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Tobiiez
User level: Level 1 (8 points)

iPhone not recognizing recreated Documents folder

Every iPhone comes with two default folders - Downloads and Documents. I accidentally deleted the Documents folder long ago. Recreating a new folder named "Documents" would not make the system see it as the default documents directory. Now that I don't have the default Documents folder on my iPhone, when I try to save a scanned document it would fail to load the folder (that’s just an example of how the Documents folder is supposed to work).

Posted on Sep 28, 2026 7:25 AM

2 replies

LD150
User level: Level 10 (107,674 points)

Sep 28, 2026 9:07 AM in response to Tobiiez

When you open the Files app on your iPhone and look under the On My iPhone section, iOS does not come with a pre-populated set of system folders by default. Instead, the "On My iPhone" location is initially blank until you or your installed apps create local folders there (Apple Support)


I don't have a Documents folder there by default, I and can't remember ever having one. iCloud Drive has one, are you mis

-remembering maybe?

LD150
User level: Level 10 (107,674 points)

Sep 28, 2026 9:08 AM in response to LD150

BTW the Downloads is probably created by Safari

Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256366545