In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to rename a PDF, Word doc, photo, video, or any other file or document on your iPhone and iPad.
In the Files app
This is arguably the best option to rename any type of file on your iPhone. As long as you can store it in the Files app, you can rename it directly from there. But of course, for this to work, you will first have to move the file to the Files app. Once the file is in the Files app, you can follow these simple steps.
- Tap & hold over a file or folder and pick Rename from the menu.
- Type the new name and hit done on your keyboard.
Quick tip: When in Icons view, tap the current file name to start editing it instantly.
In Google Drive
- Find the file or folder you want to rename inside the Google Drive app.
- Tap the three dots icon next to it and pick Rename.
- Enter the new name and tap Rename.
Tip: You can show Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or other such storage solutions inside the Apple Files app. And from there, rename them like you normally do in the Files app.
In Dropbox
- Go to the Files section of the Dropbox app.
- Find the media or document and tap the three dots icon next to it.
- Pick Rename from the menu.
- Type the new name and tap Rename from the top right or hit done on the iOS keyboard.
In OneDrive
- Find the file you want to rename inside the Microsoft OneDrive app.
- Tap the three dots icon next to a file or folder and pick Rename This File/Folder.
- Enter the new name and tap Done.
In the Documents app
Documents is a popular media file manager app for iPhone and iPad. Here’s how to rename files inside this app:
- Find the file inside the app and tap its three dots button below the current file name and choose Rename. You can also hit the More icon from the top right > Select > pick the file and tap Rename.
- Change the file name and hit Done.
In the Music app
You can’t rename a song, album, or artist inside the Music app on iPhone or iPad. However, you can change the name of the playlist you created (image below). Besides that, you can rename your local songs on your Mac or PC and sync them to your iPhone or iPad, which will reflect the new name.
In the Photos app
The Photos app on iPhone or iPad doesn’t offer a built-in way to change the name of pictures and videos. To do that, you will have to use your computer or move the picture to the iPhone Files app, Documents, or other apps that support renaming. After setting the desired name, you can save the image back to the Photos app.
However, if your only motive to rename pictures and videos inside the iPhone Photos app is to find them quickly by name, then a hidden feature has you covered:
- Open the image or video inside the Photos app.
- Swipe up or tap the info ⓘ icon.
- You’ll see the Add a Caption text field. Enter the name you want to give to this media file and tap Done.
- From now, whenever you search for that name inside the iPhone Photos app, it will show you that picture or video.
Please note that your iPhone may take a few minutes to index this new information, due to which the file may not be immediately searchable with that new caption you just added.
In the Mail app
You can rename an attachment you received in the email when you’re saving it to the Files app. Here’s how:
- Tap & hold a file inside an email and pick Save to Files. You can also open an attachment and hit the share icon > Save to Files.
- From the bottom of the screen, change the name of the file and hit Save.
In iWork apps (Numbers, Keynote, Pages)
When you open Numbers, Keynote, and Pages, you’ll see the Browse section, which is basically an extension of the Files app. To rename a spreadsheet, presentation, or document, just tap & hold a file and pick Rename.
In Google Docs
- Open the Docs app, and you should see your files here.
- Tap the three dots icon and choose Rename.
- Enter the new name and hit Rename.
In the Books app
You can’t rename a book downloaded from the Book Store. However, if you have added PDFs to the Books app, you can easily rename them:
- Open the Books app and tap Library.
- Tap the three dots icon below a PDF and choose Rename.
- Type the new name and touch Rename.
In Canva
Editing Canva projects on iPhone is very simple:
- Simply open the app and tap the three dots icon for a project visible in the Home or Projects tab.
- Tap the pencil icon and add the new name.
- Tap Done to save the changes.
In other apps
Finally, if you have to rename the files inside any other iOS app, the process should be similar. Just look for the icon to open the menu and from there, pick the option to change the name.
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