Files app crashes immediately on iPad Pro and iPad Mini

I have an iPad Pro that’s about 6 years old and an iPad Mini that’s 1 year old. They both have the latest iOS and all the apps are up to date. Every time I open the Files app, it crashes immediately. I’ve tried re-starting the iPads, deleting and reloading the Files app, even temporarily disabling the synching of the iCloud Drive. I can open the Files app once and everything looks OK, but if I close it and try again, it crashes every time. I have Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox. The Files app works perfectly on my iPhone, or at least it doesn’t crash every time I open it! I don’t use the Files app very often, so not sure when this problem started. Any suggestions for fixing it?

iPad mini, iPadOS 26

Posted on Jul 30, 2026 4:26 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 30, 2026 5:15 AM

Suzie118 wrote:
The newer iPad Mini is now working, but not the iPad Pro - I tried signing out of my iCloud account and signing in again, but it’s still not happy. Good suggestions, though, I’ll keep trying. 😊

Tray this:


A) The Files app often crashes upon opening if it tries to load the preview of a corrupted file or an interrupted download in the Recents tab.

• If you can open the app, immediately tap a different folder (such as "On My iPad" or "iCloud Drive") before the recent files load.

• Check from another device or via browser (on iCloud.com) to ensure there are no files stuck syncing or excessively large files overwhelming the iPadOS file manager.


B) If removing and reinstalling the Files app didn't work, clearing the cache via a network settings reset can help.

• Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Reset.

• Select Reset Network Settings (this will not erase your personal data, but it clears connections and certain system caches).

8 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 30, 2026 5:15 AM in response to Suzie118

Suzie118 wrote:
The newer iPad Mini is now working, but not the iPad Pro - I tried signing out of my iCloud account and signing in again, but it’s still not happy. Good suggestions, though, I’ll keep trying. 😊

Tray this:


A) The Files app often crashes upon opening if it tries to load the preview of a corrupted file or an interrupted download in the Recents tab.

• If you can open the app, immediately tap a different folder (such as "On My iPad" or "iCloud Drive") before the recent files load.

• Check from another device or via browser (on iCloud.com) to ensure there are no files stuck syncing or excessively large files overwhelming the iPadOS file manager.


B) If removing and reinstalling the Files app didn't work, clearing the cache via a network settings reset can help.

• Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Reset.

• Select Reset Network Settings (this will not erase your personal data, but it clears connections and certain system caches).

Jul 30, 2026 4:33 AM in response to Suzie118

Since the issue occurs on both of your iPads (but not on your iPhone) and happens systematically after the first opening, it is very likely related to a corrupted iCloud sync, a specific file that the app tries to preload in the "Recents" section, or a conflict with third-party cloud service extensions (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox). Tray this:


1) app extensions like Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox often conflict with the iPadOS database, causing crashes when opening the app. Take advantage of the single successful opening of the Files app before it crashes.

• Tap the three-dot icon at the top of the sidebar or scroll to the bottom of the sidebar and select Edit.

• Temporarily toggle off the switches for Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox.

• Completely close the Files app (by swiping up from the recent apps screen) and try reopening it to see if the crash disappears.


2) Since both iPads share the same account and exhibit the exact same behavior, there might be a synchronization error with the system data associated with your iCloud account.

• Go to Settings > [Your Name / Profile] > Sign Out (at the bottom of the page).

• Restart the iPad.

• Sign back in with your Apple ID and wait for the initial sync to complete in the background.

Files app crashes immediately on iPad Pro and iPad Mini

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