I share this irritation–both with the absence of such a basic file-management function and that thoughtlessness that went into the decision to exclude it. I find myself using the DropBox app to save files because even it allows you to rename a file.
It’s as if nobody at Apple actually uses the Files.app.
I contrast this with the command line utilities available on Unix, Linux, and (of course) macOS. Some of these have been in existence for decades and it’s amazing how much thought went into how the user (whether it be a human or another command in the pipeline) would use the command. There is a reason those commands are still in regular use today. They were more thoughtfully engineered.
My hope is that Files is transformed substantially in iOS 13. Here is my wishlist:
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It should have all the basic file management capabilities of Finder or any other desktop file browser and those capabilities should work flawlessly.
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Since iPad envisions a cloud first file-management strategy, it should have a robust search tool that searches across all cloud storage locations.
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It should have multi-window (tabs and split view) capability for easy file management.
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It should be heavily integrated with Siri Shortcuts to allow the kinds of automation we are used to with tools like Hazel.
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Tags and favorites should be fully supported (and sync) across cloud platforms (Hey, Apple, don’t introduce half-implemented features).
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The ability to follow symlinks (so long as they are to files/folders that are accessible to Files).
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Persistent file tabs (remain open even if app is closed).
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Access to external file storage.
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Bonus: expand tags to emails and notes and include them in searches (either in the Files app or through Siri Search).