Files App or Browser blank or missing files

Troubleshooting Issue

Troubleshooting issue: Files App or Files Browser blank or missing folders/files

With the release of iOS 11, Apple introduced a new way to access documents and files on your iPhone or iPad - the Files App. In addition to this, Apple made available the same File Browser interface for use within apps.

This new Files Browser interface makes it easier for users to view and manage their files, share them between apps, and use a number of cloud storage solutions such as Dropbox across their devices. It also makes the task of supporting many different cloud platforms easier for developers, as they can do so using a shared interface instead of needing to write custom code to support each one.

Unfortunately, as can be case with new technologies, a small number of users have reported some technical issues when trying to use this new interface. Some typical examples of this may be:

The Files Browser appearing blank
Specific folders missing from the Files Browser, or appearing empty in the Files Browser when they previously had content
Issues where particular storage services (such as Dropbox) are not visible or functioning correctly, especially after installing an update from that provider

Most often, users have reported that an issue with the Files Browser inside Aeon Timeline is also replicated in the Files App itself, indicating that a global issue is to blame.

Suggested Solution

Suggested solution: Physically turn the iOS device off, and then back on again

Although it is a cliche, our experience of this issue, both through our own testing and in providing support to our customers, is that physically powering off the device, and then turning it back on, will resolve the vast majority of these issues.

It appears that the Files Browser/App or the underlying file system sometimes gets into a muddled internal state, and it takes this full hardware power cycle to reset the system. Simply quitting the affected applications (Aeon Timeline and the Files app) does not appear to be enough.

If at any point you are experiencing issues specifically with the Files app itself, or the Files Browser inside Aeon Timeline, we would recommend this as the first step to resolving the issue.

Alternative Steps

If turning the iPad off and on again does not resolve the issue, you can try the following steps:

Confirm whether the issue affects both the Files App and the Files Browser inside Aeon Timeline, or if only Aeon Timeline is affected. If both are affected equally, that suggests the problem is more likely to be related to a system-wide file system issue rather than a direct issue with Aeon Timeline.

Make sure the folder you want to view is enabled in the Files App by tapping Edit at the top of the left-hand list. Only folders with their switches on will be visible, so it is possible you may have inadvertently hidden a folder

Make sure the file actually exists. If you are using a cloud service like iCloud or Dropbox, check to see if the file is visible on a Desktop or in their online interface

Try deleting Aeon Timeline, restarting your iPad, and then reinstalling Aeon Timeline from the AppStore. Note that files stored "On my iPad" or "On my iPhone" will be deleted, so only use this step if you are storing files on iCloud or Dropbox, or if you are not concerned with losing the locally stored files.

If you are still experiencing issues, contact our support using the link at the top of the page. Make sure you include full details of the issue, including your iOS version and the device you are using