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Is File Manager Safe?

File Manager privacy label · by Heavenbrook Software Inc. · checked November 2026

  • Collects no data
App Privacy label Developer-reported · checked November 1, 2026
Data Not Collected

The developer states that no data is collected from this app.

Short answer

On the label, yes. File Manager's developer reports that it collects no data, which puts it among the 36% of file managers we checked with a "Data Not Collected" label. That is a self-declared statement, not an audit, and it does not cover data processed only on your device.

At a glance

File Manager privacy in one look

Data exposure on the label
Data not collected
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4

Built only from the developer's App Store label. It describes disclosure, not tested behaviour.

Verdict from the label
Data not collected

File Manager's developer states that the app does not collect any data from this app.

Try it

Did File Manager ask for something?

Pick the permission prompt you saw. We compare it with what File Manager's developer declared.

It asked me for access to…
Tap a prompt to compare it with the label.
Not on the label

Location is not on File Manager's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

Not on the label

User Content is not on File Manager's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

Not on the label

Contacts is not on File Manager's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

Not declared on the label

File Manager declares no tracking, so a tracking prompt would contradict its label. Decline it, and consider reporting the mismatch to Apple.

Not on the label

Health & Fitness is not on File Manager's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

A permission is what the app can reach on your iPhone; the label is what the developer says leaves it. They answer different questions.

Reading the label

What File Manager's label means for you

“Data Not Collected” is the cleanest result a label can show. It means the developer states that no data leaves your iPhone in a way the developer or its partners can access for longer than needed to handle a request. Data processed only on your device does not count as collected, so File Manager can still read files or photos you open in it.

The statement is the developer's own. Apple reviews apps but does not audit every label, and analytics or crash-reporting libraries added later can make a label out of date. If File Manager asks you to create an account, upload files or allow tracking, that would not match a no-collection label — and is worth noticing.

File managers connect to cloud drives, servers and your Files app. The app can see whatever you open in it. Review connected accounts, and remove ones you no longer use from both the app and the cloud provider's security page.

Among the 112 file managers in our snapshot with a label, 45% declare tracking, 51% collect data linked to you and 36% say they collect nothing. File Manager lists 0 data types, fewer than the average of 1.5 for this group.

Utilities range from calculators to VPNs, so their labels vary more than any other category. A simple tool that collects identifiers and usage data for tracking is a sign of advertising SDKs.

On your iPhone

Settings to check for File Manager

  1. 1

    Lock the app

    On iOS 18 and later, touch and hold the icon and choose Require Face ID. Anyone who picks up your unlocked phone then needs your face, fingerprint or passcode to open it.

  2. 2

    Notifications

    Settings › Notifications › File Manager › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.

Cross-app tracking

Does File Manager track you?

No tracking declared

There is no “Data Used to Track You” section on File Manager's label.

Does File Manager track you? Full answer and how to stop it →

iOS 18 and later

Lock File Manager behind Face ID

  1. Find File Manager on your Home Screen or in App Library.
  2. Touch and hold the icon until the quick-actions menu opens.
  3. Tap Require Face ID (or Require Touch ID / Require Passcode, depending on your iPhone).
  4. Tap Require Face ID again to confirm. File Manager now asks for authentication every time it opens.

The lock is an iPhone feature, so it works whether or not File Manager has a passcode of its own. It does not change what the app sends to its developer.

From the App Store record

About File Manager

DeveloperHeavenbrook Software Inc.
App Store categoryUtilities (also Productivity)
Latest version3.4, released April 2026
First releasedAugust 2012
RequiresiOS 17.6 or later
Size10 MB
Age rating4+
Languages2 (EN, ZH)
Bundle IDcom.heavenbrook.fileManager

The current version shipped in April 2026. That is recent enough that the label should reflect current practices, but check the App Store page again before relying on it.

Read with care

What the label cannot tell you

  • A label is self-reported. Apple publishes the developer's answers and can reject apps that misrepresent them, but it does not independently verify what File Manager sends.
  • It does not say where data is stored, how long it is kept, whether it is encrypted, or which companies receive it. The privacy policy covers those points.
  • Optional data counts: if a feature lets you add something (a profile photo, a phone number), the type is listed even if you never use the feature.
  • Data handled only on your iPhone is not 'collected', so a no-collection label is compatible with an app that reads your files locally.
  • Third-party sign-in, payment processors and SDKs are supposed to be included, but a label can lag behind a new version.

The question to ask File Manager's developer: Which of my connected accounts can this app reach?

How it compares

File Manager vs similar file managers

Data types listed on each App Store privacy label
Tracks youLinked to youNot linkedCollects nothing

Fewer types is not automatically safer: a cloud backup app has to collect your files to work. Compare like with like.

Checking another app?

Look up any of our apps in seconds, or put two labels side by side.

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Do it now

Your File Manager privacy checklist

Tick what you have done
Tick each step as you do it on your iPhone.

Done. You have applied every control the label points to.

Quick quiz

True or false?

  1. Q1File Manager's privacy label says it uses data to track you.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    False: there is no Data Used to Track You section on File Manager's label.

  2. Q2Apple tests every app to confirm its privacy label is accurate.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    Labels are self-reported by developers. Apple can reject or remove apps that misrepresent practices, but it does not audit each label.

  3. Q3An app with a “Data Not Collected” label cannot read any of your photos.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    It can read photos you give it access to. Processing on your device is not collection; only data sent off the phone counts.

  4. Q4Data “Not Linked to You” is never sent off your iPhone.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    It is collected and sent; the developer says it is de-identified rather than tied to your account or device.

  5. Q5Tapping “Ask App Not to Track” can stop an app from working.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    Apple's rules require apps to work the same whether or not you allow tracking.

Questions people ask

File Manager privacy FAQ

Is File Manager safe to use?
Based on its App Store privacy label, file Manager's developer states that the app does not collect any data from this app. Whether that is acceptable depends on what you will store in it. The label is developer-reported, not an independent security test.
Does File Manager track you?
No. File Manager's label has no Data Used to Track You section.
What data does File Manager collect?
None, according to the developer's label.
Who makes File Manager?
Heavenbrook Software Inc., according to the App Store. It was first released in August 2012 and the current version is 3.4.
Can I lock File Manager with Face ID?
On iOS 18 or later, touch and hold File Manager's icon and choose Require Face ID (or Touch ID / Passcode). This is an iPhone feature and works for most downloaded apps, whether or not the app has its own lock. If you don't see the option, update iOS.
How does File Manager compare with other file managers?
Across 112 file managers with labels in our snapshot, 45% declare tracking and 36% say they collect no data. File Manager lists 0 data types against an average of 1.5.
Which of my connected accounts can this app reach?
The privacy label cannot answer that. Look for it in File Manager's privacy policy or support pages, linked from the App Store listing. Review connected accounts, and remove ones you no longer use from both the app and the cloud provider's security page.
How do I delete my data from File Manager?
Apps that let you create an account must also let you start account deletion from inside the app (an App Store rule since June 2022). Deleting the app from your iPhone alone does not delete data already sent to the developer.
Facts on this page come from File Manager on the App Store, as reported by the developer. Checked 2026-11-01. How we collect data · Report a correction