Illustrative preview. Screens vary by platform. Tags save automatically when added or removed.
A private collection should still be easy to use. Search, folders, individual tags and favourites help you find what you saved, while staying inside the one vault you have unlocked. Other vaults do not become searchable just because this one is open.
Browse large vaults in pages
On iOS and Android, Files loads up to 60 items per page. Use Previous and Next below the files. Only the current page’s thumbnails are decrypted for browsing. Search, tags and favourites include matching files beyond the current page. Filtering, tag discovery, folder covers and preparing a preview sequence may scan more encrypted metadata on this device. Private-preview swipes cross page boundaries within the current folder and filters. Locking clears the browsing session.
Search after unlocking
On iOS and Android, tap the floating search button to open a bottom sheet for filenames and tags. Close it to browse the filtered collection, or use Clear filters to reset it. Search uses only the unlocked vault’s decrypted information; it does not search document contents or other vaults.
Folders and individual tags
On iOS and Android, press Enter or Return to create and save a tag immediately. Removing a tag saves automatically too. The tag editor stays open and the keyboard remains visible for the next tag, with no separate Save action. Tags can describe a file in several ways without changing its contents or creating another copy.
Favourites in the header
On iOS and Android, tap the star in the Files header to show favourites. A filled blue star means the filter is active; tap again to restore the other files without resetting search, tags, category or layout. Filtering stays inside the current folder. Tablet sidebars keep a shortcut to all favourites in the unlocked vault. Folder membership, tags and favourite status are left out of shared snapshot metadata.
How it works
Unlock the vault you want to search or organize.
Use the search action to enter a name or choose a tag or category.
Create folders from the plus action and mark frequently used files as favourites.
Browse large vaults in pages
On iOS and Android, Files loads up to 60 items per page. Use Previous and Next below the files. Only the current page’s thumbnails are decrypted for browsing. Search, tags and favourites include matching files beyond the current page. Filtering, tag discovery, folder covers and preparing a preview sequence may scan more encrypted metadata on this device. Private-preview swipes cross page boundaries within the current folder and filters. Locking clears the browsing session.
Build an organization system you can maintain
On iOS and Android, press Enter or Return to create and save a tag immediately. Removing a tag saves automatically too. The tag editor stays open and the keyboard remains visible for the next tag, with no separate Save action.
Use folders for a primary location, tags for overlapping subjects and favourites for items you open often. A lease can live in a Home folder and carry both Housing and Insurance tags without duplicating the document. Adding a favourite changes how you find an item, not which vault owns it or who can unlock it.
On iOS and Android, tap the star in the Files header to show favourites. A filled blue star means the filter is active; tap again to restore the other files without resetting search, tags, category or layout. Filtering stays inside the current folder. Tablet sidebars keep a shortcut to all favourites in the unlocked vault.
On iOS and Android, tap the floating search button to open a bottom sheet for filenames and tags. Close it to browse the filtered collection, or use Clear filters to reset it. Search uses only the unlocked vault’s decrypted information; it does not search document contents or other vaults.
Name files for retrieval without promising content search
Search works with names, tags and categories after the vault is unlocked. It does not recognize text inside scanned pages, transcribe a video or search every vault on the phone. Rename a document to a useful title or add a consistent tag when importing it. If automatic import naming is enabled for privacy, tags become especially helpful for finding randomly named files later.
Example: find a record while keeping the rest of the collection closed
Keep travel documents in their own vault and tag booking confirmations with the same trip label. Unlock that vault, open the search action and choose the tag, then use Favourites for the documents needed repeatedly. In list view, filenames, types, sizes and dates help distinguish similar copies; the grid emphasizes media previews. Locking clears the visible search session.
Practical checklist
On iOS and Android, press Enter or Return to create and save a tag immediately. Removing a tag saves automatically too. The tag editor stays open and the keyboard remains visible for the next tag, with no separate Save action.
Use short, consistent tags instead of adding every possible keyword to every item.
Remember that folders, tags and favourite flags are omitted from shared snapshots.
Frequently asked questions
Can I search inside a PDF or photograph?
The current vault search uses file information such as names and tags, not OCR or full document contents. Give important scans a meaningful filename or tag so you can locate them without depending on recognized text.
Do tags or favourites reveal another vault?
Search and organization belong to the vault currently unlocked. Another vault’s files and names do not join those results. When the session locks, decrypted file information and the active search state are cleared.
Do recipients inherit my folders or tags?
Shared snapshots omit source folder membership, tags and favourite status. Filenames and file contents are still available after the recipient decrypts the share, so rename or prepare the selected copy if its visible name reveals more than intended.
