Learn how to add folders to your iPad Dock so you can quickly access your favorite files and documents and use them in apps via drag-and-drop.
iPad running iPadOS 26 and iPadOS 27 allow you to add folder shortcuts to the Dock, making it behave more like its Mac counterpart. Clicking a folder in the Dock displays icons of the files within.
Dock folders provide lightning-fast access to your most essential files. Plus, you can use drag-and-drop to import an item from your Dock, like an image, into your Pages document or another app.
Add a file folder to iPad Dock
- Open the Files app on your iPad running the latest version of iPadOS.
- Show the sidebar if it’s hidden and select the On My iPad or iCloud Drive section under the Locations heading.
- Touch and hold the folder, then drag it slightly to dislodge it from its position, but don’t lift your finger yet. Using another finger, make a short swipe-up gesture from the bottom edge of the screen to bring up the Dock.
- Drag the folder you’ve been holding all this time, then drop it on the rightmost section of the Dock. Repeat these steps to add more folders to the Dock, if needed.
You cannot add folders to the left of the Dock’s vertical divider where your recent apps appear. Instead, Dock folders are always positioned next to the App Library icon. Additionally, you must use Apple’s Files app; adding Dock folders from third-party file managers, such as Readdle’s Documents, is currently unsupported.
Viewing files in a Dock folder
Tap a folder icon in the Dock to reveal a Mac-like menu listing the files and subfolders inside your Dock folder.
Tapping a file or folder will open it in the Files app, except for images and PDFs, which open in the Preview app. To use a file in an app, simply drag it from its Dock folder and drop it where you want.
Customize Dock folder views
Another aspect where the iPad’s Dock behaves similarly to its Mac counterpart is customization. To switch between different views and sorting options, touch and hold a Dock folder and choose desired options in the “Sort by” and “View Content As” sections. For example, I always sort my files by Date Modified and prefer browsing them in Grid layout.
Remove a folder from the Dock
If you no longer need a folder in your Dock, touch and hold its icon and choose Options > Remove from Dock. Or, enter jiggle mode and tap the minus button.
The ability to put folders in the Dock is a great step in the right direction toward bringing iPadOS one step closer to macOS. One feature I’d love to see added in the future is Mac-like virtual desktop spaces, which would enable me to keep apps and windows organized in separate spaces.
What do you think of folders in the iPad Dock?
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