Import from Files

From Files brings any file into your vault, kept exactly as it is: PDFs, Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, images, videos, anything. Paperwise reads its text on your iPhone so you can find it later with the vault’s search.

What it is

From Files opens the iPhone’s file picker, which shows the Files app, iCloud Drive and any storage provider you’ve added (such as Google Drive or Dropbox).

Any type of file. Paperwise keeps the original, unchanged.
Up to 20 files at once, each up to 200 MB.
Searchable. Paperwise pulls the text out of the file on your iPhone: the text of a PDF, the text on the first pages of a scanned PDF, the text in images, and the text of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OpenDocument, RTF and plain text files. You can then find the file with the vault’s search.
Shelves. Images and videos go on Photos and videos; other files go on Files. With Pro’s AI naming, a file may land on a more specific shelf (an invoice PDF on Money, for example).

Open a file in Paperwise to preview it with Quick Look, share the original, or turn a PDF or image into a scan.

When to use it

Bank statements, payslips and invoices you downloaded as PDFs.
Contracts and letters someone sent as Word files.
Spreadsheets, presentations, videos and anything else you want to keep with your papers.

From Files or Convert a file?

There are two ways to bring in a PDF or an Office file:

	+ → From Files	+ → Convert a file → A PDF or Office file into a scan
What you get	The original file, unchanged	A scan document with pages
File types	Any	PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, RTF, text, OpenDocument
Size	Up to 200 MB, 20 files at once	Up to 40 MB, one file, first 200 pages
Page tools (sign, annotate, split, merge)	Not until you make it a scan	Yes

Most of the time, From Files is what you want. You can always turn a PDF, an image or an Office file into a scan later with Make a scan (or ••• → Make it a scan). See Merge scans and convert a file.

Step by step

Tap + at the bottom of the Vault (or inside the folder where the files belong).
Under Import, tap From Files.
Find your files. To pick several, tap Select, tap each file (up to 20), then tap Open.
Paperwise adds them. One file opens straight away; with several, you’ll see “3 files added” and they wait in your vault.

If you started inside a folder, the files are filed there. Otherwise they go into your vault and show in All items and on their shelf.

Turn a file into a scan

For a PDF, an image, or a Word, Excel or PowerPoint file already in your vault:

Open the file.
Tap Make a scan under the preview (or ••• → Make it a scan).
A new scan document is made with the file’s pages and text. The original file stays.

Word, Excel and PowerPoint files are first turned into a PDF on your iPhone; nothing is sent to our server. If iOS can’t read the file, Paperwise asks you to save it as a PDF and try again.

Sign a file

Tap Sign under the file’s preview (or ••• → Sign). Paperwise turns the file’s pages into a scan and opens the signing screen. Nothing is added to your vault yet.
Place your signature and tap Done. Paperwise asks what to keep:
- Replace the file with the signed version: the signed scan takes the file’s title and folder. The original file moves to Recently deleted, where you can restore it for 30 days.
- Keep the original and add the signed version: you keep both, the file and the signed scan.
- Cancel: you stay on the signing screen.
Paperwise opens the signed scan. It shows Signed under its title and on its card.

Tap Cancel on the signing screen (or Done without placing a signature) and no scan is made: tapping Sign again never leaves extra copies behind. See Sign, annotate, erase and watermark.

Office files

Word, Excel and PowerPoint files are kept as they are and open in Quick Look. Their text is read on your iPhone for search. To sign or mark one up, use Sign or Make a scan on the file.

To get pages you can sign or annotate, use + → Convert a file → A PDF or Office file into a scan. Paperwise converts the file on your iPhone, never on our server. If your iPhone can’t convert a particular file, it suggests saving it as a PDF (Share → Print → Save to Files, or Export as PDF in the app that made it). See Merge scans and convert a file.

Free and Pro

From Files is free. So is reading the text in your files and making a scan from a PDF or image.

Pro: with Name and sort new scans on, AI names new files and gives them a type. Without it, a file keeps its file name.

Privacy

The file is copied into Paperwise on your iPhone. Nothing is uploaded.
Text is pulled out of the file on your iPhone, without AI.
Paperwise deletes the picker’s temporary copies once the files are in, including any beyond the 20-file limit.
In your vault, files are encrypted by Paperwise with its own key, kept on this iPhone only; Face ID guards the app when the app lock is on. A readable copy exists only while you preview or share a file. For a private file, add it from inside Hidden with + → From Files: Hidden adds keys only Face ID, your Hidden passcode or your recovery key open. See Add things to Hidden.

Tips

On iPad you can also drag files from the Files app straight onto the Vault or a folder. See Drag and drop.
From another app, Share → Save to Paperwise does the same without opening Paperwise first. See Save to Paperwise from any app.
Rename a file by tapping its title.

What if…

What if it says “That file is too big”?

Paperwise keeps files up to 200 MB. Try a compressed copy, or split a large PDF before importing it.

What if I picked more than 20 files?

Only the first 20 are added. Import the rest in a second go.

What if I can’t find the file?

Make sure it’s downloaded. Files in iCloud Drive or another provider must be available to the Files app. Use the picker’s search field.

What if the file’s text isn’t found in search?

Some files have no readable text, or are locked or damaged. The file’s name is still searchable. For a scanned PDF, Make it a scan gives every page recognised text.

What if “That file couldn’t be added.” appears?

Try again. If it keeps happening, check your iPhone has free storage.