it to google drive
2. Go to settings and erase all data (trust in this) - make sure you download anything important beforehand
3. When the iPad turns back on, sign into iCloud and it should give you the option to restore a backup of your iPad, something that can only be done after erasing all current data.
4. it should give an option to restore back to a date when you had all the data.
5. choose that option and wait until ALL the iCloud data is finished downloading to check.

Yes, I know it sounds counterintuitive but it was the only way to get my data back that was deleted. It restored me back to a backup where all my files were there.

hope this works for y’all!

I spent hours with Apple Support and this is what worked for me:

1. Download everything that you still have that isn’t deleted to another computer or upload it to google drive
2. Go to settings and erase all data (trust in this) - make sure you download anything important beforehand
3. When the iPad turns back on, sign into iCloud and it should give you the option to restore a backup of your iPad, something that can only be done after erasing all current data.
4. it should give an option to restore back to a date when you had all the data.
5. choose that option and wait until ALL the iCloud data is finished downloading to check.

Yes, I know it sounds counterintuitive but it was the only way to get my data back that was deleted. It restored me back to a backup where all my files were there.

hope this works for you!

This has also happened to me! After speaking to Apple and doing a force restart, they’ve just completely disappeared!

Hi, may I ask if you were able to find a solution to this problem. I lost 2 pdf files yesterday and I was hoping to get some solution. Thanks for letting me know.

I missed all my files of word, which saved in files as folders, this is happened when in deleted word app and install it again, this is shouldn’t happen because all these documents already saved in my files under names

how I can get it back

Yeah it happened to me today I lost my files

Still happening! I’ve lost at least 5 ebooks for school that I’ve purchased and downloaded into ‘Files’ over the last couple of months and they are now all gone. Apple owes me about $150.00.

My ipad was updated with ios 17.1, recently whole my notes were missing without any interfering from me, some of them are visible on recents as pdf files but I can't open them or share them, it states that they are don't exist when I'm trying to share them, please help me to recover them as they are very much important for me