Box for iOS takes full advantage of the larger screen size in iPads. While you browse through a document you can view its contents side-by-side with file activity (comments, revisions, and so on). You can also easily access a range of additional actions, without having actually to open the file. You can:
- share the file via text, email, Zoom conference, and other applications
- invite others to collaborate on the file
- annotate the file and comment on the annotation
- comment on the file and view other people’s comments
- add the file to a Box collection
- swipe through thumbnails of other files in the same folder
- move, copy, rename, print, or delete the file
- make the file available to edit offline
- get basic file information
- and more
Note
This iPad preview applies only to documents represented in Box as a PDF. However, we are adding similar support for previewing Box Notes and images in a future version.
To preview a Box file, simply navigate to the file you want and tap it. The file opens to the first page. If you’re previewing it in portrait mode, the file you’re previewing displays full-screen. If you’re previewing it in landscape mode, an activity pane also opens and displays to the right of the file. The activity pane lists all actions that have been taken on the file. For example, it lists file revisions and comments that have been assigned or completed around the file.
To open the activity pane when you’re in portrait mode, in the bottom toolbar tap on the comment icon.
Regardless of whether you’re viewing the file in portrait or landscape mode, you have many choices for further action, all of which are only one or two taps away.
To view thumbnails of other files in the same folder, tap the four squares icon (
). Box displays a thumbnail of the current file. Swipe left to view successive thumbnails of all other files in the folder. The icon changes to a single square (
); tap that to return to the first file you previewed.
To expand the size of the preview image, tap the double arrow icon (
). This icon then changes to a single arrow (
). Tap the single arrow to return to the original preview size.
To share the file, on the bottom navigation tap the sharing icon (
). A window opens displaying a wide range of file sharing options. You can share the file via text, email, or Zoom conference; sign it with DocuSign; save it to Box or your local drive; print it; view it as a .pdf; and more.
To send the file as a Box shared link, tap the link icon (
). A window opens in which you can enable and copy the shared link and set permission levels to the file. You can also invite people to collaborate on the file.
To comment on the file, in the Activity pane, on the bottom, tap the Leave a comment box. Enter your comment and tap Save. Box saves your comment and displays it (along with other people’s comments) in the Activity pane.
To add the file to a Box collection, tap the Collections icon (
). Box displays a sub-menu you can use either to create a new collection for this file or add it to an existing collection.
For a range of other possible actions you can perform on the file you’re previewing, tap the ellipsis (
) to display another menu. From here you can:
- Move, copy, rename, print, or delete the file
- View metadata about the file
- Save the file to a library
- Make the file available to edit offline
- And more (your options may vary depending on your permissions and the number of third-party integrations that your organization has made available).
You can also highlight specific portions of documents to annotate them, or draw annotations in freehand, and then comment on and share your annotations.
Note
The side-by-side viewing of a file and its activity is a feature exclusive to the iPad experience. On iPhones, you continue to view the file preview and file activity separately.