How to Find Files on an iPad

By Warren Davies

You can also search Wikipedia and the Web using Spotlight.
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The iPad comes with a Spotlight feature that enables you to search all files and apps on your iPad. Spotlight can find contacts, apps, songs, artists, albums, podcasts, videos, pictures, audiobooks, notes, calendar events, mail, reminders and text messages. If you have a large amount of content on your iPad, you might find it easier to find the files you need with Spotlight rather than by browsing manually.

Step 1

Go to the iPad's first home screen and then swipe from the left edge of the screen to the right. Alternatively, you can press the “Home” button from any of the home screens. This brings up Spotlight.

Step 2

Enter the name of the file that you want to locate in the text box. You can search for apps, songs, artists or files from here. The results of your search will automatically appear in the results list as you type, but if you tap "Search" you will dismiss the keyboard so that more results appear on your screen.

Step 3

Scan through the results until you find the file that you are looking for, and then tap it to open it with its associated app. If you tap a song it will start playing, while tapping pictures displays them on the screen.

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