Article

Adding a Document Browser to Your App

Give users access to their local or remote documents from within your app.

Overview

Use a document browser view controller as the root of your app's view hierarchy. When a user selects a document, you present its view controller modally from your document browser.

Your app's view hierarchy.

The browser automatically gives users the option to share documents using the Share button or a drag-and-drop action. It also provides a standard interface for browsing and managing documents.

You set the type of documents that the user can select when the browser is first created. You can also set the browser's appearance, modify its behaviors, and add custom actions.

Topics

Configuration

Setting Up a Document Browser App

Add a document browser view controller to your app.

Presenting Selected Documents

Display user-selected documents over your browser view controller.

Enabling Document Sharing

Give users the ability to import and export documents from your app.

Customization

Customizing the Browser

Customize the document browser’s look and behavior.

Adding Custom Actions and Activities

Add custom document browser actions, activities, and bar items.

See Also

Documents and Directories

Providing Access to Directories

Use a document picker to access the content of a directory outside your app’s container.

Building a Document Browser-Based App

Use a document browser to provide access to the user’s text files.

Building an App Based on the Document Browser View Controller

Implement a custom document file format to manage user interactions with files on different cloud storage providers.

class UIDocumentBrowserViewController

A view controller for browsing and performing actions on documents stored locally and in the cloud.

class UIDocumentPickerViewController

A view controller that provides access to documents or destinations outside your app’s sandbox.

class UIDocumentInteractionController

A view controller that previews, opens, or prints files whose file format cannot be handled directly by your app.