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Paleklav
User level: Level 1 (12 points)

Persistent ghost file in Files app on iPhone

In Files, recently deleted I have a file that keeps coming back. I tried every possible way and nothing worked. The file keeps coming back. Let's get rid of this


[Edited by Moderator]

Original Title: Ghost file

Posted on Nov 5, 2026 12:47 PM

9 replies

6x6
User level: Level 7 (26,777 points)

Nov 5, 2026 4:13 PM in response to Paleklav

The "cloud" icon next to its name indicates that the file needs to be downloaded. Long-press the file and choose Recover to restore it to its orignal folder. Then, tap it so that it downloads from iCloud Drive. Once downloaded try to delete it again.


Alternatively, go to iCloud.com, open the Drive app and see if you can permanently delete the file there.

6x6
User level: Level 7 (26,777 points)

Nov 8, 2026 11:26 AM in response to Paleklav

Thanks. The next step would be to delete the Files app and to reinstall it from the App Store. Important: be absolutely sure that you are not storing files in the “On my IPhone” location as those files would be lost after deleting the app.

6x6
User level: Level 7 (26,777 points)

Nov 8, 2026 11:30 AM in response to Paleklav

Our replies crossed. Next, try to turn off iCloud Drive in Settings > [your name] > iCloud, wait a couple minutes, restart your iPhone and turn iCloud Drive back on.

Paleklav Author
User level: Level 1 (12 points)

Nov 9, 2026 6:09 AM in response to 6x6

Yes. The solution I found was to reset the phone and restore the backup from Iclod. Thanks for your help

6x6
User level: Level 7 (26,777 points)

Nov 6, 2026 5:09 PM in response to Paleklav

A few questions:


  1. Was the file on iCloud Drive or another cloud provider?
  2. What do you see when you tap Get Info?
  3. Do you store any document in the "On My iPhone" location? I'm asking because a solution could be to delete the Files app and to download it again from the App Store. But if you have document in "On My iPhone" they would be deleted. You could restore them from a backup but I'm afraid the ghost file might reappear.
Paleklav Author
User level: Level 1 (12 points)

Nov 6, 2026 4:09 PM in response to 6x6

The problem is that the file is not on the icloud and it is not in the phone either


Paleklav Author
User level: Level 1 (12 points)

Nov 8, 2026 11:14 AM in response to 6x6

Only icloud Drive. This file does not exist on my phone and in the icloud drive.

Paleklav Author
User level: Level 1 (12 points)

Nov 8, 2026 11:21 AM in response to 6x6

Now, I also come across two more files that also appear on Iclou Drive, I delete them but they also keep coming back

Paleklav Author
User level: Level 1 (12 points)

Nov 8, 2026 11:24 AM in response to 6x6

I tried deleting the app and it didn't help

Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256389403